A debate regarding using DongZhi冬至 as a demarcation of new year, which is supposing to be LiChun立春 (Part 3)
Among those six kinds of Calendar, the main difference is the start point of a year: Hoi亥(Nov), Tsz子(Dec), Chou丑(Jan), or Yan寅(Feb).
Xia夏 dynasty(2100-1600B.C.) used Yan寅(Feb) as the first month of the year.
Shang商 dynasty(1600-1046B.C.) used Chou丑(Jan) as the first month of the year.
Zhou周 dynasty(1045-256B.C) used Tsz子(Dec) as the first month of the year.
Qin秦 dynasty(221-206B.C.) used Hoi亥(Nov) as the first month of the year.
Started from Han dynasty(206B.C. - 220A.C.), Chinese calendar changed back to use Yan寅(Feb) as the first month of the year. And we use this method until now. That’s why you have seen some Chinese people marked their date as “Ha’s Calendar year 2012 month 12 day 30”
If you are using Yan寅(Feb) – LiChun 立春(start of spring) as the first month of the year, then you are using夏曆(Ha Calendar). If you are using Tsz子(Dec) - DongZhi 冬至(Winter solstice) as the first month of the year, then you are using周曆 (Chau Calendar).
If you studied the history of Xia夏 dynasty and used winter solstice as the beginning of a year, then you are making a mistake in your understanding in Chinese history. On the other hand, if you studied the history of Zhou周 dynasty but you used the start of spring as the beginning of a year, then your idea in Chinese history studies also contain error. As a result, studying calendars is not only important for the Chinese metaphysic study, it also important for learning Chinese history.
The following photo is the Gnomon, which was used to find the winter solstice in ancient China.
(………to be continued)
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