Abstract
The ancients of traditional Chinese society, generally believe besides the human spere, there also exsited a spiritual world. Faced with these otherwordly spirits, people often have a mentaliy of fear and panic. In order to avoid affecting their daily life, and out of that nicessity, our forebears "created" certain codes and conducts of behaviour to intereact and relate to the spiritual world. Of all these codes and conducst of behaviour, the ritual of Nou is the most harsh and server way. Its history and evloution, is also the longest and most complicated. The ritual of Nou, its origin dates back to late Eastern Zhou dynasty, is defined as the means to chase away the ghost and preventing the epidemics. Therefore, its funtion is to pervent the most harsh crisis of life, and played an important role in the political life of the ancient society. However, the function of Nou is not solely limited to chasing away the ghost and perventing the epidemics from spreading, it is also a part of governance mechansim, and effets the daily life of all. Administrative instiutions, spiritual belief, and seasonal festivals are often closely related and effecte by the ritual of Nou. This study is divided into four themes: firstly the definition and meaning of pre-Tang Nou; secondly the institutions and functions of Nou as national rite ; thirdly the fusion of Tang Nou and spiritual beliefs; fourthly the application of Nou in society. There four themes will show the spread of Nou riutals in Tang soical and political life, and allows a better insight of daily life in Tang dynasty.