英文摘要
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The term "zhong xiang" was absent in classics of rites. "Da xiang" and "xiao xiang" were described in I-Li and Li-Ji. However, there were not any words about "zhong xiang" in these two books. Wu Liyu concluded that "zhong xiang" is tantamount to "xiao xiang", because of a note saying "xiao xiang is zhong xiang" in the book "bai kong liu tie" and records indicating "xiao xiang is carried out at the first anniversary" and "da xiang is carried out at the second anniversary" in books of rites. However, Tan Chanxue considered that zhong xiang was carried out at the second anniversary that was between "da xiang" and "xiao xiang" based on Dunhuang documents saying "xiao xiang" is a one year zhai and "da xiang" is a three year zhai. The primary purpose of this study was to resolve these conflicts on the meaning and timing of "zhong xiang". "Zhong xiang" was carried out right after the first anniversary or the thirteenth month after death, in Liu Ke Zhuang's "mu ling zhong xiang yi chou" memorial and Ou Yang Xiu's letter to Mei Sheng Yu, "yu guo zhong xiang". On the other hand Gong Ding Zi wrote a poem "si yue shi wu ri zhi xian da fu zhong xiang zhi chen chan yuan fo tong shu yi zhang" at two years after the death of his father in which the author clearly indicated that "zhong xiang" was carried out at the second anniversary. Because of the lack of references the previous scholars could not see the whole picture and made the bias conclusions. The timing of "zhong xiang" varied with its meaning, either the middle of time sequence or the middle of time duration and with the timing of "da xiang", either the twenty-fifth month after death or the third anniversary. "Xiao xiang" was carried out at the thirteen month after death undoubtedly. However, "zhong xiang" might carry out at thirteen month or the second anniversary. Therefore, "zhong xiang" cannot be considered solely as the middle of mourning period or equal to "xiao xiang". Similarly, "da xiang" might carry out at the twenty-fifth month, the second anniversary or the thirty-sixth month. Therefore, the timing of "zhong xiang" cannot be the second anniversary exclusively. Although "zhong xiang" was not described in books of rites and was not an official royal etiquettes, the etiquettes may evolve and change with time and space.
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