Overview
Key data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Period of use | 7 BCE – 85 CE |
| Compiler | Liu Xin |
| Year head | Jian-yin |
| Relation to Taichu | A renamed and expounded edition of the Taichu calendar |
Origin
The Santong calendar was used in the late Western Han, from 7 BCE until the Later Han quarter-remainder calendar was promulgated in 85 CE. It was not a new method: Liu Xin renamed and expounded the Taichu calendar, appending the Santong li pu, and set down his own calendrical views with it.
What “Santong” means
“Santong” denotes the three sequences — of Heaven, Earth and Man — matched to the doctrine of the three zheng. Liu Xin aligned the calendar with classical doctrine, tying the epoch and the month-positions to the three sequences; it is a clear instance of Han calendrical learning under the influence of the classics.
In reading this material one should keep the arithmetic of the calendar and the doctrine grafted onto it as two separate layers.
Value
The methods of the Santong calendar did not survive on their own; they are preserved in the Han shu, which is the only complete source for the Taichu and Santong calendars alike.
Compiled and arranged by Chujia Kuang.