Main contents of Volume Three.
Exploration on the origin of the Taiyinli(lunar calendar).
In this volume, I further trace the origin of the vernal equinox. I identify Paogua(the Gourd Star )and Tianji(Heavenly Rooster Star) on the Suzhou Stone Carved Astronomical Chart, with some Tianji(Heavenly Rooster) situated nearby. Paogua(The Gourd Star )is also known as Tianji(Heavenly Rooster), and the Wei and Ji Mansions share the same alternative name.
What do these Tianji(Heavenly Rooster) symbols signify? In which era did they serve practical functions? Did ancient people employ them to mark the vernal equinox? Could the vernal equinox be located near Paogua(The Gourd Star ), earlier than the period of Nü, Xu and Wei Mansions?
Through analyzing benchmark stars of the vernal equinox, I confirm the earlier equinox position lay at Dou and Niu Mansions, which still requires further verification. What purpose did these multiple Tianji(Heavenly Rooster) markers serve? If they marked the vernal equinox, what was their operational mechanism?
Paogua(The Gourd Star ) resides in the celestial mid-region rather than the ecliptic, so how could it indicate spring? If not a seasonal marker, what was its actual function?
Given the phonetic resemblance between Paogua(The Gourd Star ) , Pangu and Panhu, I infer this area is the etymological origin of the term Pangu, and Paogua(The Gourd Star ) acts as the symbolic counterpart of the Pangu god.
Furthermore, I presume Paogua(The Gourd Star ) and Tianji(Heavenly Rooster) were used to mark the vernal equinox. Then what was the earliest seasonal division? A single season, two seasons, or the eight solar terms of four seasons? Accordingly, I conducted simulated deduction on the evolutionary mechanism and timeframe of four seasons and eight solar terms. Contradictions emerged in subsequent reasoning, prompting me to further explore the true implications of Paogua(The Gourd Star ) and various Tianji(Heavenly Rooster) symbols.
What exactly is this contradiction? It lies in the connotation of stars previously identified as Mingtang(Bright Hall )markers. When estimating the vernal equinox in Volume three, I referenced both special seasonal and Mingtang( Bright Hall) indicator stars, an approach seldom adopted in Established Research.
Analysis in Section 5, Chapter 1 of the this Volume ,I found ,if estimation
using the special indicator star , shows the corresponding era falls roughly between the Tang and Song dynasties,so the result is untenable,This special star was born at least zhou dynasty . This indicates a definite error that needs rectification. Combined with interpretation of the traditional research subject "(Fayue)family prestige", I decipher the actual meaning of the star, which symbolizes early spring, or the Start of Spring solar term in more ancient periods.
According to this new deduction, the earliest dating ranges from 16000 BC to 14000 BC, roughly when Fang and Xin Mansions marked the vernal equinox.
This period saw Fuxi create the Bagua(Eight Trigrams) and the birth of the Lianshanyi Classic. At that time, the Great Fire Star served as the vernal equinox reference, and astronomical calculation began with Jiao and Kang Mansions(Shuqijiaokang). The era dates far back beyond my previous estimation.
It was a pseudo lunisolar calendar dominated by the Bagua(Eight Trigrams). The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions and sidereal month also took shape in this period.
What about periods earlier than 15000 BC? That was the era of Huaxu Clan. A pseudo lunisolar calendar governed by Tianji(Heavenly Rooster) stars was adopted, calculated based on synodic months. This historical phase spanned from 23000 BC to 16000 BC, covering the eras of Pangu and Huaxu Clan.
Further exploration of the lost calendar era of 8600 BC
In Section 5, Chapter 2 of the this Volume, the calendar related to Heng yin nan dou(Balanced Yin of the Southern Dipper) is studied, confirming its corresponding era is 8600 BC. Research on the two Tiantian(Celestial Field )Stars also verifies the same chronological period.
This age witnessed the maturity of Doujian and lunar mansion orientation system, the practice of shadow measurement with gnomons, and Fang-Xin Mansions functioning as the Mingtang(Bright Hall). It also corresponds to the Jianxing calendar recorded in Wuji(Tsinghua Bamboo Slips · Five Calendars), and the period when Dijunweiriyuezhixing(Dijun governed the movement of the sun and moon). It can be concluded that Dijun and Di Shun are two distinct figures.
Zhuanxu Calendar and Severance of Heaven and Earth
8600 BC marks the origin of ancient Chinese writing, when the Ten Tiangan(Heavenly Stems )likely came into being. Afterwards, Chinese characters stepped into a developmental stage, and flourished while the Zi and Shen Mansions served as the vernal equinox marker.
Characters for Yueming(lunar month designations) emerged in this period, and the writing forms of the Shierchen(Twelve Chen )fully finalized. When the Wei, Mao and Bi Mansions aligned with the vernal equinox, it fell into the era of Huangdi(Yellow Emperor) and Zhuanxu.
Zhuanxu established the Shipan calendar, completely abandoning Fuxi's Lianshan Yi. It severed the linkage between heaven and earth, and broke the correspondence between the Twenty-Eight Mountains in Classic of Shanhaijing(Classic of Mountains and Seas) and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. This is the true connotation of Jueditiantong(Severance of Heaven and Earth), and other interpretations can be discarded.This Part demonstrates that Zhuanxu enforced Jueditiantong(the Severance of Heaven and Earth) because precession rendered the calendar incompatible with Fuxi's Lianshan Yi. The ancient way of positioning stars against mountains no longer matched reality, as stellar positions had shifted drastically. Zhuanxu thus launched calendar reform and created Shipan(the divination plate), abandoning the traditional calendar linking mountains and celestial stars. This constitutes the true essence of Severance of Heaven and Earth. Claims about separation of humans and deities are merely is merely a deceptive pretext.
Shuishu Amulets, Bashu Seals and Calendars
In Chapter Three and Four of this Volume, I study the calendar symbols on Bashu seals and Shuishu amulets, and interpret these symbols and amulets from an astronomical perspective.
Chapter Five of this Volume explores Shanhaijing(Classic of Mountains
and Sea and establishes Tufa(the graphical calendar ). It connects key constellations with core geographical positions recorded in the book, proving the work is essentially a handed-down Tufa.
Further research on the Chu silk manuscript confirms it also belongs to this system. The interpretation verifies previous research findings, which serve as the essential basis for decoding Shanhaijing. Conversely, deciphering the text consolidates the credibility of earlier conclusions. The calendar records embodied in Tufa trace back over twenty thousand years ago, an astonishingly remote origin.
Analysis of Inscriptions on Jufang Ding
Chapter Six of the this Volume investigates the inscriptions on Jufang Ding. The first character relates to Pangu, while the pictograph enclosed in the character Ya is the lost ancient characters of Xia.
Fayue(Lineage Prestige) and Its Relation to Queqiu Star
This research is presented in Chapter Eight of this Volume, where the astronomical origin of the term "fayue" is deciphered.
Ancient Myths, Asterism Studies and Wuxing(Five Elements )Research.
Chapter Nine of the this Volume explores the origin and hues of Wuxing(the Five Elements), sorting out the evolution of its color symbolism. It also clarifies the correlation between ancient asterism changes and historical development.
The study refutes Gu Jiegang's theory of progressively accumulated
ancient Chinese history which denies early ancient Chinese history, with arguments grounded in astronomy.
Exploration on the astronomical origin of Chinese jade-worshipping culture
This Volume verifies the origin era of Chinese jade-worshipping culture via astronomical analysis.
On the Origin of the Place Name "Changsha"
The origin of the place name Changsha is consistent with records in the Creation Chapter of the Chu Silk Manuscript and accounts of Nüqian in the Shanhaijing (Classic of Mountains and Seas).
The term Long Tail (长尾) refers specifically to Changsha. “Long Tail” derives from Nine Tails (九尾), which may correspond to:
The Kaiming Beast (开明兽) associated with the Wei and Ji mansions (尾箕宿); or nThe Nine-Tailed Fox (九尾狐) linked to the Yi and Zhen mansions (翼轸宿), whose tail gives the asterism its name.
A Compilation of Evidence for the Lunisolar Calendar at -8600 BC
This calendar system corresponds to the lost chronological stage analyzed in Volume Two. Through in-depth of Volume three ,analysis of multiple ancient records and astronomical markers—including Tian Tian (Celestial Field), Heng Yin Nan Dou (Balanced Yin of the Southern Dipper), the Jie Qiu (Sighing Mound) in the Shan haijing, the phrase "Fang Xin Wei Mingtang" (Room and Heart as the Bright Hall), the Shanhaijing statement "Di Jun Nai Wei Ri Yue Zhi Xing" (Di Jun Ordered the Movements of the Sun and Moon), and the Xingjing (Star Classic) claim that "Di Zuo Yi Xing, Shen Nong Suo Gui" (The Emperor Seat Star was Honored by Shennong)—it is confirmed that the calendar at -8600 BP represents a magnificent but forgotten chronological era. Furthermore, the analysis proves that Di Jun was not Emperor Shun.
Evidences for the Origin Era of Fuxi Calendar and Proof that Twenty-eight Mountains in Shanhaijing(Classic of Mountains and Seas) Correspond to Twenty-eight Lunar Mansions, namely Yianditong(the Unity of Heaven and Earth).
Based on analysis of astronomical reckoning starting from Jiao and Kang, Sheti and Queqiu stars, as well as the record that Fang and Xin mansions stand for the Great Fire, it verifies that the Fuxi calendar prevailed from 16000 BC to 15000 BC.
The Twenty-eight Lunar Mansions, sidereal month calendar and Bagua(Eight Trigrams) all took shape in this period. Essentially, Fuxi calendar is a lunar calendar regulated by the solar calendar system of Bagua(Eight Trigrams), categorized as a quasi lunisolar calendar. Dating recording also emerged at this time.
Earlier calendars were quasi lunisolar ones governed by Tianji(Heavenly Rooster constellations) including Pao Gua and Wei-Ji mansions, dating back around 25000 years ago and adopting Shuowangyue(synodic month )calculation. This is the most ancient calendar discovered so far, serving as the origin time of Pangu and Huaxu clans.
Yeming and ShenXu Deity and Time Measurement
Combining records in Shanhaijing(Classic of Mountains and Seas )and ancient characters, this part proves Xu and Yeming both referred to Louhu(clepsydras) for timekeeping. Such water timers also served as the Kunwu Mingtang(Bright Hall) and Lingtai(spiritual observatory). As the earliest time-measuring artifacts, they became symbols and core ritual implements of early Mingtang(Bright Halls). This civilization dates back to 8600 BC, over ten thousand years from present.
This book is accomplished on the basis of predecessors' achievements. I taught myself oracle bone script in early years, and later studied astronomical works by Chen Jiujin, Liu Zongdi and Feng Shi. Their researches offered precious inspiration and laid foundation for my further exploration.
Their theories feature unique and brilliant insights. Meanwhile, inevitable flaws exist in their academic views. Human cognition advances gradually, and errors are unavoidable. Discovering major mistakes in their works drove me to delve into and rectify relevant problems, which helped unveil the mysteries of ancient astronomy and grasp the true connotation of Jueditiantong(Severance of Heaven and Earth).
Some people have elaborated on this historical event. I once held reserved attitude toward relevant viewpoints. After finishing this work, I realize the communication between heaven and earth indicates Fuxi’s Lianshan Yi calendar and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions calendar that integrated celestial and terrestrial rules. I sincerely express my gratitude to all these scholars.