The Yizhi Ling (Edict on Ceremonial Regulations)

Yizhi Ling

Yizhi Ling

In the stele forest of the Zhao Chongguo Mausoleum in Qingshui County, there is preserved a Yizhi Ling stele, approximately 89 cm in height, 67 cm in width, and 10 cm in thickness. Made of white stone and lacking any decorative patterns on the reverse side, the upper middle part of the stele bears the three large characters “Yizhi Ling.” On the right side it reads “the lowly yield to the noble, the young yield to the old,” and on the left “the light yield to the heavy, those departing yield to those arriving.” Research indicates that this stele is a traffic regulation monument from the Southern Song Dynasty and is also the earliest known traffic regulation stele discovered in Qingshui and even the entire Tianshui region.

Historical records indicate that the Yizhi Ling originated in the Tang Dynasty and flourished during the Song Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty was a period when China’s feudal legal system was highly developed. The legal framework comprising statutes (lü), edicts (ling), ordinances (ge), and forms (shi) covered regulations in civil, criminal, and economic matters, as well as aspects of traffic management. The Yizhi Ling served as a model in this regard. “Yizhi” refers to ceremonial regulations and laws promulgated by the imperial court — the social norms and etiquette systems upheld by society — while “Ling” denotes commands issued based on these etiquette rules, carrying the force of law. Texts such as the “Tang Liu Dian · Ministry of Rites” section of the Book of Tang and compilations like “Tang Ling Shiyi” (Collected Lost Tang Edicts) and “Tang Ling Shiyi Bu” (Supplement to Collected Lost Tang Edicts), organized by Japanese scholar Naitō Torajirō, all contain records related to traffic management. Common regulations included “the lowly yield to the noble, the light yield to the heavy, the young yield to the old, those departing yield to those arriving,” “all officials must dismount when encountering the prime minister,” and “officials below the third rank must bow to those of the first rank.” However, during the Tang Dynasty, such rules were not physically posted on roads for public display.

The content found on Yizhi Ling steles discovered across China mostly includes phrases such as “the lowly yield to the noble, the light yield to the heavy, the young yield to the old, those departing yield to those arriving,” though some variations exist between the use of “old” (lao) and “elder” (zhang). The phrase “the lowly yield to the noble” means that all pedestrians and vehicles must yield to official carriages, mounted couriers, postal carts; servants and laborers must make way for officials, nobles, and their masters; and lower-ranking officials must yield to higher-ranking ones. “The young yield to the old” means that younger people should yield to the elderly. “The light yield to the heavy” means lightly loaded riders or pedestrians should give way to those carrying heavy loads. “Those departing yield to those arriving” refers to those going downhill yielding to those going uphill, pedestrians yielding to oncoming horse-drawn carts, and also implies “yielding to those who come from behind, because they may be in urgent haste, hence one ought to yield to them” (as recorded in the Qingyuan Tiaofa Shilei).

Currently, Yizhi Ling steles that have been discovered and preserved in China are quite rare. In addition to the one in Qingshui, others include:

Shaanxi Yizhi Ling Stele — Approximately 60 cm in height, 40 cm in width, and 10 cm in thickness. The central upper section bears the three large characters “Yizhi Ling,” and the lower section lists four rows of small characters: “the lowly yield to the noble, the young yield to the elder, the light yield to the heavy, those departing yield to those arriving.” Carved in the eighth year of the Chunxi era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1181), it is now housed at Lingya Temple in Lueyang County, Shaanxi.

Fujian Yizhi Ling Steles — Three steles are known to exist, all discovered in the 1980s and 1990s in Songxi County. One of them bears an inscription dated to the first year of the Kaixi era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1205). In addition to the text “the lowly yield to the noble, the young yield to the elder, the light yield to the heavy, those departing yield to those arriving,” these steles also record the location, travel distances, and the names of those who erected them.

Jiangsu Yizhi Ling Stele — Discovered in 1965 in Xuyi, it stands approximately 74 cm tall and 50 cm wide. The inscription consists of three rows of regular script characters, with “Yizhi Ling” in the center (each character about 14 cm in size), “the lowly yield to the noble, the light yield to the heavy” on the right, and “the young yield to the old, those departing yield to those arriving” on the left.

Hebei Yizhi Ling Stele — Discovered in 1974 in Xingtai, its dimensions are unknown. The content reads “the lowly yield to the noble, the young yield to the elder, the light yield to the heavy, those departing yield to those arriving.”

Inner Mongolia Yizhi Ling Stele — Discovered in Shabertai, Bairin Right Banner, Chifeng City. Its content reads “the lowly yield to the noble, the young yield to the elder, the light yield to the heavy, those departing yield to those arriving.”

The Yizhi Ling stele is not only an important historical artifact for studying the development and evolution of transportation in Qingshui’s history, but also reflects the rules of ancient road civilization management in China. It is the earliest known record of traffic management in Qingshui’s history. Although the phrase “the lowly yield to the noble” in the stele’s content carries a strong feudal hierarchical connotation and represents outdated feudal values, the other three principles align closely with modern traffic rules. They also embody ancient civilized etiquette emphasizing respect for the elderly, proper order, and courtesy — all of which still hold positive reference value for us today.