The silk art painting of Tao Te Ching or Dao De Jing , whose authorship has been attributed to Laozi , is a Chinese classic text. According to tradition, it was written around the 6th century BC by the sage (or Lao Tzu, "Old Master"), a record-keeper at the court, by whose name the text is known in China.

The Tao Te Ching is fundamental to the and strongly influenced other schools, such as and . This ancient book is also central in , not only for Religious Taoism but Chinese Buddhism, which when first introduced into China was largely interpreted through the use of Taoist words and concepts. Many Chinese artists, including , , , and even have used the Tao Te Ching as a source of inspiration. Its influence has also spread widely outside East Asia, aided by hundreds of translations into Western languages.