The clan rituals that evolved in China after the Song dynasty were by no means the single-handed creation of Zhu Xi. As early as the Northern Song dynasty, scholars like Ouyang Xiu and Fan Zhongyan already recognized the need for new norms. But what made Zhu Xi different from these other thinkers is that he did not limit himself to academic theories, but established a workable system that could be applied in practice.
宋代之後中國建立的家族儀式，並非朱熹一人之功，北宋以來歐陽修、范仲淹等有志之士就意識到需要新的規範，但朱熹與其他重清談的理學家最大的不同是，他不侷限於學說理論，而能將想法落實建立成一套可供運作的制度。