Beijing's Niche National Heritage Site: A Royal Observatory Used for 500 Years

The Ancient Observatory, located in Dongcheng District, was first built during the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty and served as the royal astronomical observation base for both the Ming and Qing dynasties. It wasn't until 1927, when the Nanjing Nationalist Government was established and the capital moved to Nanjing, that Beijing's observatory ceased operation. It was in use for nearly 500 years.
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The observatory stands 14.25 meters high, about 3 meters taller than ordinary city walls, and on its platform are placed 8 large astronomical instruments from the Qing Dynasty.
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The armillary sphere (hunyi) and simplified armillary (jianyi) used by the Ming Dynasty observatory still exist at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing. After the September 18th Incident, as Japanese troops approached Beijing, a batch of ancient instruments was transported to Nanjing to protect cultural relics.
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However, the 8 Qing Dynasty instruments were too large to transport and remained in Beijing. Fortunately, they were not damaged and stand on the high platform to this day.
These 8 astronomical instruments were all manufactured by Western missionaries.
In the early Qing Dynasty, there was a fierce dispute over calendars. Emperor Shunzhi accepted the more advanced Western calendar and even appointed the German missionary Johann Adam Schall von Bell (Tang Ruowang) as the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. After Shunzhi's death, the young Emperor Kangxi ascended the throne, and power was controlled by regents. Forces opposing the Western calendar and Catholicism gained the support of Oboi, leading to a religious case that resulted in the killing or detention of dozens of missionaries. After Kangxi took personal control of the government, he once again trusted the Western calendar, appointed Ferdinand Verbiest (Nan Huairen) as the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, and had him supervise the manufacture of 6 astronomical instruments.
The 6 instruments made by Ferdinand Verbiest are: the Equatorial Armillary Sphere, the Ecliptic Armillary Sphere, the Horizontal Armillary Sphere, the Quadrant, the Sextant, and the Celestial Globe. The other 2 instruments are the Altazimuth made by Kilian Stumpf and the Jiheng Fuchen Instrument made by Dai Jinxian and others – the Jiheng Fuchen Instrument was ordered to be built during Emperor Qianlong's reign in 1744, making it the last large bronze instrument of the Qing Dynasty.
These 8 instruments also traveled abroad. After the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, Germany and France plundered these 8 instruments from the observatory, as well as the Ming Dynasty's armillary sphere and simplified armillary. Germany even placed the stolen instruments in its imperial palace. Later, France and Germany returned the instruments in 1902 and 1921, respectively.
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The instruments are all very large, with beautiful and mysterious designs. Unfortunately, for an astronomy novice like me, it's completely unclear how these instruments are used. It would be great if there were some video explanations~
Dragon patterns are extensively used in the decoration of the instruments, as they are royal artifacts, with the Jiheng Fuchen Instrument having the most intricate decoration.
The only exception is the Altazimuth, which features Western-style decorative patterns.
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In addition to the observatory, the scenic area also has two courtyards with some astronomical exhibitions and introductions. The small courtyards have lush ancient trees and few tourists, making them very tranquil.

Post by EllaLaitinen | Oct 21, 2025