Laozi Laozi discussion (circa 571 BC—circa 470 BC70, sometimes 571 BC—471 BC73), surname Li, given name Er, courtesy name Dan, also called Boyang (or posthumously named Boyang), a figure from the Spring and Autumn period. Records in the "Records of the Grand Historian" and "Book of the Later Han" state that Laozi was born in the State of Chu29 or the State of Chen1-3, in Ku County (now Luyi County, Henan Province) Lixiang29 (also written as Laixiang2), in Qurenli, or alternatively from Guo County, Anhui Province71. An ancient Chinese thinker, philosopher, writer, and historian, founder and main representative of Taoism, often paired with Zhuangzi as "Lao Zhuang." During the Tang Dynasty, he was posthumously recognized as the ancestor of the Li surname. He has been listed among world cultural celebrities and one of the top 100 historical figures worldwide.