Li means rite, ceremony and propriety: everything from sacrifice to the courtesies of daily life. Confucius taught that by restraining oneself and returning to li one becomes humane. Xunzi argued that ritual shapes human nature. It is distinct from li, principle, a different word in Chinese.
Li (ritual)
Ritual propriety: the rites and forms of conduct through which, in Confucianism, character and society are formed.
Also: li, propriety