A Study On The Time Of Imperial Examination In The Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was an important transition period in Chinese history. It was not the most powerful age of the state in the history of ancient China, but there was unique merits in the system, especially on the imperial examination system. On the basis of Tang and Five Dynasties’ basic procedure, the imperial examinations added new content in the Song Dynasty. Specifically, the imperial examination time of Song Dynasty included the cycle of the imperial examinations and third-level test time. Third-level test time was relatively complicated, including court locking, test leading, recording, marking.Besides,the time of court locking and test leading were the most important of all.The imperial examinations started in Sui Dynasty, but the test cycle was not fixed then, and there was no detailed rules of the test time. To the Tang Dynasty, generally one year was a cycle, the time of country examination and provincial examination had a regulation, but it was not clear.After different attempt and exploration, the Song Dynasty rulers finally established a three-year examination system in 1066, which was in line with the rites "three-year examination" system and convenient for both test participants and organizers, then it was developing until the end of the imperial examination system. Third-level test system was completed in the Song Dynasty, on the basis of keeping country examination and provincial examination of the Tang Dynasty. At the year of 973 in the Northern Song Dynasty Kaibao it added court examination, and at the year of 989 it established permanent system, therefore it was exsisted throughout the imperial era.The time of country examination and provincial examination had no custom in Tang Dynasty, but in Song Dynasty it not only regulated the examination time, also had detailed policies like courtyard locking, sealing, and recording. Finally,in the period of Song Gaozong, the time of country examination and courtyard-locking was fixed on August 5th, and the time of test lading was fixed on August 15 th, which lasted three days. To Song Guangzong period, the locking of provincial examination was fixed on January 24 th or 25 th, including Xiao Jin with 24, lunar month of 30 days with 25, and the time of test leading was fixed on February 1st.The court examination was not provided the detailed date, but was generally held in March,which formed the practice.The imperial examination time of Song Dynasty accounted for a transitional position in the Chinese ancient imperial history, based on the inheritance of the Tang and the Five Dynasties. Before Song Dynasty, the imperial examination time was no specific time, thus the randomness is strong. To the Song Dynasty, the imperial examination time had basically decided. The court examination was held in March, but there was no specific date. After the Song Dynasty, the three examination time had a certain date during the Yuan 、 Ming and Qing Dynaaties. So the imperial examination system was standardized in the aspect of time.