The calendar used in ancient China was the lunar calendar, also called the lunar calendar, right?

In fact, the lunar calendar in our country is not strictly lunar, but should be called lunar calendar.

A calendar based on the movement of the moon (also called the lunar month) relative to the earth is a lunar calendar, just as the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar;

A calendar based on the position of the sun (also called the sun) relative to the earth is a solar calendar, just as the Mayan calendar is a solar calendar.

China's lunar calendar takes into account the position of the sun and the moon on the earth at the same time, so it is a lunar calendar. The specific compilation process is too complicated. Here is a brief description:

1, 24 solar terms first. 24 solar terms is determined according to the positional relationship between the earth and the sun, so each solar term basically corresponds to the date of the solar calendar and has no direct relationship with the date of the lunar calendar;

2. Then there is the concept of "the moon". The day when the "new moon" appears is the beginning of a month, and the day before the new moon appears is the last day of the previous month, thus determining the month, which has 29 or 30 days;

3. Which month of the "Winter Solstice Day" in the 24 solar terms is the "Winter Month", the third month after the winter month is the first month, and the first day of the first month is New Year's Day, which is the beginning of the year;

4. In fact, the 24 solar terms are alternately divided into solar terms and neutral terms with 12. For example, "beginning of winter" is neutral, and slight cold after beginning of winter is a solar term. Generally speaking, there is a solar term and a neutral atmosphere in a month, but there are some special cases: because the time difference between two adjacent neutral atmospheres in 112 is about 30.4 days, and there is no neutral atmosphere in a month, this month is called "neutral atmosphere".

To sum up, the lunar calendar is a lunar calendar, not a lunar calendar, considering the movement of the sun and the moon.