Atlas of Religious and Esoteric LineagesFive thousand lineages · worldwide

A living reference atlas

Atlas of Religious and Esoteric Lineages

Five thousand religious, mystical, Indigenous and esoteric lineages from around the world — what they are, where they came from, and where to read more.

Source-linked and transparently qualified. Editorial standards and correction criteria are public.

Created and maintained by Ayara and Kyle Jonathan B@KJB_and_AYARA

Entries
5,000
Candidate geography relations
7,326
Candidate country vocabulary
162

One index · three ways in

Explore the index

Search five thousand distinct lineages

Entry data: effective Atlas view
Geography: candidate layer pending adjudication

111 lineages in the selected candidate country

Page 4 of 5

Atlas 3214Scholarly / historical only

Mogao Buddhist cave-temple complex

Buddhist Traditions Sacred site / complex

Public geography
China
Period / origin
4th–14th centuries CE; protected heritage complex
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3215Scholarly / historical only

Dazu Buddhist and Daoist rock-carving complex

Buddhist Traditions Sacred site / complex

Public geography
China
Period / origin
9th–13th centuries CE; protected heritage complex
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3216Institution-specific

Mount Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha sacred landscape

Buddhist Traditions Sacred site / complex

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical sacred landscape–present
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3217Scholarly / historical only

Yungang Buddhist grotto complex

Buddhist Traditions Sacred site / complex

Public geography
China
Period / origin
5th–6th centuries CE; protected heritage complex
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3280Institution-specific

Mount Taishan sacred landscape

East Asian Traditions Sacred site / complex

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Ancient sacred landscape; protected pilgrimage setting
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3281Institution-specific

Qufu Confucius temple and cemetery complex

East Asian Traditions Sacred site / complex

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical complex with multiple rebuilding phases; protected heritage property
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3282Scholarly / historical only

Temple of Heaven imperial sacrificial complex

East Asian Traditions Historical religion / cult

Public geography
China
Period / origin
15th–20th-century imperial ritual complex; protected heritage property
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3283Institution-specific

Mount Sanqingshan Daoist sacred landscape

East Asian Traditions Sacred site / complex

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical sacred landscape; protected natural and cultural setting
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3284Institution-specific

Mount Wuyi religious and scholarly landscape

East Asian Traditions Sacred site / complex

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical sacred and scholarly landscape; protected mixed property
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3285Institution-specific

Lushan religious and scholarly cultural landscape

East Asian Traditions Sacred site / complex

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical sacred and scholarly landscape; protected cultural property
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3706Scholarly / historical only

Monk Enchin Buddhist exchange archives

Buddhist Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China, Japan
Period / origin
Ninth-century exchange archive centered on Enchin (814–891 CE in the cited UNESCO record); registered in 2023
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina, Japan

View full record
Atlas 3708Scholarly / historical only

Shaolin Temple stele corpus

Buddhist Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Inscription corpus dated 566–1990 in the UNESCO record; 499 surviving steles are described and 2025 registration is recorded
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 3714Scholarly / historical only

Kong Tac Lam women’s Buddhist archive and manuscript corpus

Buddhist Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Archive and manuscript collection covering 1645–1980 in the UNESCO title; registered in 2023
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4282Open / public

Dàodéjīng

East Asian Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical received text; current Chinese Text Project digital edition documented
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4283Open / public

Zhuāngzǐ

East Asian Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical received text; current Chinese Text Project digital edition documented
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4284Open / public

Lièzǐ / Chōngxū Zhìdé Zhēnjīng

East Asian Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical received text; current Chinese Text Project digital edition documented
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4285Open / public

Bàopǔzǐ Inner Chapters

East Asian Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical received text; current Chinese Text Project digital edition documented
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4286Open / public

Huáinánzǐ cosmological corpus

East Asian Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical received text; current Chinese Text Project digital edition documented
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4287Open / public

Wénzǐ / Tōngxuán Zhēnjīng

East Asian Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical received text; current Chinese Text Project digital edition documented
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4288Open / public

Huángdì Yīnfújīng

East Asian Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical received text; current Chinese Text Project digital edition documented
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4289Open / public

Nèiyè (Inward Training)

East Asian Traditions Textual corpus / teaching

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Historical received text; current Chinese Text Project digital edition documented
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4290Institution-specific

Taoist Association of China

East Asian Traditions Order / organization

Public geography
China
Period / origin
Established 1957; living national body
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4464Institution-specific

Church of Almighty God

Modern Spiritual Movements New religious movement

Public geography
China
Period / origin
1991–present
Evidence status
Directly cited

Candidate countriesChina

View full record
Atlas 4752Varies by lineage

Chinese Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya transmissions

Central, North & Inner Asian Lineage / school

Public geography
China
Period / origin
18th century onward
Evidence status
Related-entry source

Candidate countriesChina

View full record