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Guo Shoujing 郭守敬 (1231-1316)(Travellers | Cities | Routes | Trade Goods | Themes) Guo Shoujing 郭守敬 was a distinguished engineer and astronomer who made great achievements in mathematics, astronomy and instrument manufacturing during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). According to chapter 52 of the Yuan shi 元史 (Official History of the Yuan Dynasty), while he was at the Astronomical Institute, he was in charge of a huge project known as the "Four Seas Survey" (Sihai celiang 四海测量 or Sihai ceyan 四海测验) to conduct nationwide astronomical measurements with the aim of determining the dates of the summer and winter solstices by measuring the shadows cast by gnomons from the Arctic Circle far north of present-day China to the South China Sea south of the current empire. "后来建立了太史院，王恂任太史令，郭守敬是王恂的同事。后来两人经4年时间制订出《授时历》，通行360多年。而且郭守敬去了境内的唐来、汉延等古渠，立了闸堰，让当地的农田得到灌溉。在太史院的时候太史院众人在郭守敬的领导下开展了全国范围的天文测量，称之为“四海测验”。 Later, after the Astronomical Bureau (Taishiyuan 太史院) was established, he and Wang Xun 王恂, head of the Astronomical Bureau (Taishiling 太史令), developed the 'Shoushi Calendar' (Shoushi li 授时历), an astronomical system translated by Nathan Sivin as the "Granting the Seasons". This system was in use for over 360 years. In 1279, Guo and Wang Xun were given permission by the Emperor to carry out the Four Seas Survey. The results of this survey are recorded in chapter 48 of the Yuanshi 元史 (Official History of the Yuan), pp. 1000-1001. All 27 places and the measurements taken are listed in the table below. The map accompanying this module marks the route covered by this survey and highlights six of the 27 places where measurements were taken. Nathan Sivin describes this survey as follows: "Teams of observers also carried out a great latitude survey with portable equipment at 27 locations scattered from Siberia southward, covering roughly 3600 miles (6000 km) from north to south and 2000 miles (3300 km) from east to west. They recorded the latitude for each place, and for a number of them time differences of solar or lunar eclipse observations, variations in the ratio of day length to night length, and changes in the altitudes of the sun, the moon, and possibly the planets." (Nathan Sivin, Granting the Seasons, p. 31.) Guo Shoujing was also a hydraulic engineer, and in this role he visited ancient canals such as Tanglai and Hanyan, oversaw the construction of sluices and dams, and the provision of irrigation to local farmers.
Six of these places have been added to the map displayed in this module. These six places are listed in the table below, together with their modern place names and GPS coorinates.
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Map of Guo Shoujing's Investigations Astronomy |
