The Master Yu Tradition

The Master Yu Tradition flourished during the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280). It was a short-lived sect which spread from North to South, primarily within the confines of East Wu, a state in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze river. The sect took as its founder Yu Ji, a famous Daoist of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220) who had preached The Book of Supreme Peace. It can thus be inferred that The Master Yu Tradition was either related to or belonged to the Supreme Peace sect.

During the Three Kingdoms era when the Master Yu Tradition saw its spread in East Wu, a Daoist going by the name of Yu Ji came to Wuhui and set up temples where he burned incense, read Daoist scriptures and made Talismanic Water to cure the sick. Owing to his healings, many people in Wuhui became his followers. However, in order to prevent him from "Misleading the people", Shun Ce, king of East Wu, had him killed. This Daoist had obviously been preaching to the public using the name of the previous Yu Ji, who had lived during the Eastern Han dynasty. After his death, his followers denied that he could be killed. Instead, they regarded his apparent death as a case of "Deliverance from the Corpse". They continued to worship him for a long time.

After the decline of the Master Yu Tradition, the Li Tradition started to prosper in the southern reaches of the Yangtze river. 于君道