Complete Collection of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Weather Records (Vol. 1-4)

Author: Zhang De'er, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-10-01
Features: This book collects various records of meteorological phenomena from oracle bone inscriptions to the year 1911, spanning three thousand years, organized in chronological order. It includes descriptions of various weather conditions, atmospheric physical phenomena, and related events in Chinese history. This work was compiled by a research team led by Zhang De'er after ten years of diligent effort,8228 ancient texts. Compared to similar publications both domestically and internationally, this meteorological historical record stands out for its long time span, extensive geographical coverage, comprehensive content, and meticulous research, making it a high-quality foundational resource in meteorological science. This book is not just a dry collection of data. Due to its extensive references, it incorporates some exquisite texts from ancient Chinese classics, and many of the descriptions are vivid and even entertaining. Notably, the systematic compilation of meteorological records in oracle bone inscriptions for the first time has sparked great interest, even though they are included only by category. These multifaceted historical records are valuable not only for providing one or two meteorological observations or climatic evidences but also for inspiring comprehensive thinking about paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental issues. They also allow readers to appreciate the charm of ancient Chinese literature and historical works. From this book, one can also learn about ancient meteorological observation activities and the ancient Chinese understanding of atmospheric science, which is valuable for studying the history and technology of ancient meteorological science.