“Rites of the Provincial Archery Competition” (xiang she li鄉射禮) is one of the seventeen chapters of the ancient text Yi Li (Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial), a comprehensive record of the rituals that prevailed during the Zhou Dynasty, and which was compiled by followers of Confucius in the 5th century BCE. Every spring and autumn, all the provinces and districts in the State gathered the people together to practice archery. The District Officer, in his role of Host, would invite worthy officers of the gentry to participate in this special event. The teaching and practice of these rites were used as a means of educating the people, while participating officers who demonstrated both a high degree of skill and virtuous conduct in the competition could be recommended as candidates to join in the governance of the nation.
The Rite of Archery Interactive APP was jointly developed by the Center of Chinese Ritual Studies of Tsinghua University and the Jia Li Hall Foundation of Hong Kong, and was produced under the art direction of Professor Jeffrey Shaw of the City University of Hong Kong. Applying the latest interactive visual technology, this APP vividly and accurately brings to life the ancient and complex rituals of the Rites of the Provincial Archery Competition, making them accessible to a wider viewing audience.