Also called
周官, it lays out an ideal government in six departments named after heaven, earth and the four seasons, from
天官 'Office of Heaven' to
冬官 'Office of Winter'. The winter section was lost and replaced with
考工记, a record of crafts. Tradition credits the Duke of Zhou,
周公, but scholars date it to the late Warring States. It is one of the three ritual classics with
仪礼 and
礼记.
