Who invented the perpetual calendar?

Children often use the word "perpetual calendar". So how did the perpetual calendar come from?

In order to trace the origin of the perpetual calendar, this story has to start from the ancient Western Zhou Dynasty ... Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a young man named Wannian, who saw the chaos of the festival at that time and wanted to get it right. One day, he went up the mountain to cut wood and sat in the shade to have a rest. Inspired by the movement of the shadow, he designed a coffin to measure the sun and calculate the time. But it was raining and foggy at that time, which affected the measurement. Later, the dripping spring on the cliff aroused his interest, and he began to make a five-story clepsydra. As time went on, he found that the length of the weather would repeat every 360 days.

At that time, the monarch was called Zu Ti, and the unpredictable weather made him very upset. A minister named Aheng, in order to please the emperor, said that he would set up a rooftop to worship the gods. Zu Ti thought it was reasonable, so he led officials to make sacrifices to heaven, but to no avail. Knowing that ten thousand years later, I couldn't help but go to see the emperor with a sundial and a clepsydra and explain to Zu Ti why the sun and the moon run. Zu Ti was very happy after hearing this and felt reasonable. So I left for ten thousand years and built the Sun and Moon Pavilion in front of the Temple of Heaven, as well as the sundial platform and the Leaky Pot Pavilion. Send twelve boys to serve for ten thousand years. Zu Ti said to Wannian: "I hope you can accurately calculate the laws of the sun and the moon, calculate the exact time in the morning and evening, and create a calendar for the benefit of people all over the world."

On one occasion, Zu Ti sent a message to Ah Heng asking about the progress of the perpetual calendar. When he boarded the altar of the sun and the moon, he saw the stone wall beside the Temple of Heaven engraved with:

Sunrise and sunset 360

Start all over again.

Vegetation withers and flourishes in four seasons.

There are twelve circles in a year.

When Ah Heng saw this, he knew that the study of perpetual calendar was successful, and his heart was uneasy. He was extremely afraid that the monarch would blame himself for putting forward the idea of offering sacrifices to the gods, because he was favored by calendars created for thousands of years. So he plotted and sent an assassin to get rid of Wan Nian. The assassin climbed up the Sun Moon Pavilion and saw Wannian watching the stars on the pavilion, so he drew an arrow with his bow and prepared to shoot him. Who knows, the assassin was found by the guards and arrested on the spot. When Zu Ti learned of this, he punished Ah Heng and personally went to Riyuege to visit Wan Nian. Wan Nian pointed to the astronomical phenomena and said to Zu Ti, "It's been twelve months now, the old year has passed and the new year has begun again. Please make a festival for you. " Zu Ti said, "Spring is the beginning of a year. Just call it the Spring Festival. "

Winter goes and spring comes, year after year. Later, after long-term observation and careful calculation, it took 10 thousand years to calculate the accurate solar calendar. When he showed his successor the solar calendar, he was covered with silver whiskers. The monarch was deeply moved. In order to commemorate the achievements of 10 thousand years, he named the solar calendar "perpetual calendar" and named it the birthday star of the sun, moon and moon. In the future, people will hang up the Shou Xingtu during the Chinese New Year, which is said to commemorate the venerable ten thousand years.

After years of long-term observation and careful calculation, an accurate solar calendar has been worked out. When he presented the solar calendar to the succeeding king, he was covered with silver whiskers. In order to commemorate the achievements of ten thousand years, the king named the solar calendar "perpetual calendar". The above is the origin of the name "perpetual calendar".