The cult of Tanyangzi has developed in a complicated social environment during the early period of Wanli’s reign. Through the printing and spreading of Tanyangzi’s toughts, the construction of the shrines and temples, and various worship activities, the belief of Tanyangzi was successfully established as a folk cult. During this process, the Buddhist elements, especially those indoor activities during Tangyangzi’s early age, was interacted vividly with her identity as Daoist immortal and virtuous widows. The network surrounded the Wang’s family in Taicang, the pursuing of immortality connected with the Jingming sect and the sense of beauty of the literati influenced the expression of the Tanyang cult as well. This study will based on the complex religious context of the late Ming dynasty to explore how the three religions negotiated with each other, which will help to further understand the situation of literati religion of the Late Ming dynasty.
