Uniformity and Regional Variation: The Xiangli System in the Sui Dynasty

As defined in a decree issued in the spring of 583,the three heads or sanzhang system,designed to be implemented chiefly in the old Northern Qi area in Shandong,basically followed the Northern Qi version of 564,with slight modifications.With the setting up of a system of xiang heads(xiangzheng乡正)who would hear disputes among the common people,as recommended in Su Wei’s memorial of the same year,the judicial position of xiangzheng coexisted with the administrative positions of the three-heads(or two-heads)system.The xiangli(乡里)system announced in the edict of 589 targeted the territory previously under the Chen dynasty;it was basically a continuation of the xiangli system of rural control originally based on a Han dynasty model and followed since then in the south under the Eastern Jin and the Southern dynasties.With the reform of the bureaucratic system in 607,the xiangli system centered on xiangzheng and lizhang became the basic system of rural administration under the Sui dynasty.In the course of its design and creation,the system had to take into account the institutions already existing in the target area and the question of feasibility.Thus“inconsistency”or“regional variation”was built into the system.However,in actual practice there was a tendency toward convergence that led to uniformity of implementation.In Chinese history,the coexistence of regional variation and uniformity was a marked feature of the formation and implementation of different systems.

A Study on the“Social Behavior”of Zen Poetry Culture:A Case Study of the Sui and Tang Dynasties

During the Sui and Tang dynasties,Buddhism and Zen poetry underwent great development.Zen poetry is diverse in form,strong in personality,and high in achievement.Among the types of Zen poetry are poems,lyrics,and prose,some of which have social attributes closely related to the development of Chinese Buddhism.An analysis reveals that the viewpoints and information conveyed in these poems,lyrics,and prose are positively correlated with the attitudes of the emperors towards Buddhism.When the attitude of the emperor towards Buddhism reached its peak of positivity during the Tang dynasty,there was a change towards a negative correlation with the viewpoints expressed in poetry.

Phenological records in Guanzhong Area in central China between 600 and 902 AD as proxy for winter half-year temperature reconstruction

Phenological data obtained from historical documents constitute highly important ecological evidence for the pre-instrumental period, and can be used in analyzing climatic change in history. In this study, 87 phenological records about seasonality of non-biological events （e.g., first frost date）, agriculture and ornamental plants （e.g., first flowering date） over 77 years were extracted from historical documents from the Sui and Tang dynasties in China to reconstruct the winter half-year （from October to next April） temperatures in the Guanzhong Area （located in central China） from 600 to 902 AD. Transfer functions between temperature and phenophases with significant correlations were established by using modem observation data. Temperatures from the study period were reconstructed by applying the transfer functions to historical phenological data. The reconstruction indicates that the winter half-year temperatures during 600-902 AD were 0.23~C higher than the reference period （1961-1990）. The temperature changed with two distinct stages. During the 600s-800s, temperatures were approxi- mately 0.38~C higher than at present but then temperatures decreased in the subsequent period （800-902 AD）. These results are similar to ones from previous studies on the mean temperature and the divisions between warm and cold periods during the study period, though differences were found in the degree of warmness/coldness. This reconstruction provides a valuable contribution to a better understanding of climatic variability during the Sui and Tang dynasties in China.