Starry, starry night

China looked at constellations differently from other civilizations. Two astronomers have published a book on the nation's traditional view of the stars. Xing Yi reports.

Different civilizations interpreted the constellations of stars in their own different ways. The Chinese had theirs, but few people today know their traditional constellations.

The book, Roving China's Heavens, written in a popular science style by two Chinese astronomers, provides a quick and accessible guide to the ancient Chinese system of constellations. At a symposium promoting the Chinese traditional culture of stars, titled Come to Know the Chinese Stars, held in Beijing on Dec 23, the book drew an appreciative crowd.