古代中國於皇帝集權統治下,政治制度突出之處甚多,其中尤以「禮典」傳統別具特色。「禮典」與「法典」同具規範之功效,而且在運作機制上彼此緊密結合,以落實皇帝之統治權力。針對禮儀制度的運作,在官僚機構中存在以「太常」爲核心的禮官系統。禮官在先秦時的職掌甚廣,但從先秦到曹魏期間,禮官職能的發展,則是由複雜多功,逐步朝向專職化的方向演變,特別是在西漢與曹魏時期有了較大幅度的跨越。伴隨禮官制度的發展與禮儀典章的整理,兩漢雖然不斷議定禮制以確立禮教之威儀,可是君臣間對於禮典應如何編纂行用,均未形成共識,以致始終未能頒行禮典。中國第一部國家禮典《新禮》,是在西晉武帝時編纂完成,並正式頒行天下。西晉之所以能建立禮典的形制,是因爲魏晉君主爲因應時代之變革,並確保統治的正當性,除了致力於禮法制度的釐正外,同時在禮官的運作與禮文的編定上採取較爲積極的態度,這才促成《新禮》的誕生。但是兩晉時期修撰禮典的工作,卻不是由專職禮官來膺任,而是由君主任命重臣組織編纂團隊來進行修撰。南朝蕭齊時雖有設置專責制禮的「修禮局」與禮樂學士,但是其機構的存在僅屬曇花一現。太常禮官真正負責國家禮典之修撰任務,必須在唐代之後方才出現。
Between Chou Dynasty and Wei Dynasty, the development of ritual official's ability was gradually from complication to sole duty. The first ritual code ”Chin Li” was finished in this condition, but ”Chin Li” was codified by the group that organized from the high officer, not the ritual official. The first national institution that codified ritual code was 'Hsiu-li Chu' in Chi of Southern Dynasty. And then, the traditional ritual official was real to compile ritual code first in Tang Dynasty.