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Jiaoshijing 交食經

Jun 19, 2025 © Ulrich Theobald

Jiaoshijing 交食經 is a book on astronomy written during the late Ming period 明 (1368-1644) by Ouyang Binyuan 歐陽斌元(1606-1649), courtesy name Xianwan 憲萬, following the instructions of Zhang Caichen 張寀臣.

This book adopts Western methods to calculate solar and lunar eclipses, making it one of the early pioneers promoting the study of astronomy during the Ming period. Unfortunately, the text contains numerous errors and omissions, and the cited work "Calendar guide" (Lizhi 曆指) as well as various tables have been lost. Only two supplementary sections on eclipses remain, namely Rishi yiguan ge 日食一貫歌, and Yueshi yiguan ge 月食一貫歌.

The book is included in the series Yuzhang congshu 豫章叢書 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編.

Sources:
Ji, Chen, and Chu Longfei. 2025. "Adapting and Accepting the European Astronomical System: A Study of the Mistakes in the Calculation of Eclipses Using the Western Methods in Late Ming and Early Qing China." Journal for the History of Astronomy 56 (2): 148-171.
Wu Longhui 吳龍輝, ed. 1994. Zhonghua zajing jicheng 中華雜經集成, vol. 2, 176. Beijing: Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe.