Abstract: Li Yun in The Book of Rites is one of the most important texts in Confucian ritual thought.Through the dialogue between Confucius and Yan Yan,the essay elaborates on the origin,essence and value of rites.Confucius holds that the emergence of rites stems from the disruption of the society of universal harmony,and they,as social order and rules of life,are developed to maintain the social harmony and the equality among people.They originate from the earliest sacrificial offerings and are derived from nature,serving as a necessity for human survival.They are based on natural principles and human sentiments,unifying the Dao and righteousness.And therefore,rites and righteousness complement each other,embodying the value of rites as a fundamental means for human society to return to the “world of universal harmony”.This text presents the most systematic theoretical exposition of the pre-Qin Confucian understanding of “rites”.It provides an in-depth understanding of pre-Qin Confucian ritual thought and its essence with Confucius as a representative and serves as an important foundation for a renewed understanding of the Chinese Confucian ideological system in the present day.

Key words: rites, Li Yun, universal harmony, Confucius, ritual studies