There are certainly more famous attractions in Beijing, too dense is the wealth of cultural heritage that makes a visit or even a longer stay in the Chinese capital so worthwhile. And so the “Ancient Observatory” does not immediately strike you as an outstanding tourist attraction. Moreover, this fortress-like construction near the subway station Jianguomen does not promise great discoveries or news from the outside. Also rather inconspicuous appears the interior of the structure: a small yard, various astronomical instruments and apparatus, some busts of famous Chinese astronomers, various smaller exhibitions, two sleeping cats …

But this inconspicuousness is deceptive, as it’s the more than 700 years of history of the Ancient Observatory that has so much to offer and that gives an insight into the times of the Mongol rule, the achievements of Chinese and European astronomy, into the time of the missionaries at the imperial court, the reign of the great Emperor Kangxi, the time of the Boxer Rebellion and the recent past of China! This comprehensive insight into Chinese history is not immediately obvious, but it opens up step by step, the more you engage yourself with the Ancient Observatory.

Let’s start with the Mongols: they officially ruled China during the Yuan Dynasty (元朝) from 1279 to 1368. The dynasty was proclaimed already in 1271 by Kublai Khan, a grandson of famous Genghis Khan. It was said Kublai Khan who in 1279 commissioned the construction of an observatory in the immediate vicinity of the current location of the Ancient Observatory. Responsible for the execution of the construction were the astronomers Wáng Xún (王 恂) and Guō Shǒujìng (郭守敬), and one of the objectives of the project was to also reform the then actual calendar, considered as partly incorrect. Guo Shǒujìng already made a name for himself as astronomer and mathematician, and as an equally talented hydraulic engineer, he was additionally responsible for the construction of the northernmost section of the Imperial Canal. Thanks to that 80-kilometer-long “Tonghui Canal”, the capital was supplied with grain from the South.

Guo Shǒujìng was thus given the task of reforming the then in China valid calendar, and in 1280, based on information and astronomical equipment from Persia and Arabia, he finally developed the Shou Shili (授 時 曆). This new calendar should, with only minor amendments, be in use in China for 364 years! Moreover, with that calendar the duration of one year was specified as exactly 365.2425 days!

Then, in 1442 during Ming Dynasty, the massive tower was built, in which until today the Ancient Observatory is located. Under the 61-year reign of Qing Emperor Kangxi (he lived from 1654 – 1722), the observatory was renewed and expanded. Kangxi is considered as one of the most important rulers of Chinese history – he was, among other things, principal of the still common Kangxi dictionary (康熙字典), a dictionary of Chinese writing.

Responsible for the renovation process were Ferdinand Verbiest and his successor as court astronomer, Antoine Thomas. The two Belgians continued the long tradition of renowned European scholars and Jesuit priests at the court of the emperor, predecessors were, for example, the Italian Matteo Ricci or the two Germans Johann Schreck and Adam Schall von Bell. These Jesuit fathers not only all enjoyed great reputation and high positions at the imperial court; they also developed various astronomical devices. Above all Ferdinand Verbiest: in 1673, he revised an altazimuth – a device for determining the height and the horizontal angle of a celestial object – and a celestial globe for reading the position of celestial bodies at a given time. These instruments, among other masterpieces of craftsmanship and mathematical precision, are preserved to this day and can be viewed on top of the ten meter high platform on the roof of the Ancient Observatory.

In addition to this flourishing collaboration between Chinese and Western scientists, the Ancient Observatory also became the location of a dark part of the history of both sides: Troops of the Western “Eight Allied States” plundered the structure in 1900 in the suppression of the so-called “Boxer Rebellion”. Many astronomical devices were then brought to France and Germany, but returned to China in 1902 and 1921, respectively. That underlines that the Ancient Observatory in Beijing has always been a scene of significant discoveries and important events throughout history. Since 1982, it is now an official monument of the People’s Republic of China and enjoys a somewhat calmer existence.

With all this historical background, one question inevitably arises: Why did astronomy matter so much in China? Well, in ancient China, the cosmos was seen as a whole. The individual was part of the whole, and the whole was to be found in the individual. For this reason, disasters, droughts or floods for example, were not considered as a single, independent event, but rather as a result of the celestial occurrences. And since the emperor was regarded as the “son of heaven” and derived legitimacy for governing from that, it was the task of the imperial astronomers to observe the sky, to record changes and to communicate their findings to the court. Their observations flowed into the assessment of political interests and served also the defense or the precaution of threatening dangers.

Another important reason for the enormous importance of astronomy: China was and still is a country characterized by agriculture, and especially agriculture is based on the change of the four seasons, new and full moon or the beginning of spring. This in turn became relevant when naming the traditional Chinese calendar, which has been called “Nónglì” (农历) – farmer’s almanac – since the reform of 1645. The calendar, reformed with the help of Jesuit frater Adam Schall von Bell, is still used today for the calculation of traditional festivals.

In addition to that, the museum is still in possession of records from around 1,300 BC. Records about celestial events in China, such as lunar or solar eclipses or the sighting of comets. So this traditional Chinese view of the sky lasted for several millennia, until it was finally replaced with the end of the Imperial Era in 1912 by the Western system of constellations.

As mentioned earlier: it’s the history of the Ancient Observatory and the related context rather than the structure itself, which makes this attraction so fascinating. Nevertheless, a visit is more than worthwhile, as the associated museum provides extensive information about these insights.

First published in German on german.cri.cn