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Calendar Production, Calendar Printing, Calendar Design
The history of calendars in China dates back approximately four thousand years. According to an oracle bone inscription, the calendar system during the Shang Dynasty had already reached a relatively advanced level. This oracle bone inscription is the oldest physical calendar in the world, also called a 'daily calendar' or 'daily record'.
A Tang Dynasty poem states: "In the mountains, there are no calendars, and one does not know the passing of years." 'Liri' (历日), possibly referring to early desk calendars, were created by court historians. They would cut and bind paper daily into monthly volumes. Each page displayed the month and day, leaving blank space for the emperor's activities to be recorded by court eunuchs. These 'Liri' were reviewed by the emperor at the end of each month and then archived by court historians for use in compiling the official history. Due to their function of recording time and events, they were widely imitated by civil and military officials.
Early Development
Historical records indicate that calendars were in use in the imperial palace around 1100 years ago, in the first year of Emperor Shunzong's Yongzhen era (永贞元年). These calendars, also known as imperial calendars, not only recorded dates but also served as crucial materials for compiling the national history. Similar to a modern calendar, the annual calendar was divided into twelve volumes, one for each month, with the number of pages corresponding to the days in each month. The month and day were written on each page. These calendars were temporarily kept by eunuchs who served the emperor. They recorded the emperor's daily activities in the blank spaces and submitted the completed monthly volumes to the emperor for approval at the end of the month. The approved calendars were then sent to court historians, who combined the calendar entries with significant events from the court and various regions, refining and embellishing the records to create the national history.
Later, due to the convenience calendars offered, they gradually entered the homes of many high-ranking officials, who adapted and created their own calendars. As calendars became more common and widely used in families, people began printing the stems and branches (干支), lunar months, solar terms, and auspicious dates onto calendars, leaving ample blank space for recording events.
The development of calendars into hanging calendars and desk calendars is a relatively recent phenomenon, occurring within the last century. The evolution of desk calendar styles from simple designs to various forms is largely due to the recent growth of market economics and the widespread use of the internet, which has facilitated cultural exchange. A common trend is the smaller, more refined designs of modern desk calendars.
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