  Tao Hongjing陶弘景 (456–536) was the effective founder of Shangqing 上清 (Highest Clarity) Daoism. He held several court positions under the Liu Song and Qi dynasties. In 492 he retired to Mount Mao (Maoshan 茅山), where he became interested in the so-called Shangqing revelations to Yang Xi a century before his time. He set himself to collect and edit the original manuscripts connected with these revelations. The result was the Declarations of the Perfected (Zhen gao 真誥). When the Liang dynasty came to power in 502, he joined the court of Emperor Wu (r. 502–549), on whom he had considerable influence.