Dates, Time, and Natural Phenomena

Electronic Sites

• Hermetic Systems
  • This is a brilliant and extremely easy to use site. It includes much useful information on the world's calendars, including Chinese. The site is broken into several sections. For our purpose, please visit
    • Calendar systems. Information on the following:
      • Julian and Gregorian Calendars
      • ISO Date format
      • Julian Day Numbers
      • The Maya Calendar
      • The Structure of the Chinese Calendar
      • Types of Calendars
      • Lunar Calendars
      • A host of other information, including an excellent set of links, and online help to interconvert Tibetan/Western and Chinese/Western Dates.

Reading Assignments

• Wilkinson, "Chronology," and "Telling the Time," pp. 171-219
• Aklaksen, The Mathematics of the Chinese Calendar

Class Preparation

• Readings from Shilin guangji
• Readings from Xu Zizhi tongjian changbian
• Readings on time and literature
  • map of the autumn ecliptic for reading 歐陽修《秋聲賦》
  • yinyang correlations for reading 歐陽修《秋聲賦》

Star and Planet Lore