At a glance
- Reading method
- Separate calendar data from auspicious judgments
Definition and scope
Tongshu, tongsheng and huangli are related almanac labels with varying usage. A volume can display calendrical facts beside cyclical names and auspiciousness lists. Accurate dates do not validate neighboring predictions. Record edition, region, year and publishing context because organization and interpretive conventions differ between compilations.
Structure and details
Common layers include calendar dates, solar terms and lunar phases, then permitted or avoided activities such as marriage, travel and repairs. Activity categories may be narrow. Day officers and other symbolic tables organize inherited rules requiring interpretation; their divine terminology does not establish independently observable entities governing each day.
Example and history
Volume nine of Xieji Bianfang Shu discusses differences between almanac conventions. Separate the date column from activity judgments: check dates against a calendar and trace judgments within the selected text. If another edition disagrees, document it. Selecting one agreeable entry does not establish consensus among historical almanacs.
Contexts and limits
Almanacs are useful evidence for everyday history, printing and custom, but auspicious lists cannot guarantee outcomes. Real schedules depend on weather, availability, venues and procedures. Families can negotiate traditional preferences. Historical activity labels may not map directly onto contemporary contracts, funerals or apartment renovations.
References & further reading
Historical sources document ideas and rules of their time, not empirical proof of predictive accuracy. Source notes identify the nature and scope of each reference.
- 欽定協紀辨方書（四庫全書本）／卷09Primary / tradition source
Historical discussion of differing almanac rules and tabulation.
- 欽定協紀辨方書（四庫全書本）／卷04Primary / tradition source
Historical source for the twelve day officers and their month-branch rule; it records disagreements about auspiciousness.
- Hong Kong Observatory: The Chinese Agricultural CalendarInstitutional / reference source
Observatory explanation of lunar months, years and solar cycles, used for calendrical facts.