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The Purple Forbidden enclosure (紫微垣 Zǐ wēi yuán) is one of the San Yuan (三垣 Sān yuán) or Three Enclosures. Stars and constellations of this group lie near the north celestial pole and are visible all year from temperate latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.
Asterisms
The asterisms are:
| English name | Chinese name | Number of stars | Western Constellation | Additional notes | Representing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pole | 北極 | 5 | Ursa Minor / Camelopardalis | Consists of :
|
Five Star of North Pole |
| Four Advisors | 四輔 | 4 | Ursa Minor / Camelopardalis | Four assistants of ancient Emperor Chen | |
| Celestial Great One [zh] | 天乙 | 1 | Draco | One of the three gods of ancient legend | |
| First Great One [zh] | 太乙 | 1 | Draco | One of the three gods of ancient legend | |
| Left Wall | 紫微左垣 | 8 | Draco / Cepheus / Cassiopeia | Consists of :
|
Eight guardian stars in the left |
| Right Wall | 紫微右垣 | 7 | Ursa Major / Draco / Camelopardalis | Consists of :
|
Seven guardian stars in the right |
| Hidden Virtue | 陰德 | 2 | Draco | Hidden matters of the Emperor and prohibited to know | |
| Royal Secretary | 尚書 | 5 | Ursa Minor / Draco | The position of the royal | |
| Female Protocol | 女史 | 1 | Draco | Female officer for the Queen etiquette | |
| Official of Royal Archives | 柱史 | 1 | Draco | Officer which have responsibility to the historical record | |
| Maids-in-waiting | 御女 | 4 | Draco | Wives or concubines | |
| Celestial Pillar | 天柱 | 5 | Draco / Cepheus | Pillar of the local post decree, also responsible for supporting earth | |
| Chief Judge | 大理 | 2 | Camelopardalis | The hearing judge | |
| Curved Array [zh] | 勾陳 | 6 | Ursa Minor / Cepheus | Curved matters like a hook, in ancient times was regarded as the Yellow Emperor's harem or Princess of Heaven | |
| Six Jia | 六甲 | 6 | Camelopardalis / Cepheus | Attribution to match from the six decades | |
| Great Emperor of Heaven | 天皇大帝 | 1 | Cepheus | Emperor of Heaven | |
| Interior Seats of the Five Emperors | 五帝內座 | 5 | Cepheus / Cassiopeia | Five parties of the emperor of heaven | |
| Canopy of the Emperor | 華蓋 | 7 | Cassiopeia | Umbrella shelter used by the emperor | |
| Canopy Support | 杠 | 9 | Camelopardalis / Cassiopeia | The handle of canopy | |
| Guest House | 傳舍 | 9 | Camelopardalis / Cassiopeia / Cepheus | Welcome ancient premises | |
| Inner Steps | 內階 | 6 | Ursa Major | The ladder to connect of Purple Palace | |
| Celestial Kitchen | 天廚 | 6 | Draco | General officers kitchen | |
| Eight Kinds of Crops | 八穀 | 8 | Camelopardalis / Auriga | Eight kind of crops, refer to rice, millet, barley, wheat, soybean, bean, chestnut, hemp, or the land management officials | |
| Celestial Flail | 天棓 | 5 | Draco / Hercules | Agricultural device for threshing | |
| Inner Kitchen | 內廚 | 2 | Draco | Kitchen designed for the temple | |
| Administrative Center | 文昌 | 6 | Ursa Major | Six government departments or officials | |
| Three Top Instructors | 三師 | 3 | Ursa Major | ||
| Three Excellencies | 三公 | 3 | Canes Venatici | ||
| Celestial Bed | 天床 | 6 | Ursa Minor / Draco | Left child of the bed | |
| Royals | 太尊 | 1 | Ursa Major | Royal, or the royal ancestor | |
| Celestial Prison | 天牢 | 6 | Ursa Major | Aristocratic prison confinement | |
| Guard of the Sun | 太陽守 | 1 | Ursa Major | Minister or the general | |
| Eunuch | 勢 | 4 | Leo Minor | The eunuchs | |
| Prime Minister | 相 | 1 | Canes Venatici | The prime minister | |
| Sombre Lance | 玄戈 | 1 | Boötes | A weapon | |
| Judge for Nobility | 天理 | 4 | Ursa Major | Imprisonment in prison or magistrate noble | |
| Northern Dipper | 北斗 | 7 | Ursa Major | Consists of :
|
The Big Dipper |
| Assistant | 輔 | 1 | Ursa Major | Minister of the North Star (Fǔchú) | |
| Celestial Spear | 天槍 | 3 | Boötes | Weapon guard |
See also
References
| Chinese constellations | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three Enclosures (三垣) |
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| Four Symbols (四象) and Twenty-Eight Mansions (二十八宿) |
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