What is "Three Rites"?

"Three Rites and Five Rites" is an important document in the Han Dynasty, and it is a master of etiquette thought in the Han Dynasty. Its development can be traced back to the pre-Qin period.

In the pre-Qin period, Sima Qian wrote Historical Records, in which he mentioned the "three rites", namely, the ancestral temple ceremony, the doctor ceremony and the scholar-bureaucrat ceremony, which was the initial form of China's ancient etiquette thought.

In Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu wrote "Five of Three Rites", which expanded Sima Qian's "Three Rites" into five rites, namely, Confucius' etiquette thought, and Dong Zhongshu's four rites, namely, ancestral temple ceremony, doctor ceremony, scholar-bureaucrat ceremony and gentleman ceremony.

During the Southern Dynasties, three rites and five rites were paid more attention. The "Three Rites and Five Rites" mentioned in "Liang Shu" is a comprehensive embodiment of etiquette thought in Han Dynasty.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, three rites and five rites were paid more attention. Zhang Ling mentioned in the Book of the New Tang Dynasty that the three rites and five rites are the epitome of etiquette thought in the Han Dynasty.

During the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, three rites and five rites were paid more attention. It is mentioned in the History of Qing Dynasty that the three rites and five rites are the comprehensive embodiment of the etiquette thought in Han Dynasty.

In modern times, three rites and five rites are still valued by people. It is not only an important document of ancient etiquette thought, but also an important part of China traditional culture.