Posted 2018/7/8
Americans published their farmers’ almanac first in 1792. They read it for facts like the rise and set times for the sun and moon, and weather predictions - so important to farmers and fishermen. The Chinese started to work out their first almanac with carapace-bone-script, for the sake of farmers and huntsmen, 3000 years ago, according to archaeological records. The earliest, most complete almanac to have been discovered was written in 132BC, during the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), in an excavation site of the Tomb Mawangdui, Changsha.
A folk almanac usually adopted the calendar founded by Huang Di, a primitive lord. People made their own almanacs until Wenzong, an emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) declared that the authority to issue an almanac belongs exclusively to the emperor, and to print the government. He did print the first almanac, since the typography of engraving had been invented not long before then. The almanac was Xuanming Li, the calander of Xuanming. And the emperor’s order was passed down regardless of who came to power. People henceforth called these official almanacs Huang Li, Huang for the emperor. However, since the almanac played such an important role in daily life, the ban on free printing was not carried out.
Huang Li doesn’t forecast weather like the farmers’ almanac does. It keeps records of dates, solar terms, and the lunar calendar, as well as predicts the luck of every day in a year. Ancient Chinese developed a unique system of astronomy and astrology, which was used everywhere from national fete to private divining. On almanac, the study was for indicating what shall be and not be done every single day. For example, the Jan 1, 2008 Huang Li on is titled:
“DO’S: Taming the cattle
DON’TS: Moving into a new house, breaking ground for construction or graves”
According to instructions of recorded augury, a grazier may cheer his day of work and a bricklayer may have a day off. Chinese families used to refer to Huang Li to find the lucky date and time for special occasions like weddings, engagements, store grand openings, residence relocation and so on. The rule is to prevent the don’ts even when you don’t quite prefer what it said, just to be on the safe side.
Its auspicious and inauspicious directions aside, Huang Li’s readability comes much from its varied articles on farming, gardening, poems and songs, couplets and proverbs, little tips and anecdotes, even essays on interesting topics of custom and folk knowledge attached with drawings and typesets, charming generations of readers.
Ages change, and so does the almanac. The lunar calendar was adopted before the establishment of The People's Republic of China on Oct 1, 1949. And the first day of a year was called Yuan Dan, with Yuan for the origin and Dan for the morning, meaning “the very beginning.” On Sept 27, a meeting was held and decision was made that the Gregorian calendar would apply to the country ever since. Thus Yuan Dan became the name of first day on present calendar. The lunar calendar was retained, however, with its first day called “the Spring Festival,” which is now quite famous around the world.
Collectors love Huang Li, especially those from crucial years or that reveal key incidents of the time. Take the “Almanac of the thirty-fifth Year of Emperor Guangxu, Qing Dynasty” as an example. There was not a thirty-fifth year of the Emperor Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was supposed to be year 1909, first year of the next and the last emperor of Qing, the Emperor Xuantong. Huang Li of a year was generally printed at the end of its last year. However, the regime of Guangxu changed so abruptly that the print department didn’t even expect it. It turned out that the ultimate version of Huang Li of 1909 has a red stamp of “First Year of Emperor Xuantong” on its cover, in correction.
A similar accident happened to the fourth year’s almanac of Emperor Xuantong. He accepted a retirement deal and surrendered the throne at the end of his third year, when next year’s Huang Li had already been issued. The new almanac then kept a record of the incident. After that an 80-day empire had its own Huang Li issued in 1915, and never has one empire come into existence again. In 2000, the Museum of Chinese History bought these almanacs and added to its exhibition.
