Tang Dynasty, The Imperial Ancestral Temple, The Imperial Ancestral Sacrifice Resources Worship Issues Related To Research

The Di and Xia rites were the highest standard sacrifice rite in the sacrifices of the royal ancestral temple in ancient China. In Tang dynasty, they were treasured by the dynast. On the basis of the former dynasties'institution and the former scholars' doctrines, and considered the practical situations, the Tang dynasty carryed out some reforms for the Di and Xia rites. Sometimes, these reforms will have intimate relations with academic ambience, times traits and political situations. So research of the Di and Xia rites will help us to recognize the history and culture of Tang Dynasty thoroughly and deep.At present, research about the rites of the royal ancesrral temple is comparatively inadequate in the research of rites of Tang dynasty, especially the Di and Xia rites. Researchers always refer to them when they introduce the sacrifice rites of ancestors, but most of them are very simple. On the ground of the former scholars' researches, and collect the data of the Confucianism and history, the article will make some thorough and systematic researches about the source of the two rites, the position of the spirit-tablets, the time of the rites, the previlige of the officials of merit, and the procedure.The article can divided into six chapters:Chapter one is to summary the former scholars'research of the two rites, and make an observation for them. The former researches are focus on Confucianism area, and the Confucians of Qing dynasty made the greattest contribution, but reseaech from historical aspect is very few, Although the contemporary scholars have made some references, most of them are very simple. Research from the aspect of social condition, ideology and culture are also rare. So, it's necessary to strengthen these researches.Chapter two is about the problem of the source of the two rites. It will make a recapitulative discuss about the two rites of the former dynasties. So that we can find the direct source of the rites of Tang dynasty.Chapter three is about the position of the spirit-tablets in the two rites, that is the orientation and the sequence of the spirit-tablets of the Great Ancestor and other ancestors. By analyse the generations, the debates, and the solutions of these problems, it will find some causes which have affected the vary of the two rites.Chapter four is about the time of the two rites performonce. A lot of data indicate that the time of the rites'performance used have had three changes, by analyse the causes and results of the changes, it will deepen the recognization of the ambience and traits of times.Chapter five is about the previlige of the officials of merit, through some specific tablets, it will discuss the select criterion of the previlige. Also it will summary some traits of the previlige, such as more in early times, and less in late, more in move in, and less in move out. It will discuss the significances of the previlige.Chapter six is describe the procedure and rituals of the two rites on the records of《Kai-yuan li》In a word, the article makes up the doctrines and institutions of the former dynasties, and research the relative problems of the two rites, correct some wrong records in ancient books, and discuss some views of former scholars. These jobs will have some practical promotional enfflences on the researches of Di and Xia rites.