This book places Li Ji (the Book of Rites) back in the overall context
of "books," "rites" and its research history, drawing on the
interrelations between myth, ritual and "materialized" symbols to do so.
Further, it employs the double perspectives of "books" and "rites" to
explore the sources and symbols of the capping ceremony (rites of
passage), decode the prototypes of Miao and Ming Tang, and restore the
discourse patterns of "people of five directions." The book subsequently
investigates the formation and function of the Yue Ling calendar and
disaster ritual, so as to reveal the human cognitive encoding and
metalanguage of ritual behavior involved. In the process, it
demonstrates that Li Ji, its textual memories, archaeological remains
and "traditional ceremony" narratives are all subject to the latent myth
coding mechanism in China's cultural system, while the "compilation" and
"materialized" remains are merely forms of ritual refactoring,
interpretation and exhibition, used when authority seeks the aid of
ritual civilization to strengthen its legitimacy and maintain the social
order.