The Implementation and Significance of the Nine Yu Rites (九虞祭): Post-Burial Rites in Imperial Funeral Ceremonies of the Song Dynasty

This study analyzes the characteristics and significance of the Jiuyuji (Nine Yu Rites), one of the post-burial rituals in the imperial funeral ceremonies of the Song dynasty. While there were opinions within the Song dynasty that these rites should emulate the ancient rituals (guli) of the pre-Qin period, ultimately, due to the differing conditions between past and present times, the court determined it was inappropriate to fully adopt them. Instead, the Song introduced an independent form of the rites by implementing, for the first time, a “midway yu rite”(途中虞祭). According to the findings of this paper, the tuzhong yuji(途中虞祭) was first initiated during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong(眞宗) of the Northern Song. Prior to this, including the Tang, Five Dynasties, and early Song periods, the jiuyuji had not included this element and were conducted only through “hall-based yu rites” (殿中虞祭). The introduction of the tuzhong rite reflects the belief that appeasement of the deceased’s spirit must not be delayed even for a single day after burial. Although the results of this study reveal that the Song’s jiuyuji did not always follow consistent principles between tuzhong and dianzhong rites, and variations existed depending on the period, it is nonetheless evident that from the reign of Emperor Zhenzong onward, a dual system that combined both was consistently maintained throughout the dynasty. This was unprecedented in earlier times. While the Song did not adopt the ancient ritual forms in their original structure, it is clear that the dynasty consistently referenced the guli and sought to reinterpret the imperial funeral rites through comparison with them. This reflects the fact that the ancient rituals continued to serve as a powerful normative standard for ritual design among Song people.