Tong shu
Know how to use the annual Chinese almanac (tong shu) for selecting good dates.
by Jayashree Bose

| e-mail this page to a friend|

The tong shu or the annual Chinese almanac contains astrological and astronomical data of each day of the year. A tong shu generally contains the lunar and the solar cycles; favorable and unfavorable activities of the day; the elemental representation of year, month, date and time (bazi of the day); auspicious and inauspicious hours of the day; the tai sui, sui po and saam saat (three annual feng shui stars, to know more about the stars click here) locations of the year; flying star of the year, month and day; and much more.

The Chinese generally use the tong shu for selecting auspicious dates for important activities like marriage, engagements, burials, starting new business venture, signing contracts, moving house/stove; or the more mundane activities like going fishing, cutting hair, digging earth (farming), traveling and much more. Choosing the right time is important to the Chinese as it will not only ensure smooth sailing but also enhance the success of the event. Rarely will you find a Chinese who will open a new business or move house on a day that has been deemed inauspicious by the tong shu. It is an invaluable easy reference tool for selecting general auspicious dates.

The history of the tong shu goes as far back as the Hsia dynasty around 2200 BC. During the ancient times farmers and the common people would use the tong shu as a reference book. It was especially useful for the farmer's as they would plant the crops according to the information provided in the tong shu. That's the reason the tong shu is also known as Agricultural Calendar or the Farmer's almanac.

The making of the tong shu involves a lot of complicated series of calculations like four pillars calculation, 28 constellations (Dou Sou), 12 Officers (Jianchu), Na Yin etc. Infact different authors may use different methods to calculate the tong shu. Different tong shu books may contain different information therefore it is always safe to use more than one qualified author for selecting auspicious dates.

The tong shu has been in use for over centuries and is regarded as an indispensable guide for selecting auspicious dates to conduct important modern day activities. It contains the wisdom of the past and acts as a guide to ensure smooth sailing in the present.

Author's Note : Please do remember that the tong shu does not take personal information into account therefore not all dates stated as inauspicious in the tong shu might be inauspicious for you.