本文通過檢討周禮「冠」及冠禮所包含的禮制和性別文化含義，說明在中國傳統禮中，女性與冠無緣。由此進入對道教女冠之稱的歷史回顧和意義解讀，指出道門女性與「冠」結緣的關鍵因素，則是「冠」所包含的官僚，等級體制意義在送教仙界構想中的體現。在這種等級體制化的神仙世界中，女仙與男仙一樣，具有明確的仙官身分。因此，戴冠女仙的形象大量出現六朝以降的道經當中，並對道教女修制度產生了直接的影響。六朝至唐代道教「女冠」一稱的發展步驟大致以女仙之冠先行、女人之冠後起，終至女道戴冠成道門定制，而女冠一名則成為女性修道者的通稱。這一分析旨在從宗教、性別與象徵的角度解讀中古道教對女性所賦予的文化價值觀念。

　　　　　This paper is an analysis of the term nu guan女冠 (woman's cap) for Taoist priestesses in regard to its gender and religious meaning. Through a comparative study of the initiation rites for young men (capping ceremony; guan li冠禮) and young women (hair-pinning ceremony, ji li 笄禮) in the Zhou dynasty, the author points out that the cap (guan冠) represented men's privileges, in which women had no part. Based on the above observation, this paper investigates the way in which Taoist traditions established a link between women and the guan冠. Detailed textual research on Taoist workds from the Six dynasties to the Tang period demonstrates that the connection was formed through the function of guan as an emblem of an official (guan官). In the hierarchical and bureaucratic would of the Shang Qing School, male and female immortals acquired the identity of heavenly officials. Various kinds of guan冠were bestowed on female as well as male immortals. Taoist priestesses also wore a guan冠according to their religious rank, and their guan冠matched the images and identities of the female immortals. At the same time, the term nu guan 女冠appeared as a formal designation for Taoist priestesses, especially in the Tang dynasty. For gender and religious studies, the most important observation is that the power of a Taoist priestess, embodied by her guan冠, which had formerly been a symbol of male privileges in traditional rites, came form the other world. This helps us gain a deeper understanding of the religious authority and identity of Taoist priestesses in medieval China.