Jiang Hui

Jiang Hui (, 1839–after 1880), courtesy name Cilan , was a Chinese woman of the Qing dynasty who wrote a book of star charts based on an older work, whilst still a teenager.

Life Jiang Hui was a native of Jiangjin, Chongqing Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Her father Jiang Hanchun was a writer and recluse who interested himself in alchemy, astronomy, and poetry. When she was nine years old, her father taught her the astronomical poem Song of the Sky Pacers which he also annotated in his book Lengyuan Xianshu . He also taught her how to watch the positions of stars.

By the age of eleven or twelve Jiang Hui began to draw her own star chart based on her own observations. The older works she had possessed were no longer accurate. Titled the Tianwen Shan (, "Astronomical Fan"), her map was drawn on a hand fan. Her father wanted it published; but she refused. or Xinxiangge kaoding zhongxing tu. It was so titled because positions of stars during all 24 solar terms are clearly noted in the book. Her life after its publication is unknown.

Reception of her work As one of the few astronomical works by a Chinese woman, her book received considerable public interest. At least 15 contemporary men and two women wrote largely flattering commentaries or reviews, including her husband and many of his friends. Modern researchers have noted that none of them was an expert in astronomy.

Modern researchers have also noticed major mistakes in her work, especially when she identified the times of sunrises and sunsets during the different solar terms of the year. Jiang Hui's strength lay in identifying stars and their positions (although she most certainly did not identify every star herself); she did not realize the importance of hours in astronomy and she apparently was also limited by her lack of knowledge about astronomical calculations.