Chinese

There is a long history of eclipse-related mythology and lore in China. Asian nations used astrology and astronomy, like many other cultures, to forecast the future. As a scene from Heaven, the cosmos above were seen as reflecting how a nation should be organized on Earth: as above, so below. In China's Imperial Courts, emperors could only reign with the help of the heavenly universe. Eclipses were seen in Chinese mythology as ominous omens for China's Imperial rulers, who were no longer supported by the "Mandate of Heaven" because they were recognized as conduits between Heaven and Earth. When the "Yin" moon, which represents the Empress, dominated and blocked the "Yang" sun, representing the Emperor, the story of the solar eclipse began. The Emperor's light, or his dominion, was then extinguished.

An unforeseen eclipse would call into question an Emperor's power, which would have agricultural repercussions for the ordinary people. If planting and harvesting dates were incorrect, suffering would result in hunger. We now understand that the Saros cycles, which repeat roughly every 18 years and 11.3 days, are the consequence of the astronomical tracking of the sun, moon, and earth cycles and their alignment. resulting in the creation of a tool for eclipse prediction.

The luni solar calendar and almanac system in China has always been very important. In fact, more than any other culture, China is thought to be the guardian of an uninterrupted body of astronomical observations. In China, dated eclipse records first appeared in 719 B.C. However, before the Chinese developed paper, they employed oracle bones to record their extensive mythology. The Chinese word "eclipse" is written as "sh," which shows a dragon consuming the sun or moon.