Interpretation of appropriate places: State ceremonies and the imperial main halls of the Tang and Song dynasties

Abstract

This paper aims to inquiry on the dialectical relationships between Chinese architecture’s form and function in the horizon of long-term historical evolution, by clarifying how the histories of imperial main halls and state ceremonies relate to and interact with each other during the Tang and Song dynasties.

The imperialmain halls are themost archetypical and accomplished ones among traditional Chinese buildings, and their function is primarily ritual rather than practical. Although these magnificent buildings are indisputably considered the crowning achievement of Chinese architectural history, how the built space cooperates with ritual practices did not receive deserved attention.

With the thorough reading of voluminous official ritual documents and comprehensive utilization of archaeological discoveries together with visual materials, the research presents a broad understanding of the asynchronous developments of the ground-level architectural arrangement and the ritual configuration across these centuries. Also specifically depicted are details of how architecture engaged in the ritual narration and was used as an apparatus to articulate emperor-courtier relationships.

Key words： Ritual function; Architecture and ritual; Chinese architecture; Architectural meaning; Form and function