元朝皇帝天壽聖節考

A Study on the Festival of Imperial Birthday in the Yuao Dyoasty

元代當朝皇帝的誕辰，是國家法定重要節日之一，稱為「天壽聖節」，簡作「天壽節」或「聖節」。大蒙古國時期統治者生辰慶賀與否，已難詳考，元朝聖節之制主要襲自唐宋，可謂世祖採行漢法的措施之一。本文考論元朝皇帝聖節，希冀以之為例，從中探求蒙古統治及其文化對中國傳統制度的改變與影響。研究顯示：元制沿承唐宋之處頗多，但蒙古統治的影響亦復可觀，從而形成元制的特色，諸如統一聖節之名，各教人士的參與，朝賀與宴飲中的蒙古色彩，預先於寺觀習練儀禮，高麗對元帝聖節的遣使與慶賀，以及朝賀、宴會地點隨兩都巡幸而變動，等等。這些特色，或隨元室覆滅而無存，或為明清兩朝所繼承，充分說明元朝在中國聖節傳統的發展過程中，同樣有著獨特與延續的特性。

The emperor's birthday in the Yuan dynasty was an important national statutory holiday. It was named as ”Tian-shou-sheng-jie” (天壽聖節), ”Tian-shou-jie” (天壽節) or ”Sheng-jie” (聖節) for short. The ritual and etiquette system for imperial birthday of Yuan succeeded the Tang and Song dynasty, was established in the period of Shi-zu (r. 1260-1294). This paper attempts to study the festival of imperial birthday in the Yuan Dynasty. As this example, it explores Mongolian rule and its culture to influence Chinese traditional system. The study shows the institutions of Yuan followed from the Tang and Song dynasty, but also affected by Mongolia governance and culture, such the unity of the name about the emperor's birthday, the participation of all religious circle, Mongolia conventions in the celebration, advance ceremonies of temples, the congratulations to the emperors of Yuan by Goreyo and the changes in banquet venues. There are many characteristics in Mongol-Yuan system. Some died out because Yuan dynasty was overthrown, others were inherited by the Ming and Qing dynasties. It could fully explain Yuan dynasty's features of unique and continuation in the development of Chinese imperial birthday system.