It was said in Sung Shih (the Sung Annals) that Emperor Tai Tzu of the Sung dynasty adopted the suggestion of a Taoist priest, Chen Po, that Taoism be made a national religion.
及其得國即位，多採用陳搏之策略，力持寬大柔靖之政策，並且將道家思想載於典章中，無形中以道教為國教。傳至宋徽宗，國家屢受外族的壓迫，民族意識高漲，此時，屬於中國固有之宗教﹘﹘道教，便被廣為傳揚，同時，凡非民族文化所蔚成的宗教，一律要被請出國門。