Is it a good day to have a haircut? Is that cat good or evil? What is the best cure for earache? What does last night’s dream signify? For the millions of Chinese around the world the answer to these and other everyday problems is found in their almanac — the T’ung Shu (“Book of Myriad Things”).
According to tradition, the almanac was first produced in China in 2256 B.C. It was probably one of the first books to be printed by the block printing press, invented in the seventh century A.D. By the beginning of the ninth century a writer commented that “these printed calendars have flooded the empire.”
They have been on sale ever since. The T’ung Shu has the longest continuous printed history of any book in the world — more than 1,200 years.
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Coming up: What is the world's oldest almanac?
Namaste Friends. My name is 'Shinil Subramanian Payamal' and you are listening to the Historylogy podcast.
First of all, what exactly is the meaning of almanac?
It is an annual calendar containing important dates and statistical information such as astronomical data and tide tables.
Is it a good day to have a haircut? Is that cat good or evil? What is the best cure for earache? What does last night’s dream signify? For the millions of Chinese around the world the answer to these and other everyday problems is found in their almanac — the T’ung Shu (“Book of Myriad Things”).
According to tradition, the almanac was first produced in China in 2256 B.C. It was probably one of the first books to be printed by the block printing press, invented in the seventh century A.D. By the beginning of the ninth century a writer commented that “these printed calendars have flooded the empire.”
They have been on sale ever since. The T’ung Shu has the longest continuous printed history of any book in the world — more than 1,200 years.
The almanac today is a unique blend of some folk remedies, astrological charts and predictions, moral teaching, divination, palmistry, popular sayings, and practical farming advice. It also contains full details of all Chinese festivals, a complete calendar with the significance of each day explained, astronomical details, advice on etiquette, and a pronunciation guide to English.
Yet the almanac has not always been so varied in its content. Legend has it that it was originally drawn up as a calendar for the emperor Yao, and for much of its life the T’ung Shu has been regarded as a sign of the emperor’s power. In imperial China the ruler’s authority was strengthened by the ability of his court astrologers to produce an accurate calendar. By predicting eclipses and good harvests, the emperor could show that he was in command of the heavens and the seasons.
Over the centuries the T’ung Shu has been revised and updated by Taoist, Buddhist, and Muslim astrologers. Between 1629 and 1687 Jesuit missionaries in China controlled the bureau of astronomy, and thus were responsible for the almanac. With the aid of more sophisticated astronomical instruments than those possessed by the Chinese, they reformed the Chinese calendar as published in the almanac and brought it into line with Western practice. The date of the Chinese New Year is still set by the method the Jesuits established.
After the Communists takeover in 1949 the almanac was suppressed on mainland China, and it is difficult to estimate how widely it is used today in the People’s Republic. But it is still published by Chinese communities in Taiwan, throughout Southeast Asia, and particularly in Hong Kong. There the governor is presented with a new copy at each New Year, and the old almanac is ceremoniously burned. One million copies are sold in Hong Kong each year, although such is the almanac’s complexity that many users need to consult a professional astrologer in order to understand the ancient mysteries of the T’ung Shu.
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