Guangdong Province’s first Taoist college is set to officially open in Huizhou next year. Wen Weiping, deputy director of the Ethnic & Religious Affairs Committee of Guangdong Province, announced Tuesday that the Guangdong Institute of Taoism would officially open in the Guihua Building near Luofu Mountain by the end of 2014, Chinanews reports.

Luofu Mountain has long been known for its Taoist heritage and the 2013 Guangdong Taoist Culture Festival will be held there from November 15-17. Activities are likely to include group meditation and philanthropical work.

Philosopher and author Ge Hong, via Google Images

The mountain is the home of the Huanglong Temple. Noted Taoist philosopher and author Ge Hong (283-343) spent eight years on Luofu writing, studying and teaching.

“Guangdong already has four Buddhist colleges, so it is about time we did the same for Taoist Culture,” Wen Weiping told reporters. It will recruit 30 students in its first year, and they will study politics and other core curriculum subjects as well as Taoist studies.

As we told you this month, the government has allowed an increased role for religious organisations in philanthropy and disaster relief, including health care and poverty alleviation. This is largely due to the work of scholars who have courageously defended China’s spiritual heritage.