Author(s): ZHAO Zhen
Pages: 54-60
Year: 2015 Issue:  3
Journal: Dunhuang Research
Keyword:  S.P12; annotated calendar; Duke Zhou; lost properties; travel; divination of a good or bad year;
Abstract: S.P12, the Annotated Calendar Printed by Dadaojia in the Eastern Market of Shangdu, is a fragmental calendar printed in a shop called Dadaojia in the Eastern Market of Chang’an in the late 9th century. By consulting S.P6, the Annotated Calendar in the 4th Year of Qianfu Era, we can see that S.P12 is filled with miscellaneous accounts concerning Yin-Yang that are mixed with contents about how to retrieve lost things, decide when to take a trip, and how to predict whether a year would be good or bad. These divinations played an important part in people’s daily life and social practices and greatly influenced the decisions common people made. During the late Tang and Five Dynasties making and printing calendars was very popular in civil society, though repeated prohibitions were made to curb private production. These calendars were closely related to practices such as fortune divination, achieving good fortune, and avoiding disasters.