The Ministry or Board of Rites was one of the
Six Ministries of government in late
imperial China
The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...
. It was part of the imperial Chinese government from the
Tang (7th century) until the 1911
Xinhai Revolution. Along with religious rituals and court ceremonial the Ministry of Rites also oversaw the
imperial examination and
China's foreign relations.
A Ministry of Rites also existed in
imperial Vietnam. One of its tasks was enforcing the
naming taboo.
History
Under the
Han, similar functions were performed by the
Ministry of Ceremonies. In early medieval China, its functions were performed by other officials including the Grand Herald. Under the
Song
A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...
(10th-13th centuries), its functions were temporarily transferred to the
Zhongshu Sheng
The Zhongshu Sheng (), also known as the Palace Secretariat or Central Secretariat, was one of the departments of the Three Departments and Six Ministries government structure in imperial China from the Cao Wei (220–266) until the early Ming d ...
. Its administration of China's foreign relations was ended by the establishment of the
Zongli Yamen in 1861.
Functions
*Management of imperial court ceremonies and
ritual offerings.
*Registration and supervision of
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and
Taoist priests within China.
*Management of the
Imperial examinations.
*Foreign relations.
See also
* The ''
Book of Rites''
*
Ministry of Ceremonies under the Han
*
Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs (Yuan) and
Board for the Administration of Outlying Regions (Qing), overseeing Tibetan Buddhism
*
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (China)
**
Office of the Commissioner (Hong Kong)
**
Office of the Commissioner (Macau)
*
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan)
*
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Vietnam)
*
Ministry of Education (China)
**
Education Bureau
*
Ministry of Education (Taiwan)
*
Ministry of Education and Training
*
Ministry of Culture and Tourism (China)
**
Home Affairs Bureau
**
Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture
*
Ministry of Culture (Taiwan)
*
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Vietnam)
*
State Administration for Religious Affairs under the PRC State Council
*
United Front Work Department
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
Government of Imperial China
Six Ministries
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
Foreign relations of Imperial China
Imperial examination
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