Contents of the Rite System

Ban Gu，a great historian，classified rites and music under four administrative measures，that is，“Rites gave the proper measure to the people’s minds；music made harmony in human sounds；government carried things out；punishments prevented transgression.”）.In the beginning of all feudal dynasties，erudite scholars well versed in ancient rites and music systems had usually been invited to make the specific system of rites and music of their own times，with the system of rites and music from the Zhou Dynasty being their cannons，as it had been so influential and popular.Each dynasty，as a result，had made its own system of ritesand music.In the Tang Dynasty，nine classics had been officially established from previousdynasties，among which three classics regarding the system of the rites and music could be found，so-called”Three classics of Rites”：

1）Propitious Rites or Sacrifice-offering Rites

（a）Sacrifice-offering to Heaven and Earth；（b）Sacrificeoffering to Ancestral Temple or Shrine；（c）Sacrifice-offering to the Sun，the Moon and Heavenly Bodies；（d）Sacrificeoffering to God of Land and Grain.

2）Harmonious Rites or Symbolic Rites

（a）Banquet Ceremony；（b）Hat-wearing or Initiation Ceremony；（c）Wedding Ceremony；（d）Arrowshooting Ceremony.

3）Rites of Protocol

（a）Chaojin or Request an Audience with Emperors：Vassals or dukes paid respects to emperors and reported on their vassal state affairs.

（b）Huitong or Grand Royal Ceremony：Vassals or dukes came to the capital and followed emperors in the Ceremony of Sacrifice-offering to the Sun，the Moon and Stars，and were treated to banquets after the ceremony.

4）Military Rites

（a）Resolution-pledging Ceremony before military expedition；（b）Military Supply Requisition Ceremony；（c）Troop-reviewing Ceremony；（d）Defence Works Building Ceremony；（e）Frontier-safeguarding Ceremony.

5）Mourning and Compassion Expressing Rites

These rites served for relief and condolences when disasters occurred.

（a）Relief and Condolences Rites

For those sick and dead，such measures as emigration，reduction of taxes and so on were adopted.

（b）Catastrophe-relieving Rites

Emperors and their officials took immediate actions to send relief workers to disaster-hit areas and at the same time offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth，Ancestral Temple because they thought they must have offended God or spirit in one way or another without their knowledge.

（c）Funeral Rites

Much importance had been attached to the burial of the dead because Chinese considered the piety to be the cardinal virtue of the offspring.

qingquang

See author's posts