Astronomy Education And Enlightening In Late Qing Dynesty

Western astronomy affected China traditional ones a lot,in 19-20^th century.The traditional astronomy in ancient China is mainly utilized to formulate calendars,foretell the destiny etc.,accompanied with related contents in Confucianism,Buddhism and Taoism.The western scientific astronomy began to take part in China as a‘shortcut to the heaven'in late Ming and early Qing,since missionaries came to China.However astronomy is a royal subject then,oriented to the emperor and ministers only.After First and Second Opium War?1840,1860?,scientific astronomy resonated its strength in spreading,which is so-called‘Western Learning to the East',in education?modern schools,text books?and media?newspaper,writings?.At the same time,astronomy started to become a public culture,but limited content.We investigated the monographs and media contents comprehensively in this work,according the writings in library collections,i.e.‘China Central Library',‘Shanghai library',‘Peking University library',‘Fudan University library',‘Shaanxi Normal University library',and electronic databases‘CNBKSY'and‘Shun Pao'.After consulting the original writings,we discussed the writings and educations in late Qing,to summarize the evolutions of scientific astronomy to public thinking at that time.To make it clear,we present this thesis in time order.In additional we demonstrate some typical writings?translations?specifically in each period.We organize this thesis as below:In Chapter 1,we demonstrate the early stage of astronomy spreading in late Qing,which is between the First Opium War and establishment of‘School and TextbooksSeriesCommittee'?shortly‘Committee'?,especially related to the textbooks from western world by missionaries.In these decades,astronomy is not a specific subject,but additions of geometry,the bible and English educations.Although Tan Tian is a astronomic specific writing in this peroid,which is full of complicated contents,who hampered Tan Tianto be enlightenment of astronomy in China.In fact,Tan Tian only effected professional scholars.In chapter 2,we focus on the early stage after the‘Committee'was established.This committee was aimed to standardizing textbooks,especially translated ones of astronomy in China.Specifically,we studied Tianwen Qimeng,who is the textbook of astronomy of Gezhi Qimeng series.By comparing the discrepancies of these two translations with original writing,we figured out the issues in translating manners.On the other hand,this textbook acted an important role of spreading of western astronomic knowledge in China.In conclusion,this textbook in the first milestone of standardization of translations of western writings to China.In chapter 3,We introduce the education of Practical astronomy in Capital Tung-wen College.ItsCurriculum education,examination setting and construction of the observatory,the original intention is practicability.Its textbook Xingxue Farenteaches the operation and principleof astronomic equipment,the method and calculation of Astronomical measurement.Although this school is application-oriented,its influence of astronomy spreading in China is limited.In chapter 4,we introduce the peak of astronomic education:Tengchow college,in where to learn Astronomical Disclosureand Basic astronomyand other western astronomic writings based on these two,i.e.,New astronomy.The astronomic education in Tengchow college take the same path of western astronomic process,without losing systematicness and logicality.In this way,Tengchow college cultivated many astronomic professional talents,and then became the originator of‘School of Astronomy'of colleges and universities in China.In chapter 5,we introduce the astronomic textbooks made by Chinese people ourselves,after Chinese people studied western astronomic textbooks carefully.In this period,Chinese people began to be proactive in spreading science,i.e.making astronomic textbooks,and compiling literacy readers and ballads with modern western astronomic knowledge.Furthermore,new developed Children newspaper,even novels consist modern astronomic knowledge.This had become a phenomenon from then on.In chapter 6,we take‘returning of Halley's comet'in 1910 as example,to analysis the social sensations of each stage on this specific astronomic phenomenon.During that period,both the government and the society keep scientific and objective on this activity and explain this phenomenon to the public with some observing reports and astronomic knowledge.Up to then,Chinese people began to extinguish the panic and fear of comets.In chapter 7,we take Peter Hoang's work on converting the ancient Chinese calendar to Julian calendar as example.Peter Hoang described the Chinese timing system including the solar and lunar calendar,the Sexagenary cycle,BaiKe system,proposed a converting calculation different from western scholars,and compiled a long span of Chinese-Western calendar.Moreover,the correctness of his calendar could be verified.His worknot only provided important time data to Western scholars,but also became a blueprint to make calendars,therefore,Peter Hoang made an significant contribution in culture exchange between China and Western counties.This thesis is mainly to discuss the effects of western astronomic knowledge in late Qing,to clarify the process from the textbook translation to made-in-China textbooks,as well as the education of astronomic.Furthermore,this thesis describes the evolution from traditional Confucian style to science,and advance the understanding of astronomic enlightenment education in late Qing.