Lao Tsu

Lao Tzu, one of China's greatest philosophers, was born in 604 BC in the fields outside the village of Kuai Te in the Ho Nan province. He served as an imperial archivist and Keeper of the Archives at the court in Luoyang. Disillusioned by the corruption and malice of the courtiers, he left the kingdom in his old age and headed west. Before disappearing forever, he imparted all the wisdom he had gained in life to the guardian of a mountain pass in the form of a small book. Thus, the "Tao Te Ching" was born, the sacred book of Tao and Te, which would conquer all of China and become, along with Mao's "Little Red Book" and Confucius' "Analects," one of the most widely read books not only in this vast country but also around the world.