From tech PhD to China Taoist priest, Zhang Gaocheng inspires a new generation

A Taoist priest in China, dressed in a traditional Taoist robe and holding a trifold mobile phone, recently garnered attention on social media, not only for his impressive academic background but also for his life advice resonating with the younger generation.Zhang Gaocheng, 74, serves as the deputy director of the Taoist Association of China, the highest-level semi-government organisation of the religion.He came into the spotlight after attending the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) meeting in Beijing in early March, where he was interviewed by state media and shared his principles for managing anxiety.Zhang gained recognition after attending the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing in early March, where he was interviewed by state media and discussed his approaches to managing anxiety. Photo: DouyinZhang has since earned the nickname “contemporary No 1 person against self-sabotage,” as reported by the news portal The Paper.The term “self-sabotage” is often associated with modern “mental anxiety” and “emotional burnout” conditions exacerbated by high-pressure environments that can lead to self-defeating behaviours.Born Zhang Xueling in Beijing, he graduated from a university in southwestern Sichuan province with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and was assigned to teach at the renowned Zhejiang-university" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="59507" data-entity-type="organization">Zhejiang University in eastern Zhejiang province in the early 1980s.After earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science from a university in southwestern Sichuan province, Zhang, left, began teaching at the prestigious Zhejiang-university" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="59507" data-entity-type="organization">Zhejiang University in eastern Zhejiang province in the early 1980s. Photo: DouyinDuring this period, he converted to Taoism. In 1986, Zhang received funding from the mainland government to study information technology at Maharishi University of Management in Iowa, United States.