Where nearly a thousand years of Daoist wisdom meets the modern world — medicine, the I Ching, qigong, and classical Chinese culture, made accessible to all people in Santa Monica and beyond.
For nearly a thousand years, the Dragon Gate School of Daoism has preserved its teachings intact. Dr. Baolin Wu carries this heritage directly — from Beijing to Santa Monica, from ancient texts to living practice.
Located in Santa Monica, California, the Academy is led by Dr. Baolin Wu — Daoist master, physician, and martial artist — alongside his eight dedicated students, many of whom have studied with him for over twenty years since he first arrived from Beijing in the early 1990s.
The Academy’s mission is both educational and cultural: to engage the general public on matters of qigong, Daoist history, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the I Ching, and to actively promote these disciplines as living, accessible practices for all people. Each student brings unique expertise to the Academy, pursuing their own courses of study while contributing to the collective work.
One of the Academy’s most compelling points of relevance: Leibniz, the inventor of binary computer code, stated directly that he derived the concept of 0s and 1s from the I Ching. Far from being a relic of a pre-technological world, the I Ching by its very nature encompasses all phenomena — and in many ways anticipated the logic underlying modern computing. The Academy believes these ancient frameworks are not only relevant today; they may be more needed than ever.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbalism, and qigong are particularly accessible entry points — practices anyone from any walk of life can begin learning immediately. Making these traditions available to people who might never otherwise encounter them is a central mission of the Academy.
Many of Dr. Wu’s students have been studying with him for over twenty years, forming one of the most dedicated communities of Daoist learning in the Western world. Each brings a unique professional background and specialty — from acupuncture and herbal medicine to martial arts, scholarship, and public education.
Together they pursue courses of study within the Academy, compile books and research materials, participate in community outreach, and help promote Daoist culture through public demonstrations, cultural events, and online content accessible to all.
The ceremony pictured above — the preparation of Mantou buns as offerings for the souls lost in ongoing conflicts overseas — exemplifies the Academy’s commitment to bringing classical Daoist practice into direct engagement with the real world.
The Bagua painted on the clinic courtyard, visible beneath the group, represents the Academy’s commitment to making classical Daoist cosmology a visible and living presence in the Santa Monica community.
Dr. Baolin Wu, OMD, L.Ac is a Daoist master, physician, and martial artist from the ancient Daoist tradition in Beijing — which for nearly a thousand years has been China’s most revered center for Daoist philosophy, medicine, and cultivation. His relationship with the academy began at age four, when the monks cured him of leukemia; he then spent twenty years under the direct tutelage of Abbot Master Du Xinling.
His heritage carries imperial weight. His ancestor Qian Wu was the Qing Dynasty court physician and author of “The Mirror of Medicine.” His grandfather Xi Zhi Wu served as personal physician to Pu Yi, the last Emperor of China. Seven generations of medical mastery converge in his practice.
After earning degrees from the National College of TCM in Beijing and serving at Guang An Men Hospital, Dr. Wu earned his PhD in Neurophysiology from Kyoto University. He established the Beijing Chinese Medical Center in Santa Monica in 1991, where he has practiced, taught, and led the Academy for over thirty-five years.
Our curriculum draws from the complete Daoist classical tradition — medicine, cosmology, martial arts, and the divinatory arts — taught as a unified living system rooted in nearly a thousand years of unbroken transmission, and made accessible to students of all backgrounds.
“Dr. Wu takes us on a journey through the many layers of the Daoist experience with unparalleled knowledge and openness.”
“At last students of both classical Chinese culture and mind/body wellness are brought directly into the mind of a master.”
“This is the best proof of all — Dr. Wu’s Daoist Aunt has persisted in practice for over 130 years of dedicated cultivation.”
The Daoist tradition places service at its center. The Academy extends this spirit — bringing the healing gifts of classical Chinese medicine and Daoist culture beyond its walls and into the wider Santa Monica community.
Each year, Dr. Wu and his students provide free acupuncture treatments to the elderly — honoring the ancient Daoist ethic of the physician as servant to all people, regardless of means. The Academy also hosts public events, cultural demonstrations, and ceremonies open to anyone who wishes to attend.
Join Our Community EventsClassical acupuncture freely offered to elderly community members each year — the living expression of the Daoist physician’s deepest calling.
Public education on the large and small Bagua, I Ching readings, and GuiGuZi — bringing classical cosmology into contemporary conversation.
Classical Daoist ritual objects and ceremonies offered for peace — including the recent Mantou bun offering for souls lost in overseas conflicts.
Public lectures, qigong demonstrations, and cultural events bringing the living Daoist tradition to communities across Southern California.
Subscribe to the student channels below to follow the Academy's growing library of Daoist content.
An exploration of the ancient ceremonies and ritual practices preserved within the Daoist tradition — their historical origins, cosmological significance, and continued relevance to practitioners and communities navigating the modern world.
A deep inquiry into the mathematical structures at the heart of the I Ching — and their implications for a new era of cosmological science.
A look at the Taoist ceremony of marking steamed buns with a red dot and casting them into water — a quiet act of compassion honoring the people, animals, and plants lost to human conflict.
We welcome original research, translations, and essays on Daoist philosophy, medicine, and Chinese cultural studies from scholars worldwide.
Submit Research →Private instruction, clinic appointments, community events, and publishing inquiries are all welcomed at the Academy.