Celestial Instruments

Spring is here and Mimi couldn't wait for me to unpack my warm weather clothes.  She immediately put on the Babette Stars and Orbs top.  For me, it brought back memories of our trip to Beijing.  On our first "free" day of our tour, we wandered around the vicinity of our hotel and stumbled upon an ancient observatory and museum.  It was built in 1422 and sits atop the city's wall at Jinguo Gate.  It was renovated in the 1980's.

There were eight bronzed astronomical instruments on the rooftop.  They were exquisitely carved and seemed more like works of art than scientific instruments used to measure coordinates of celestial bodies.  I was utterly fascinated by them.  When I read they were presents from the Jesuit missionaries in the 1600's and 1700's, my interest piqued.  The Jesuits traveled to China in the 17th century in order to bring Christianity to this vast empire.  They failed in that mission, but excelled in another:  bringing western science to China.  They assisted in updating the Chinese lunar calendar.  They pressed the Vatican for astronomical information and went back and forth to Europe to track down scientific books.  This was the time of Galileo and Kepler, who sent the Jesuits astronomical tables to help them in their endeavor.

 Below the observatory was a small museum, which gives the traveler a clearer understanding of what the Jesuits were faced with:  The Theory of Canopy Heavens and the Theory of Expounding Appearance in the Night Sky--ancient theories that were based on conjecture and superstition.  The architecture and the surrounding gardens were lovely.  I'm so happy we discovered this place!