北朝鄉里制與村民的生活世界 -- 以石刻為中心的考察=The Xiangli System during the Northern Dynasty and the World the Villagers Lived in: An Investigation Based on Stone Inscriptions
It is generally believed in academic circles that during the Northern dynasty the Xiangli administrative system in which a xiang (county) was divided into several li (locality) ceased to exist with the establishment of sanzhang (literally "three heads," that is, of lin, li, and dang, all local administrative units) system. But this was not so. Despite establishment of the sanzhang system, the xiangli system survived in rural areas during the Northern dynasty. With the exception of areas around the capital of Northern Qi, in the period from about the Taihe reign of Northern Wei to the end of Northern dynasty the xiangli system prevailed throughout the countryside. During the Northern dynasty, in contrast to previous dynasties, xiangli had fixed geographical boundaries, perhaps reflecting the system of equal allotment of land. Despite its ubiquitousness, however, ordinary villagers did not identify with the xiangli system in their everyday lives; rather, they showed a strong sense of belonging to the villages where they had lived for generations. Basing their activities on the village, the xiangli system existed for them only in form.
