Map of the Milky Way

This diagram illustrates the "Tianhe" original: "天河", literally "Heavenly River", known in the West as the Milky Way. It is depicted as a shaded, meandering path flowing through various star groupings. The outer perimeter is marked with the Twelve Earthly Branches, which serve as a celestial clock and compass to track the movement of the heavens across different seasons and hours.

Internal Labels

• Directions and Temporal Coordinates (The Twelve Earthly Branches):

  • North: Zi (Rat), Chou (Ox), Yin (Tiger).
  • East: Mao (Rabbit), Chen (Dragon), Si (Snake).
  • South: Wu (Horse), Wei (Goat), Shen (Monkey).
  • West: You (Rooster), Xu (Dog), Hai (Pig).

• Star Officials and Stellar Names In traditional Chinese astronomy, constellations were viewed as "Star Officials" (Xingguan) representing a celestial bureaucracy that mirrored the imperial court on Earth:

  • Upper Section:
    • Wang Liang A legendary master charioteer
    • Fu Lu The Auxiliary Road
    • Ce The Whip
    • Ge Dao The Flying Corridor or Gallery
  • Right Section:
    • Teng She The Flying Serpent
    • Da Ling The Great Mausoleum
    • Bei He The Northern River
    • Nan He The Southern River
    • Tian Chong The Celestial Thrust
  • Central Section:
    • Wu Che The Five Chariots
    • Jing The Well
    • Tian Jing The Celestial Well
    • Zao Fu A famous chariot driver of antiquity
  • Left Section:
    • Li Gong The Detached Palace
    • Wei The Tail
    • Kang The Chaff
    • Ji The Winnowing Basket
    • Dou The Dipper
    • Fu Yue The Royal Preceptor
    • Yu The Fish
    • Tian Yue The Celestial Key
    • Tian Fan The Celestial Fence
  • Lower Section:
    • Shui Wei The Water Level
    • Tian Ji The Celestial Discipline