Ancient hours correspond to 24 hours in modern times

Ancient China divided the day into twelve hours, each of which corresponds to two hours in modern times. With the development of society, modern people began to use the hour as a unit of time, but the hour is still used in literature and traditional medicine.

I. The Origin and Naming of Hours

Ancient China determined the time of the day by the rising and falling cycle of the sun, dividing the day into twelve hours and naming them after animals and star constellations, such as Zi, U, C, M, etc. Each hour is equivalent to two hours in modern times. Each hour is equivalent to two hours in modern times and is used to describe the time of day.

The correspondence between the hours and modern time

The correspondence between the twelve hours in ancient times and modern time was based on the cycle of the rising and setting of the sun. For example, Zi Hour is the beginning of the night, which corresponds to 23:00 - 1:00 in modern times; and Mao Hour is the time of the rising sun in the morning, which corresponds to 5:00 - 7:00 in modern times.

Third, the use of the hour and the development of clocks

With the development of society, the hour gradually lost its position in daily life timekeeping. With the invention and popularization of mechanical clocks, modern people began to use the hour as a timekeeping unit. Nevertheless, due to historical and cultural reasons, hour is still widely used in modern Chinese, commonly used in poetry, novels and other literary works.

The Cultural and Historical Interplay of the Ancient Hour

1. Artistic Representation of the Hour in Literary Works

Ancient poets and wordsmiths often utilized the hour to express their emotions and depict scenes. Zi hour, as the beginning of the day, was often used to describe a new beginning or end; and noon was often associated with warm, active emotions. In Tang poetry and Song lyrics, the hour is not only a marker of time, but also a carrier of emotion and a tool for creating mood.

2. The application and influence of the hour in modern life

Though the 24-hour system is commonly used in modern society to keep time, the hour has not completely disappeared. In some areas, people are still accustomed to using "morning" and "afternoon" to distinguish the time of day. In addition, in Chinese medicine, qigong and other fields, the hours are closely linked to human physiology and changes in nature, providing important guidance for health care and treatment.