Changes

==Characteristics of the Chinese calendar==

==Characteristics of the Chinese calendar==

The Chinese calendar, at least by the time it was adopted in Japan, was not an observational one ("There, we can see the new moon, so the month has started."), but a predictive one, based on calculations, as was necessary for a widely-spread out, developed bureaucracy. The calculation methods were revised at various times, both in China and Japan, so not everything below applies to all periods, especially the way of determining intercalary months.

The Chinese calendar, at least by the time it was adopted in Japan, was not an observational one ("There, we can see the new moon, so the month has started."), but a predictive one, based on calculations, as was necessary for a widely-spread out, developed bureaucracy. The calculation methods were revised at various times, both in China and Japan, so not everything below applies to all periods, especially the way of determining intercalary months. Further, as a result of Chinese and Japanese authorities performing their calendrical calculations separately, the Chinese and Japanese calendars often differed historically by a day or several.

The Chinese calendar is a lunar, actually a luni-solar, calendar. The start of the month is determined by the new moon, but the position of the month in the year is determined by the solar year, that is, course of the seasons. One should note that although in the the West seasons are considered to begin on the equinoxes and solstices, in the Chinese calendar, the start of spring (立春) is exactly half-way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and similarly for other seasons.

The Chinese calendar is a lunar, actually a luni-solar, calendar. The start of the month is determined by the new moon, but the position of the month in the year is determined by the solar year, that is, course of the seasons. One should note that although in the the West seasons are considered to begin on the equinoxes and solstices, in the Chinese calendar, the start of spring (立春) is exactly half-way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and similarly for other seasons.

*Months are either 29 (''Shô no tsuki'' 小の月) or 30 days (''Dai no tsuki'' 大の月) long.  This means that the date 2/30 is possible, whereas 3/31 is not.  Unlike some other calendars, it is  '''not''' the case that a particular month is normally a particular length. There is no way of knowing whether a month is 29 or 30 days long except by looking at the calendar for a particular year. Normally, but frequently not, 29-day and 30-day months alternate.  

*Months are either 29 (''Shô no tsuki'' 小の月) or 30 days (''Dai no tsuki'' 大の月) long.  This means that the date 2/30 is possible, whereas 3/31 is not.  Unlike some other calendars, it is  '''not''' the case that a particular month is normally a particular length. There is no way of knowing whether a month is 29 or 30 days long except by looking at the calendar for a particular year. Normally, but frequently not, 29-day and 30-day months alternate.  

*The calendar also takes into account the solar year. The solar year is divided into twelve periods by twelve solar points (中気　chûki) : the winter solstice, the spring equinox, the sumer solstice, the autumn solstice, and two points between each. <ref> The year is also divided into 24 "solar terms" (節気 ''sekki'') such as the "Great Cold."  These are the 12 chûki plus the 12 points that are half-way between chûki. </ref> The months are numbered according to the solar point that occurs during that month.  For example, the month in which the winter solstice occurs is the 11th month, and the one in which the spring equinox occurs is the 2nd month.

*The calendar also takes into account the solar year. The solar year is divided into twelve periods by twelve solar points (中気　chûki) : the winter solstice, the spring equinox, the sumer solstice, the autumn solstice, and two points between each. <ref> The year is also divided into 24 "solar terms" (節気 ''sekki'') such as the "Great Cold."  These are the 12 chûki plus the 12 points that are half-way between chûki. </ref> The months are numbered according to the solar point that occurs during that month.  For example, the month in which the winter solstice occurs is the 11th month, and the one in which the spring equinox occurs is the 2nd month.

*http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/year-countries.html

*http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/year-countries.html

*Ôsaki Masatsugu大崎正次,"Nihon Jasokai no Kaireki"「日本耶蘇會の改暦——日本年代學への一機構として」''Chiri Rekishi''『歴史地理』Vol.70, No.4、1937.

*Ôsaki Masatsugu大崎正次,"Nihon Jasokai no Kaireki"「日本耶蘇會の改暦——日本年代學への一機構として」''Chiri Rekishi''『歴史地理』Vol.70, No.4、1937.

[[Category:Resource Articles]]

[[Category:Resource Articles]]