Combining ancient beliefs in mountains and mother earth, and ideas about suitable places for life as hermits, Daoists organized caves in great mountains throughout the land into a system of "fairy grottoes" comprising ten major "cave heavens," 36 minor cave heavens and 72 "blessed abodes," each governed by a different spirit or immortal.
有心之士遂結合古代山岳信仰、地母信仰、隱者棲室，將座落大江南北的名山洞府，組成具有意義的十大洞天、三十六小洞天、七十二福地系統，每處由不同仙靈掌管。