晚近婦女研究方興未艾，每每試圖擺脫傳統角色的定位方式，以持平務實的眼光，重新看待人類社會久居弱勢的第二性。然而有關婦女的諸多討論，猶無可避免地圍繞婚姻為議題，於此情況下，婦女婚後生活的面相，除了名分之確立、財產之繼承，個人意志之主張等問題之外，攸關其日常生活、人際關係及情感的論述仍屬少見。本文選取「嫁女歸寧」為主題，由歷代經史得其梗概，由近代方志窺其細節，而對傳統社會一般已婚女子的回娘家活動，有了較全面的觀察和稍細膩的關注。 探本溯源來說，先秦以貴族婦女即有以時歸寧之制，隨著時代演進、社會發展，後世民間社會所搬演的歸寧習俗益為活潑多元。就近代方志考察分析，可發現民間嫁女歸寧，除了新婚歸寧與因事歸寧之外，經常與四時八節的節慶時令密切結合，蔚為形形色色的節俗文化，間或出現「女兒節」的名目。歸寧活動又不時伴隨以姻親饋贈，對於「娘家－嫁女－夫家」三方的互動聯繫，產生調節促進的良性作用。此外，民謠、俗諺、竹枝詞等往往以歸寧為題材，捕捉世相，揣摩人情，從中不難窺知中國傳統社會母女、姑嫂、妯娌、甥妗等各式人際關係。擴大言之，舊時婦女主內，長年操持家務，若適時得到外出歸寧的機會，不僅宣舒其久經壓抑的情感情緒，自也緩解因工作而累積的單調疲倦感。要之，傳統歸寧既有重要的社會功能，其間流露的常民生活情趣，尤令人低迴懷想。

　　　　　In recent years, women research has been a fast growing study area. In response of the trend of referring to women as "the second sex," researchers have started to discuss traditional women's life in the light of a non-traditional sense. Despite this effort, researchers still find themselves focusing on old issues. Marriage, unavoidably, is still the major topic of the discussion of traditional Chinese women's life. However, aspects of traditional Chinese women's life in a marriage, not the marriage itself, are rarely discussed. In addition to topics such as married women's status in the new family, issues of inheritance, and individual's free wills, topics such as married women's daily life and interpersonal relationships are especially in need of more researches. This article is an discussion on the social meanings of married women's birth family visits. By analyzing ancient scripture and documents, the author tries to outline the tradition and the significance involved in the birth family visit of traditional married women in China. Before Chin Dynasty, married women in noble class have practiced birth family visit following a traditionally calendared schedule. However, there was a gradual change into more diverse activity types and more flexible schedule. According to the folklore records in "Fong Chi（方志）," we can find many interesting phenomena. In addition to the traditional birth home visit as a part of their wedding customs and other home visits for various reasons, married women usually visited their birth home following the folk calendar, usually on important holidays. At some point in the history, there was even "Daughter's Day," which implied the significance of the home visit of married women in traditional Chinese society. There was also gift-exchanging custom in the visit, which involved the birth family, the married woman, and her husband's family. This promoted communication and improved relationships between two families. From traditional Chinese folk songs, we can also find out that married women's birth home visit usually were the background and basis of relationships among women in the two families, such as mother-daughter, aunt-niece, and other female family members relationships. Traditional married women in China stayed home most of their time. A birth home visit is an important way for them to keep connected with their birth family members, to release boredom and stress from their daily life, and to provide the communicating occasions for both sides of family. This article is an attempt to discuss the social function and significance that are involved in the birth family visit of traditional married women in China.