巡狩指古代帝王离开国都进行的巡行视察活动。从起源上看，中国早期国家时代的狩猎活动、宗教祭祀活动以及社会统治管理三方面是王者巡狩行为的可能的起源。巡狩在五帝时期已出现，一定意义上超越了部落的血缘纽带，表明中国早期国家的社会管理职能已经发挥。商王活动的地域范围相当广，商王的巡狩行为频繁，主要体现在对王室经济的看护与对方国联盟的监督上。帝辛十祀伐夷方是典型的巡狩事件。帝辛此次巡狩活动，行程大部分在鲁西南、鲁西北直到潍坊一带，是帝辛为了经营东土有意为之的活动。帝辛的征伐与巡狩很大意义上和征服欲相关。《天亡簋》记载了在克商之后周武王在嵩山“太室”举行封禅典礼的事件，这反映了殷周制度文化的种种变革和巡狩活动的一些情况。周成王巡狩东国、祭祀泰山的事件在西周史上是存在的，反映了政治统治与思想文化层面的考虑。昭王南巡狩以武力开拓南土，把周人的封建制度扩大从而让南土听命于周，巡狩固然失败但它对西周南土的经营有着种种意义。穆王西巡故事经历复杂的流传过程。在战国以前的记载中，穆王是在内地与西域已经存在经济文化交流的条件下，对犬戎进行了征伐与远狩活动。《竹书纪年》所载的周夷王“致诸侯”而烹杀齐哀侯的事件，应是一次巡狩行为，反映了周王对诸侯有杀伐的权力，但也不得不对坐大的诸侯势力有所迁就。《晋侯苏编钟》记载了周厉王巡狩的事件，西周晚期蛮夷戎狄叛乱频繁，王师的战斗力下降，铭文中晋侯苏这样的大诸侯就成了周王巡狩的武力支持。周宣王巡狩徐淮的事迹，在《诗•常武》一诗中有较详的记载。《尚书•尧典》“同律度量衡”虽受争议，然上古三代确有其事，只是空间范围与力度较小，不能与秦汉以后比拟。上古时代中原王朝的文化制度相当程度影响了大小邦，巡狩在这一过程中发挥了种种作用。《孟子》的巡狩观念也基本基于西周史实而非凭空杜撰，折射出夏商西周时期生产力有限的特征以及西周王权的特点，其与民同乐的思想是对西周民本思想的深化。《管子•封禅》所述上古封禅的情况非常复杂，周人把天神崇拜加于远古的山岳崇拜之上，成了真正意义的封禅，后来战国齐国稷下学者掺入了灾祥感应的成分。《三礼》给今天的人们提供了重要的巡狩礼资料，相当内容有着历史渊源。先秦巡狩史迹大体可以分成两类：一类是常巡，一类是特巡。巡狩的变迁反映了商周与战国秦汉的社会变革。巡狩在先秦时代有着种种重要的功能：巡狩是王者对国家内部事关国计民生行业的督导；是王者教化臣民、推广制度的最有效方式；是早期国家时代王者对臣下工作的亲自监察；是在中原王朝对离心力比较大的地段进行的武力控制；是强化与炫耀王权的途径；是上古“神道设教”的途径；巡狩超越了血缘的链条，促进了不同地区之间的经济文化交流；是在社会条件比较落后的阶段王者了解社会风气、采纳意见的必要方式。先秦巡狩的发展还体现了帝王身份从“公仆”、“专家”到君临天下的统治者的变迁。

Xun Shou indicated the king’s inspections, i.e. the king leaved the capital in Pre-Chin Period. Hunting, religious rite and social management were the origins of Xun Shou actions. “Xun Shou” had emerged in the legendary Five Emperors Period, which was practiced beyond the confines of blood relationship of a tribe, meant that the social administrational functions of the Chinese Early State had appeared by then . The king’s ranges of activities were wide in Shang Dynasty and their inspections, which meant the supervision of royal economy and tribe unions, were frequent. Di Xin’s conquest of eastern tribes(lied from southwest and northwest of Shandong province to Weifang area), embracing a strong will of conquest could serve as a typical case.In Zhou Dynasty, King Wu had been to Song Shan mountain, told his victory to god, and those actions indicated the transformation from Shang to Zhou Dynasty; King Cheng had been to Tai Shan Mountain and offered sacrifice to god which implied the king’s considerations about the political and cultural situations; King Zhao expanded his realm in the south by force and made achievements to some extent in spite of failure; King Mu conquered and inspected the west of China in the circumstance of economic and cultural intercommunion between west and central plain; King Yi killed Duke Ai of Qi state during his inspection and showed ultimate powers to Feudal Dukes according to the record of Bamboo Chronicle; King Li inspected southeast and carried on warfare to ethnic minority by helps of Duke Su of Jin state in the inscriptions of bronze vessel; King Xuan conquered and inspected Huai Yi tribe by the record of Book of Song.Archaeological materials and literatures handed down from ancient times indicate that the event” Unified Metrologies” recorded on YaoDian in The Book of History really existed at that time, though the actual performance of the policy was not as good as that in Qin and Han Dynasty.The governors of Central Plains transmitted their culture and system to other tribes. Mencius’ Xun Shou thoughts were based on the facts in Western Zhou Dynasty, and it’s not fictitious. His thoughts reflected the characteristics of productivity (Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty)and the power of a monarch. His opinion “to share the joy with the citizens” deepened the thoughts “to be kind to people” in Western Zhou Dynasty. The thoughts about “Fengshan” in Guanzi were complex. During the legendary age, Xia and Shang Dynasty, the leaders of tribal union and the governors probably offered sacrifices to mountain gods .The people in Zhou Dynasty added god to mountain gods, thus “Fengshan” appeared. The Jixia scholars in Qi state in Warring States blended mystical beliefs about the disastrous and auspicious signs with “Fengshan” theories. The Book of Three Rituals offer important materials of “Xun Shou” rite and some contents were reliable.Xun Shou activities could be divided in two groups: ordinary inspections and particular inspections. Those activities indicated transformation from Shang to Zhou Dynasty and from Warring States to Han Dynasty, and had some significant functions: supervising of the vital factors of people’s livelihood; instruction to subjects and extension of institutions of the kingdom; inspection to liegeman; domination to remote tribes; consolidation and display of the authority of monarch; also acting as the religious teaching; beyond blood relationship confines; collection of opinions. Xun Shou activities also showed kings’ identities from “public servants” and “experts” to absolute dominator. The regulation “Offering a Sacrifice to Deities within the Boundaries of this State” indicated the reformation between Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty.