Date with destiny
By Yu Fei | China Daily | Updated: 2009-12-07 07:45
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Covering an area of 1,400 sq m, the rammed earth ruins of probably the world's oldest observatory is one of the most important discoveries at the Taoshi site in Shanxi province. Wang Xiaobo |
Just before dawn in a quiet village in North China, a short-waisted man hurries with a bundle of poles toward a clump of weeds to wait for sunrise. He busily makes measurements and takes photos. He wants to prove that ancient astronomers once stood at the same place 4,100 years ago to determine the changing of seasons, by observing the sunrise and discerning the best times for sowing and harvesting.
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