The First Astronomical Point in Yunnan

In the campus of Yunnan University, the down town area of Kunming, one can find a certain "first astronomical point in Yunnan" which is the longitude and latitude coordinates of Kunming measured by the astronomical observation method in 1934, and it was re-measured for an original data during the Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty and the purpose of the re-measurement is to obtain more accurate coordinates for Kunming. The original measurement during the Kangxi time was using a transit instrument, also called the geodesy, and in the geodesy surveying for whole China during 1714-1715 29 points were measured in Yunnan. The first measurement of the Kunming point was in the year of 54 in Kangxi time (in 1714), and performed by Mrs. Fei, Yin and Pan Ru (perhaps in 1715) and the leading person was Mr. Lei, Xiao-si. This first measurement result was the basis of the re-measuring and offered the data which could be compared with the data re-measured later, and the first measurement itself has an important practical value. This measurement unified the different rules used before. In addition, it could make people to know the geographical location and to have a certain numerical idea for Kunming, even Yunnan.