在以跪坐为主要居处坐姿的历史时期,跪拜礼仪盛行于贵族生活的方方面面,几乎成为表达重要人际关系的身体符号。跪拜礼仪中的稽首、顿首、空首及稽颡等礼仪各有其使用空间及意义,君臣僚属之间均依身份不同严格遵守相应的礼仪,而且所有仪式均是双向与对等的。这充分体现出古代贵族分权体制下尊卑有序与一体化的君臣关系。然而,秦汉以后,跪拜礼在皇权政治体制之下不断地发生变化,逐渐演变为臣对君、下对上的单向不对等礼仪。在两千多年的帝制体系下,跪拜礼仪成为君臣共同尊奉与遵守的皇权政治仪式。

The ritual of Gui-bai was filled in noble life in the stage of Gui-zuo (kneeling). It was almost the body symbol to express all kinds of interpersonal relationship. Qi-shou, dun-shou, kong-shou and Qi-sang have different spaces and meanings in the ritual of Gui-bai. This paper discriminates the etiquettes above mentioned. It is helpful to understand the meanings of Gui-bai and the relatively equal liege relationship in Zhou dynasty. However, the ritual of Gui-bai changed under the imperial politics system after the Qin and Han dynasties. The previous two-way and relatively equal liege relationship gradually became unidirectional and unequal. These changes brought out internal danger of the Chinese imperial politics.