A Platform for Viewing the Heavens: Beijing's Ancient Observatory

If you were to trace the walls surrounding Beijing’s inner city, on the southeast corner – inside the wall – you’d find a tower topped with all kinds astronomical instruments. This little piece of history is the Ancient Observatory.

The name is fitting, as this observatory is pretty ancient. It’s considered to be one of the oldest standing observatories in China, dating all the way back to 1442 during the Ming Dynasty. It flourished during the Qing Dynasty under the management of Flemish Jesuit missionary Ferdinand Verbiest, and was in use until 1929 when it was turned into a museum.

Walk inside today – to get in a ticket only costs RMB 10 or so – and you’ll be greeted by a courtyard filled with busts of the folks who made the observatory run (see if you can spot Verbiest) as well as a few rooms documenting the history of astronomy in China.

The info found in these rooms also covers the science of the stars in general, but it can get a bit dull if you’re not much of a science fan. If that’s the case, just head outside and climb up to the observatory platform, which is where most of the instruments – or replicas of these instruments – still stand.

Here you’ll find armillary spheres, quadrants, celestial globes, sextants and altazimuths, plus a nice view of the surrounding area if you can manage to catch a glimpse over the guard rails that surround the instruments.

Head back down and there are more instruments. Sundials – a bit more modern, considering a few have what look to be normal watch faces – and even a few moondials can be found out and about on the grounds, great for whiling away a bit of time seeing how time literally moves.

The Ancient Observatory is open daily from 9am-4.30pm and tickets cost RMB 10 for entry. The closest subway station is Jianguomen Exit C.

Beijing Ancient Observatory 北京古观象台
2 Dongbiaobei Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区东裱褙胡同2号

READ: Beijing Pics: North to South, Day to Night Around Ancient Yongdingmen

Images: Uni You, Vincent R. Vinci