CHINESE LUNAR CALENDAR HOW TO
The almanac consisted of 7 parts, explaining in details how to calculate the new moon, full moon, 24 solar terms, the movement of the sun and the moon, etc. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), famous monk Yi Xing compiled the Dayan Calendar, the most comprehensive and thorough calendar in the Chinese history.
After observations and studies, Zu concluded that a year lasted exactly 365.24281481 days which was only 52 seconds different from the modern estimate. Later, Zu Chongzhi worked out the Daming Calendar, taking into consideration the precession of the equinoxes for the first time in China. In the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), Sifen Calendarwas drawn. And the calendar was used in the next 200 years. In the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-23AD), Emperor Wu ordered the establishment of a new calendar - Taichu Calendar, based on the old calendar. During the Western Zhou Dynasty (1066-771BC), the astronomer began to measure the shadow cast by the sun and decided upon 24 solar terms to direct the farming. During this period, people used the lunisolar calendar, with an intercalary added to the end of certain years. In the Shang Dynasty (1600-1066BC), officials were appointed to bear the sole task of observing and recording the changes in the heavens. As far as 5,000 years ago, China had the lunisolar calendar, which indicated that each year had 366 days. China is one of the first countries that see the emergence of astronomy, as well as the calendar. The calendar is closely related with the development of the astronomy. And an ordinary year has 354, or 355 days, and a leap year has 384 or 385 days. To make the average length of the years equal to a tropical year, an intercalary month is added every two or three years.Īs a result, an ordinary year has 12 months while a leap year has 13 months. In the calendar, one year is divided into 12 months and the months have either 29 or 30 days, always beginning on days of astronomical new moons. Thus in essence it is a combined solar/lunar calendar. It is based on exact astronomical observations of positions of the sun and moon. The Chinese lunar calendar is a traditional calendar in China and it is also called Xia Li, Zhong Li, Jiu Li, or Yin Li.
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