The Book of Rites, also known as the Liji (禮記), is a collection of texts that describe the social forms, administrative structures, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty, as interpreted during the Warring States period and the early Han dynasty. Together with the Rites of Zhou (Zhōulǐ, 周禮) and the Book of Etiquette and Rites (Yílǐ, 儀禮), it forms part of the "Three Li" (Sānlǐ, 三禮), which comprise the ritual (lǐ, 禮) component of the Five Classics—a foundational set of texts in the Confucian tradition. Each of the Five Classics is a compilation of works rather than a single text.
As a core Confucian text, the Book of Rites is also referred to as the Classic of Rites or Lijing (禮經). Some scholars suggest that Lijing was the original title before it was changed by the Han dynasty scholar Dai Sheng.