Dengfeng Observatory
登封观星台
An observatory built under the direction of Guo Shoujing in the Yuan dynasty. It is the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in China and part of the 'Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in "The Centre of Heaven and Earth"' World Heritage Site.
The Dengfeng Observatory is located in Gaocheng Town, Dengfeng City. Built in 1276 at the start of the Yuan dynasty, it was the central observation station for Guo Shoujing's 'Survey of the Four Seas.' The observatory is a truncated pyramid. On its north side, a long groove and a stone gnomon known as the 'Ruler for Measuring Heaven' form a giant gnomon-and-ruler instrument, used to measure the sun's shadow and calculate the solar terms. The Shoushi Calendar was formulated based on these measurements, and its accuracy is comparable to the modern Gregorian calendar. The courtyard also contains the Tang dynasty Zhou Gong Shadow-Measuring Platform. Admission follows the scenic area's official announcements. It is about 15 km from downtown Dengfeng and can be combined with Zhongyue Temple and Songyang Academy into a cultural route through Dengfeng.
Opening hours
08:00–18:00 (per scenic area announcements)
Nearby sights
- Zhongyue Temple
- Songyang Academy
- Taishi Mountain & Junji Peak
- Fawang Temple
- Songyue Temple Pagoda
- Zen Shaolin Music Ceremony
- Mount Song & Sanhuangzhai
- Shaolin Temple