It was part of the imperial Chinese government from the Tang (7th century) until the 1911 Xinhai Revolution.
Along with religious rituals and court ceremonial the Ministry of Rites also oversaw the imperial examination and China's foreign relations.
In early medieval China, its functions were performed by other officials including the Grand Herald.
Under the Song (10th-13th centuries), its functions were temporarily transferred to the Zhongshu Sheng.
Its administration of China's foreign relations was ended by the establishment of the Zongli Yamen in 1861.