Within the vast landscape of Daoist scripture, the Ming dynasty Zhengtong Daozang stands as the central mountain range to which most paths return. Compiled under imperial auspices, this canon is widely regarded as the most authoritative and comprehensive collection, both for religious practice and for scholarly reference. It gathers a very large number of texts, organized according to the traditional Daoist classificatory schemes, and has served as the standard point of orientation for later Daoist communities. When people speak of “the Daoist Canon” in a strict sense, it is usually this Ming edition that is being invoked.

Around this core, later layers of tradition have accreted. The Wanli Xu Daozang, compiled as a supplement to the Ming canon, adds further texts and is often treated as an important extension rather than as an independent authority in its own right. Together, the Zhengtong Daozang and the Wanli supplement form the combined corpus that many regard as the normative reference set for Daoist literature. Some Daoist lineages and scholars draw on this expanded body of writings to articulate doctrine, ritual, and cosmology, while still recognizing the primacy of the original Ming compilation.

Yet the authority of a canon does not erase the quiet voices of earlier manuscripts and parallel traditions. For particular scriptures—whether philosophical works or liturgical texts—older or variant manuscript lineages sometimes preserve readings that are more complete or closer to early forms than those found in the printed Daozang. Materials such as Dunhuang Daoist manuscripts and other transmitted collections are therefore treated as crucial witnesses when tracing the development of specific texts. In this way, the Ming Daozang provides the overarching framework of canonicity, while diverse manuscript traditions serve as companions in the more detailed work of interpretation and reconstruction.