History of Chinese Ritual Customs. Pre-Qin Volume

Author: Chen Shuguo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: The History of Chinese Ritual System is a key book in the National "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" of China. It consists of six volumes: the Pre-Qin Volume, the Qin and Han Volume, the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties Volume, the Sui and Five Dynasties Volume, the Song, Liao, Jin, and Western Xia Volume, and the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Volumes. The Preface was written by Shen Wenzhuo, a doctoral supervisor at Zhejiang University and a renowned scholar in the field of ritual studies (as quoted by Gu Jiegang). This book is the Pre-Qin Volume (originally titled Studies on Pre-Qin Ritual System), aiming to elucidate certain theoretical issues in the study of ritual system based on a comprehensive examination of traditional literature, field archaeology, and ancient textual evidence, thereby outlining an almost complete picture of the origin and evolution of Pre-Qin ritual system. The main text is primarily composed of six chapters. Chapter 1 is the Introduction, proposing systematic insights in the theoretical field of ritual studies. Chapter 2 introduces the rudimentary state of Shang ritual system. Chapter 3 discusses the general overview of Shang ritual system. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 elaborate on the Zhou ritual system (known as the Zhou ritual system) and its decline in the Spring and Autumn Period, as well as its collapse in the Warring States Period. The attached bibliography can be regarded as a key resource for studying the ritual system of the Qin dynasty. The two prefaces, written by masterful hands, are sure to offer readers valuable enlightenment.