Calendar Production, Calendar Printing, Calendar Design

China's calendar system dates back approximately four thousand years. An oracle bone calendar unearthed proves that the Yin dynasty already had a relatively advanced calendar system. This oracle bone calendar is the oldest physical calendar in the world, also known as a daily calendar.

A Tang dynasty poem reads: "In the mountains, there is no calendar, and one cannot tell the passing of years." Here, "calendar" may refer to the earliest form of a desk calendar. During the Tang dynasty, court historians would meticulously cut and bind paper daily into monthly volumes. Each page would list the month and date, leaving blank space for eunuchs to record the emperor’s activities. This unique document was known as a "calendar." At the end of each month, the calendar was presented to the emperor for review before being archived by the historians, where it was later used in compiling the national history. Its essential role in documenting time and events eventually led to its widespread adoption by both civil and military officials.

Early Development

Historical records show that calendars were already in use within the imperial palace around 1,100 years ago, during the first year of the Yongzhen era under Emperor Shunzong of the Tang dynasty. These calendars, also known as imperial calendars, served not only to mark dates but also functioned as essential tools for compiling national history. Much like a modern-day planner, the calendar was divided into 12 volumes, one for each month, with the number of pages corresponding to the actual number of days in that month. Each page clearly listed the month and date. Eunuchs who attended to the emperor temporarily kept the calendar, filling in the blank spaces with detailed accounts of the emperor’s daily activities. At the end of each month, the calendar was presented to the emperor for approval before being carefully archived by the historians. The historians would then integrate the calendar entries with significant events from the court and various regions across the country, refining and enhancing them before finally recording them in the national historical chronicles.

Later, thanks to the convenience offered by calendars, they gradually made their way into the homes of many high-ranking officials. These officials adapted the concept and even created their own personalized versions. As calendars became more common and increasingly tailored to family life, people began printing the calendar’s stems and branches, lunar months, solar terms, and auspicious dates directly onto calendar sheets—leaving plenty of blank space for personal notes.

The evolution of calendars into wall calendars, desk calendars, and other formats is a relatively recent phenomenon, emerging within the past century. The transformation of desk calendar styles—from simple designs to a wide array of variations—is driven by contemporary market dynamics, the widespread adoption of the internet, and heightened cultural exchange. Notably, desk calendars have become smaller and increasingly sophisticated over time.