LI Wei-bao, CHEN Jiu-jin. Examination of the "Seats of the Five Emperors" in the Traditional Chinese Constellations[J]. Astronomical Techniques and Instruments, 2010, 7(2): 182-184.
Citation: LI Wei-bao, CHEN Jiu-jin. Examination of the "Seats of the Five Emperors" in the Traditional Chinese Constellations[J]. Astronomical Techniques and Instruments, 2010, 7(2): 182-184.

Examination of the "Seats of the Five Emperors" in the Traditional Chinese Constellations

  • According to the traditional division of constellations of the ancient China,there are five stars located in tow places to represent the seats of the "Emperor of Heaven".One of them is the Purple Forbidden Enclosure for the "residence of the Emperor" and another one is the Supreme Subtlety Enclosure for the "office of the Emperor". All these are now called the "Seats of the Five Emperors".The current name originated form some eisegesis books so that in the Supreme Subtlety Enclosure it represents the "Yellow Emperor" and "Emperors located in the ease, west,north,and south".This wrong interpretation of more ancient views has had the influence up to now so that some people still think it as correct.In fact,the "Seat of the Yellow Emperor" consists of 4 stars in the Lyncis and 28 stars in Leonis;and the "Seats for Emperor in the East,West,North,and South" are near the zodiac and represent the Twenty-Eight Lunar-Mansions.The notion of "Five Seats of the Emperor" (later mistaken as the "seats of the Five Emperors")in different seasons originated from the ancient calendar with 5 seasons in a year and with the "Emperor of Heaven" set in different locations.
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