What are the ancient 12 hours? How to read it?

In ancient times, a day and night was divided into twelve hours: Zi (zǐ), chou (Chou), Yin (yín), Mao (m ǐ o), Chen (chén), Si (,) and Wu (shēn).

Extended data:

1. Since the Western Zhou Dynasty, the calendar in China has gradually stabilized the concept of twelve months a year. Taking a day as a year, we also divide a day by twelve o'clock, and fix the date demarcation point (date change point) at midnight.

2. Twelve time nodes (starting points) at twelve o'clock are twelve o'clock. In the Han Dynasty, it was named Midnight, Crow, Pingdan, Sunrise, Food Time, Horn, Japan-China, Sundial, Sunset, Dusk and Man's Decision. With the diversification of people's work and life, their words are gradually unsatisfactory, so they are represented by twelve earthly branches, including eleven o'clock in the evening, one o'clock in the morning, three o'clock in the morning, five o'clock in the morning, seven o'clock in the morning, nine o'clock in the morning, eleven o'clock in the afternoon, three o'clock in the afternoon, five o'clock in the evening, seven o'clock in the evening and nine o'clock in the evening.

References:

Ancient Timekeeping _ Baidu Encyclopedia