A Peircean Semiotic Analysis of the Liuyang Confucius Worship Ritual: Symbol Classification and Cultural Representation

Based on Peirce's Tripartite Theory of Signs, this study systematically analyzes the symbolic classification system and representational logic of the Liuyang Confucius Worship Ritual. It aims to break through the limitation of overemphasizing description over classification in existing research on Confucius worship rituals and provide support for the dynamic inheritance of this intangible cultural heritage. Through integrating field investigation, in-depth interviews, and literature research, this study employs NVivo12 qualitative data analysis software to conduct systematic three-stage coding analysis (open coding, axial coding, and selective coding) with inter-coder reliability verification. The study identifies 68 core symbols, including 23 iconic signs (33.80%), 21 indexical signs (30.90%), and 24 symbolic signs (35.30%), and constructs a progressive classification system. These three types of signs realize meaning representation through formal similarity, contiguity/causality, and social convention respectively, and embody the integration of Confucian orthodox rituals and regional cultural characteristics. The study verifies the applicability of Peirce's theory, reveals the inheritance rules of ritual symbols, fills the gaps in relevant research, and provides a complete paradigm of theory, analysis, and interpretation, offering a reference for the research and inheritance of similar intangible cultural heritage projects.