The Ancient Observatory

The Ancient Observatory used to be an imperial observatory in the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. After the Qing fell as a result of the Revolution of 1911, it was called the Central Observatory, and served as the national observatory in the early Republican period. In 1929, observation stopped, and it was renamed the National Astronomical Museum. It was the first astronomical museum in China.

As one of the oldest observatories in the world, it was built in 1442, or the 7th year of Emperor Zhengtong's reign in the Ming Dynasty. At that time it was called Guanxingtai, or platform for observing the stars. When taken over by the Qing, it was renamed Guanxiangtai, or observatory. You may see three large characters “Guan Xiang Tai” inscribed in stone above its south gate. Observation went on for nearly 500 years, a record duration in the world.

Well housed and well equipped, the observatory saw important cultural exchanges between China and the West in the late Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty. Today it enjoys a good reputation at home and abroad for, among other things, the unique configuration and size of the ancient copper astronomical instruments. They are not only relics of ancient Chinese and western astronomical instruments, but also the legacy of metallurgy and mechanics in ancient China.

Address: Jianguomen Inner Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Publishes at : 07-09-23 22:03

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