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you can regard the four entities of dynasty, emperor, nien hao, and year as successively smaller units. Each dynasty contains multiple emperors, each emperor can contain multiple nien hao, and each nien hao can contain multiple years. |
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9.10.2.1.9
The Three Roads |
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The Chinese calendar defines three roads or paths, which together constitute an overall structure: |
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The Red Road traces the constellations in a line roughly corresponding with the equator. It defines the 28 lunar mansions, which vary in size from 1 to 34 degrees. |
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The Yellow Road traces the sun's motion against the stars and defines the length of the solar year. |
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The White Road traces the phases of the moon. It is the basis for the lunar aspects of the calendar. |
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9.10.2.1.10
The Five Elements |
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A second sexagenary cycle is used to name years. It is less common, and never used in conjunction with the Celestial Stems. The basis of this cycle is the Chinese distinction of five (not four, as in the Western tradition) elements: |
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The cycle assigns the same element to two successive Earthly Branches, starting with tzu and chou, and proceeds in the element order above. |
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9.10.2.1.11
Structural Details |
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The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar. Months are started with the actual astronomical new moon. Months contain either 29 or 30 days. Intercalation of months to adjust the lunar year to the length of the solar year was first performed as needed and then regularized by rule. |
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The first of the year occurs on the date of the second new moon after the winter solstice. This definition was made by the emperor Wu Ti of the Western Han dynasty in 104 B.C. The previous rule had begun the year on the date of the new moon before the winter solstice. This rule was changed several times in the course of Chinese history. |
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Years consist of 12 lunations. A 13th month is intercalated when necessary. The actual months are distinguished from the astronomical months, which ignore the intercalary months and are therefore useless for calendric purposes. |
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