Chinese Cosmology

As far as mankind can recall, everyone has lived under one sky, the same sky. But, not every observer sees the sky exactly the same as the next person; rather, they see the sky differently leading to numerous ideas and philosophies being created. The ancient Chinese cosmology of the 3^rd to 5^th century AD and medieval European cosmology of the 3^rd to 15^th centuries are two forms of cosmology that greatly differed. Unlike European cosmology, which explained the position of the earth relative to the other planets, Chinese cosmology only positioned China and the Earth in the structure of the universe.  Moreover, while European cosmology acknowledged a creator-creation relationship with God, Chinese cosmology did not believe in such a relationship. Instead, Chinese cosmology revered the emperor, known as the “Son of God,” who performed “astronomically timed rituals” to maintain the balance between heaven and earth (North 137, Krupp 193). Despite the vast differences between cultures and time periods, these two ancient cultures still share similarities such as: a set of twelve symbols to represent the cycle of the year, a belief that irregularities in the sky are omens, and a theory that the universe is fashioned from certain elements. Even though medieval European cosmology came after ancient Chinese cosmology, it is interesting to note that the Chinese were more advanced when dealing with cosmological aspects.

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