Chenxing

In Chinese Astronomy, Chenxing (Chinese: zh 辰星, pinyin: chénxīng , literally “star in a hurry”) one of the two traditional names is given to the Planet Mercure. This name is related to the astrological symbolic system associated with the star. The other traditional name, Shuixing, are related to the symbolic system of the Five elements of Chinese philosophy.

The name of Chenxing is also that which was given to the sphere carrying planet. Just like in Western astronomy, the movement of the celestial bodies were supposed to be carried by various concentric spheres centered on the Earth. That of Mercury was the second by order of ray, beyond the first (Taiyin) carrying the the Moon, and in-on this side third (Taibai) bearing Venus. The mention of these spheres goes back at least to the third century before our era, by qu Yuan (-340 - -278).

In the artistic field, the star is sometimes represented like a female divinity, as in the table entitled the planetary divinity Chenxing accompanied by a monkey , now exposed to the Musée of the Art schools of Boston, which represents a woman writing with the animal at its sides.

The name of Chenxing perduré until our days, and like many names related to astronomy, they is re-used in various context, and is found in particular in names of companies (see also Beidou, for example). There exists in particular a Publisher named Chenxing.

See too

  • Shuixing

  • List of traditional names of objects of the solar system in Chinese astronomy

Reference

  • , pages 218 to 222.

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