1726, Qing dynasty
It is hard to imagine that a humble farmer’s almanac could turn into a lucrative business venture.
At the end of 1726, in Suzhou and Songjiang of Jiangsu, China, a newly printed almanac for the upcoming year was released. Someone brought four copies of the almanac to a local official, seeking rewards. The official, noticing that these almanacs were privately published, was surprised that they were released even earlier than the official Shixian Calendars. Every year, people would circulate such private books to seek rewards, yet local authorities rarely intervened. Thus, the official decided to send one copy to the imperial court and secretly reported the matter to Emperor Yongzheng (1678–1735, reigned 1722–1735), suggesting that such publications be investigated and banned.
The cover of this almanac features an auspicious illustration of the Heaven Official bestowing blessings. Inside, it contains information such as fasting dates, seasonal diagrams, the positions of the year’s gods, and monthly guidelines on favorable and unfavorable activities—similar to the Shixian Calendar but with additional illustrations and intricate multicolor prints of a spring ox at the top of each page. This indicates strong market demands for such a product, prompting publishers to invest in its production and include elements designed to appeal to readers.
In traditional society, “choosing auspicious days” was an essential part of daily life, and almanacs served as indispensable reference tools. During the Qing dynasty, the government-mandated Shixian Calendar, issued by the Bureau of Astronomy, was the standard. However, private publishers also sought profits by independently producing and distributing their own versions. From the government’s perspective, unauthorized printing challenged imperial authority and had to be suppressed. This particular almanac was confiscated as evidence and stored in the imperial archives, where it remains a rare historical artifact. It not only reveals the dynamics of past interactions between officials and commoners but also illustrates aspects of local perspectives and everyday cultural history.