Ritual System and Etiquette

Xiao DongfaModern Press · ChinaMay 2025

Rating 3.3
Word count
71K words
Chapters
34
ISBN
9787514333572

Tags

Culture Social ObservationEthical OrderMoral CultivationPopular NarrativeFive RitesTraditional AestheticsDuke of ZhouRitual Music System

Summary

This book covers how awe for nature prompted the formation of rites, Yu the Great casting the nine tripods, the Duke of Zhou establishing rites and music, and Confucian sages recording the "Five Rites," among other topics.

Editor's review

Rites and Rituals, written by Professor Xiao Dongfa, is an academic popularization that systematically traces the development of Chinese ritual civilization. Its value lies first in its clear framework—from the ancient Three Dynasties to Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin, and then from Sui and Tang to Ming and Qing, the author follows the succession of dynasties to outline how ritual institutions evolved with changes in political structure and social formation, avoiding the fragmentation common in comparable works. The interpretations of classics such as the Rites of Zhou, the Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial, and the Book of Rites are especially precise: the author quotes original texts while adding modern explanation, enabling ordinary readers to grasp the inner logic of ancient ritual institutions.

As a scholar long engaged in editing, publishing, and cultural communication research, Xiao Dongfa writes with both academic rigor and readability. He not only sorts out the norms of state and popular rituals such as court audiences, sacrifices, and weddings and funerals, but also explores in depth the power relations, ethical concepts, and social integration functions behind ritual institutions. For example, the analysis of the shift from "rites do not extend to the common people" to "rites extend to the common people" reveals how, after the Song dynasty, rituals gradually penetrated from aristocratic exclusivity into everyday life, a perspective helpful for understanding the "rule by rites" character of traditional Chinese society.

Although some content involves details of statutes and institutions, the author often uses specific historical events or figures as entry points—such as Liu Bang's abolition of the court ceremonies instituted by Shusun Tong, or the circulation of Sima Guang's Book of Etiquette among the people—vividly showing the tensions and adaptations of ritual in practice. For readers who wish to understand the core of traditional Chinese culture and explore the historical foundations of the "land of propriety and ritual," this book offers a guide that balances depth and breadth.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. One may first read the introduction in Chapter One and the concluding chapter to grasp the core views and overall structure, then read in detail in dynastic order
  2. While reading, it is advisable to consider the historical context—for example, comparing differences in ritual functions between the Qin-Han unification and the Tang-Song transition
  3. Passages quoted from classical texts can be marked for further reading of related annotations or translations

About the publisher

Modern Press China · Founded in 1982

Founded in 1982, Modern Press is a Chinese publisher that serves general readers across a diverse range of subjects. Judging from its catalog, its publishing focuses on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, psychological research and application, popular science, and modern poetry, along with history, biography, and children's books. The Book of Songs, the illustrated vernacular edition of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, The Complete Poems of Dai Wangshu, and Buddhism in the Vegetable Roots reflect efforts to make traditional culture and poetry accessible; works by Carl Gustav Jung such as The Development of Personality and Understanding Your Psychological Type, together with titles from the Ivy International Education Alliance, show sustained attention to psychology and educational reading; and Stephen Hawking's works and the illustrated two-volume Brief History of Everything and A Brief History of Time indicate a commitment to popular science. Its authors include figures such as Qu Wanli, Xu Ke, Dai Wangshu, and Jung, and its publishing emphasizes retelling classics and accessible, illustrated presentation. Because public information is limited, this summary is based only on the titles in our catalog.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 序言
  3. 文明古国 礼仪之邦
  4. 敬畏自然促成礼的形成
  5. 大禹铸九鼎和周公制礼乐
  6. 儒家先贤记录“五礼”
  7. 礼制之冠 五礼之吉礼
  8. 圜丘配祭成为祭天的礼仪
  9. 敬畏天地而形成五帝之礼
  10. 泰山上昭告天下的封禅礼
  11. 祭日月星辰和山川的礼仪
  12. 国家象征的社稷祭祀之礼
  13. 代代传承的宗庙祭祀之礼
  14. 祭祀先蚕和籍田的劝农礼
  15. 祭祀先圣先师的尊师之礼
  16. 毕恭毕敬 五礼之凶礼
  17. 丧葬中的招魂和入棺之礼
  18. 隆重的停棺和下葬之礼
  19. 古代凶礼中的相关礼仪
  20. 军中仪式 五礼之军礼
  21. 鼓舞将士斗志的出征之礼
  22. 将士得胜班师的凯旋之礼
  23. 威武之师的仪仗校阅之礼
  24. 古代军队训练的田猎之礼
  25. 邦国外交 五礼之宾礼
  26. 加强诸侯关系的朝觐之礼
  27. 遣使朝觐天子的朝聘之礼
  28. 天子与诸侯的会同之礼
  29. 士族的礼仪行为规范
  30. 亲和万民 五礼之嘉礼
  31. 成人和婚姻的冠婚之礼
  32. 饮宴群臣的隆重飨燕之礼
  33. 维护宗族关系的乡饮酒礼
  34. 培养君子风度的射礼

FAQ

How is this book different from ordinary etiquette manuals? This book focuses on analyzing the formation and evolution of rituals from the level of historical institutions; it is a work of cultural history, not a manual guiding daily behavior.
Do I need specialized knowledge to read it? The author balances academic rigor with accessibility and explains key concepts clearly; readers with a high school education or above can understand it.
Does the book cover the rituals of ethnic minorities or regional rituals? The book follows the evolution of mainstream Han Chinese ritual institutions as its main line and touches relatively little on minority rituals; some chapters mention the localization of rituals.

Related on WeRead

礼仪之邦：古代礼制与礼仪文化 李正蕊 古代礼制文化 周丽霞编著 中华礼制变迁史 汤勤福总主编 儒学与生活 龚鹏程 清代社会生活史 林永匡 王熹 中国人的大局观 穆涛

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Xiao Dongfa Author · China · 1949–2016

Xiao Dongfa (1949–2016), whose ancestral home was Tianjin and who was born in Shenyang, was a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, and director of its Institute of Modern Publishing. An important scholar in editing and publishing studies, he focused on the history of Chinese books, publishing history, and yearbook studies. He edited the History of Chinese Editing and Publishing and Chinese Libraries of Book Collecting, and led the National Social Science Fund key project A General History of Chinese Publishing, laying a solid foundation for the organization and narration of Chinese publishing history. Beyond academic writing, he attended to Peking University's institutional history and humanistic traditions, writing works such as Character: From the Imperial University to Old Peking University, Exemplars: Former Residences and Anecdotes of Peking University Notables, and Scenes: Yanyuan Landscapes and Cultural Heritage, which recount campus memories and personal stories with warmth. His works also touch on the four treasures of the study, garden architecture, and academic writing standards. Some 491 of his titles are held in the library, spanning language and culture, biography, and architecture, and combining scholarly rigor with accessible readability.