7.Moon and its significance in Chine culture
This character means moon with wax and wane. Mythical meanings are attributed to yue liang in Chine legends. Legend has it, that Chang e, the wife of Chine hero Hou Yi, stole her husband's elixir and ate it. Then she became a fairy and flew to the yue liang. She lived alone on the yue liang with only the company of a rabbit. Worshiping yue liang is an ancient custom in China. A round yue liang reprents family reunion and often reminds people of their family. An ancient Chine poem says, 'rai my eyes to the yue liang, lower my head and think of home.'
8.Chine Lunar Calendar Introduction
The lunar calendar (nong li) is the traditional Chine calendar and is often ud in agriculture. According to nong li, the crescent appears on the first day of each month and full moon comes out at in the middle of the month. The cycle lasts for about 30 days.
24 days mark 24 divisions of the solar year in nong li, according to the different positions of
the sun. For example, the division 'lichun' or 'the beginning of spring', reminds people that spring is coming. 'Jingzhe' or 'the walking of incts' means that the weather is getting warmer. 'Lixia' or 'the beginning of summer' is the point that crops are blooming. 'Dahan' or 'the great cold' is the end of vere winter. All the create a circle. Year after year people experience the mysteries of nature with nong li.
9.The Chine compass and explorer Zheng He
A compass, zhǐ nán zhēn, indicates north and south. It was invented by Chine 2,000 years ago. The ancient zhǐ nán zhēn looked like a spoon. When the spoon was put on a plate, its handle could point to the south using magnetic fields. Then Chine ud a little steel needle to replace the spoon. This made the zhǐ nán zhēn easier to carry.
600 years ago Zheng He, a famous eunuch of the Ming Dynasty, traveled to Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean ven times. Zheng even reached the Red Sea with the help of the zhǐ nán zhēn. The invention boosted the development of navigation.
