The Rites of the Evening

AnonymousJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaAug 2020

4.3

Word count: 3.4K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

The "Jixi Li" describes the ceremonial proceedings from the evening of the second day before burial, when the evening lamentation has already taken place, through the intervening day up to the burial. These proceedings broadly include: setting the date, opening the coffin chamber; moving the coffin to pay respects to the ancestors, loading and adorning the coffin; the ruler sending envoys with gifts to assist the funeral, and guests bringing gifts to assist the sacrifices; reading aloud the list of gifts and burial articles, and the funeral procession; the burial and, afterward, the return to wail in the ancestral temple.

Editor's review

The "Jixi Li" concentrates on recording the sequence of ceremonial proceedings from the evening lamentation on the second day before burial through the intervening day up to the burial—from setting the date and opening the coffin chamber, to moving the coffin to pay respects to the ancestors and loading and adorning it, to the ruler sending envoys with gifts and guests bringing gifts to assist the sacrifices, the reading aloud of the gift list and burial articles, the funeral procession, the burial, and the return to wail in the ancestral temple—each step linked to the next. Its value lies in laying out, in chronological order, the most intricate stretch of procedure surrounding the funeral, letting readers see how meticulously the ancients arranged the matter of "escorting the dead": they valued both the public inventory of objects and gift lists and the meaning of mutual gift-giving in human relations. The text is organized around ceremonial steps and is concise in language, making it a suitable entry point for understanding traditional funerary ritual; it can also be read alongside related chapters of ritual books to observe how institutions connect with practice. When reading, keep pen and paper at hand to sort out the sequence, and note the officiants, participants, and names of objects at each stage; readers unfamiliar with the nomenclature of objects and institutions may first grasp the overall order and then gradually go into detail, rather than getting bogged down in individual terms from the start.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of cultural history studying traditional ritual and funerary ceremony
Students of literature and history who need to understand pre-Qin ceremonial procedure
Readers interested in ancient objects, gift lists, and the system of gift-giving
Enthusiasts engaged in folklore and ritual studies

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking narrative storytelling or character-driven plots
People sensitive to funerary topics who prefer not to encounter related details

Reading tips

Read through once, using a timeline to list the main stages: setting the date, opening the coffin chamber, paying respects to the ancestors, the funeral procession, burial, and the return to wail.
On the second reading, focus on marking the passages about the ruler sending envoys and guests bringing gifts, comparing how participants of different status take part.
Skip unfamiliar object names at first; after finishing the sequence, go back and check them, so that terminology does not block overall understanding.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
既夕礼第十三
正文一
正文二
正文三
正文四
正文五

FAQ

What does the title "Jixi Li" mean?

"Jixi" refers to the period after the evening lamentation held on the second day before burial; this chapter records the ceremonies from that point through the intervening day up to burial. The title marks the starting point in time, while the content unfolds in order the procedures of opening the coffin chamber, paying respects to the ancestors, the funeral procession, burial, and the return to wail—making it the most compact record of the funerary procedure.

The text repeatedly mentions reading aloud the gift list and burial articles. What is the purpose?

Publicly reading the gift list and burial articles, on one hand, makes the gifts a matter of record and demonstrates the openness and solemnity of the ceremony; on the other, it confirms the bonds of those who gave gifts to assist the funeral and the sacrifices. This step combines the inventory of objects with human relations, and is an important point of entry for understanding the relationship between "ritual" and "feeling" in ancient funerals.

Can I understand this record of ceremonies without relevant background?

Yes, but it is advisable to grasp the overall order rather than the details first. On a first reading, clarify the major stages—setting the date, opening the coffin chamber, paying respects to the ancestors, the funeral procession, burial, and the return to wail—and leave unfamiliar object names for later; once the sequence is clear, check the participants and objects at each stage, and understanding will come much more smoothly.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.