 The taijitu ( simplified Chinese : 太极图 ; traditional Chinese : 太極圖 ; pinyin : tàijítú ; commonly known as the " yin and yang symbol " or simply the " yin yang " ) as well as the bagua 八卦 ( " Eight Trigrams " ) are associated with Taoist symbolism . The taijitu is not an exclusive symbol of Taoism , however . While almost all Taoist organizations make use of it , one could actually also call it Confucian , Neo @-@ Confucian or pan @-@ Chinese . One is likely to see this symbol as decorations on Taoist organization flags and logos , temple floors , or stitched into clerical robes . According to Song dynasty sources , it originated around the 10th century . Previously , yin and yang were symbolized by a tiger and dragon . 
