Image source ©Baidu
INTRODUCTION
Wang Zhenyi (王贞仪) was born in Nanjing (but has Anhui province as her ancestral home) and grew up in a wealthy family of scholars and bibliophiles. Her grandfather, Wang Zhefu (王者辅), was her first teacher in astronomy and her grandmother nee Dong (“董大恭人”), taught her poetry. As a child, she was very clever and mastered everything quickly. Though she lived a short life of only 29 years, her contributions were extensive – beyond just natural science and astronomy, she was also outstanding in mathematics, geography, literature, archery, horseback riding, and medicine. She wrote both scientifically and literarily, leaving substantial works for later scholars to draw upon.
LIFE
As a child, Wang Zhenyi was brought up in modern-day Nanjing. After her grandfather died, she came to Jiling with her father Wang Xichen (王锡琛) at the age of 11 and stayed there for five years. Studying both from her grandfather’s extensive collection of books and scholarly works while also learning martial arts under the wife of a Mongolian general, Wang Zhenyi soon became proficient in both civil and military affairs. Then, at the age of 16, she was ready to travel with her father, who is a doctor, across China to practice medicine.
The ages of 18 to 24 is considered as the “golden period” of Wang Zhenyi’s scientific research. During that time, European missionaries were banned from visiting China due to the closed-door policy of the Qing Dynasty. Without the incoming of new and advanced research results from the Western civilization, the study of astronomy in China almost became a lost body of knowledge. Thus, being a woman in this field constitutes a doubled challenge with many more foreseeable limitations.
Wang Zhenyi believed that astronomy was deeply connected to the national economy, people’s livelihood, and even the smallest details of daily life. Committed to mastering every astronomical theory she encountered, she gained extensive knowledge of both Chinese and Western astronomy and calendrical systems. Her precise weather forecasts also made significant contributions to agriculture.
Her nephew, Qian Yiji (1783-1850 A.D.), a famous scholar who compiled the writings of his aunt into volumes, described Wang Zhenyi in his preface as “the number one female scholar after Ban Zhao.”
In 1994, a Venusian crater was named after her to commemorate her honorable contribution.
The circled area is where the crater is located on the surface of Venus. A detailed image on the right marks the exact location with the green pin.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTION – SCIENCE👩🏻🔬
Unfortunately, though Wang Zhenyi wrote prolifically throughout her lifetime, most of her manuscripts were lost due to lack of care and preservation, given the historical antagonism against females and their achievements in Chinese feudal society. The only collection of her writing that remains accessible today is the Jinling Series version of the《德风亭初集》(“The Preliminary Collection of Defeng Pavilion”). This collection, consisting of 13 volumes (9 volumes of essays, 1 volume of poems, and 3 volumes of lyrics) of Wang Zhenyi’s original writing, is the only extant manuscript of hers spanning an array of topics: science, poetry, prose, ethics, and many other subjects. There are 14 essays in the collection (about thousands of words) particularly devoted to astronomy and mathematics.
Thanks to the generosity of Harvard College Library, the full text of “The Preliminary Collection of Defeng Pavilion (published in 1916 by 蔣氏愼脩書屋校印)” is now accessible to the general public online. According to the table of contents in the version published in 2020 (proofread by Xiao Yanan) in mainland China, the author of this article was able to locate and read through, in the collection, many Wang Zhenyi’s scientific writings mentioned by scholars.
Below is a list of Wang Zhenyi’s important astronomical and mathematical treatises in the collection, accompanied by brief explanations and visual representations. However, since the author of this article lacks sufficient literacy in traditional Chinese writing without punctuation, this article is only capable of providing a general account of these essays’ content based on other scholars’ research.
1. 《月食解》 “The Explanation of a Lunar Eclipses” (in Vol. 7)
This treatise is one of her most well-known writings, where she explained the formation of a lunar eclipse and described her original experiment in great detail.
《月食解》“The Explanation of a Lunar Eclipses” (to be read from right to left, top to bottom)
When most people interpreted a solar/lunar eclipse as a sign of the gods’ anger, Wang Zhenyi bluntly wrote in one of her books: “In fact, it’s definitely because of the Moon”. In her writing, Wang Zhenyi argues that because the Moon glows by reflecting the light of the Sun and light travels in straight line, when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned in a straight line or close to it, it directly blocks the light from the Sun and casts a shadow on the Moon. She made it clear that the same theory explains a solar eclipse, where the Moon comes in between the Sun and the Earth and casts a shadow on the Earth. From there, Wang Zhenyi puts that a lunar eclipse can only happen during a full moon while the solar eclipse can only happen during a new moon. However, an eclipse is not guaranteed to occur during every new/full moon due to the tilting of the Sun’s and Moon’s track at different angles. Her explanation is no different from the modern conception of a lunar/solar eclipse.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Earth’s shadow to be cast on the Moon. You can read more about the lunar eclipse here. (Image: ©The Exploratorium; Sizes and distances not to scale.)
To replicate the case of a lunar eclipse, Wang Zhenyi did the following: using a round table in a pavilion and a crystal lamp hung from the ceiling, she modeled the Earth and the Sun. Then, by putting a big round mirror on one side of the table as the Moon and moving the three objects simultaneously according to their astronomical principles, Wang Zhenyi could see clearly the relationship of the shining lamp with the reflecting mirror. Despite the simplicity and limitations of her tools and working conditions, she provided a thorough presentation on the occurrence of a lunar eclipse.
Furthermore, she carried out this experiment on a whim during the Chinese Lantern Festival (another big New Year celebration that happens 15 days after the Spring Festival). When other people were entertaining themselves with the dazzling visuals of these luminous objects, Wang Zhenyi immersed herself in the study of these ‘celestial lanterns’.
2.《地圆论》 “Theory of the Earth’s Roundness” &《岁轮定于地心论》 “The Geocentric Theory of the Annual Cycle” (in Vol. 6)
《地圆论》“Theory of the Earth’s Roundness” (to be read from right to left, top to bottom)
In her essay “Theory of the Earth’s Roundness”, Wang Zhenyi offered a succinct rebuttal of the thousand-year-old Chinese belief of a round sky and a flat earth. She argues that, as to the universe, the relationships between up, down, sideways, and front are all relative, which explains why a person can stand on a circular object without tilting and falling.
In The Geocentric Theory of the Annual Cycle, Wang Zhenyi challenged the prevailing geocentricism by proposing innovative ideas. Through her careful astronomical observations over time, she presented strong arguments in favor of heliocentrism, despite strong opposition from some notable male scholars of her era.
Besides her original research, Wang Zhenyi also drafted many reviews based on her studies of earlier scholars’ works while also stating her own opinions of these complicated celestial phenomena. These works include:
3.《黄赤二道辩》 “Dispute of the Procession of the Equinoxes” (in Vol. 7)
Image Source ©Britannica
Throughout this dispute, Wang Zhenyi explains and proves how equinoxes move and then how to calculate their movement.
4.《经星辨》 “Dispute of Longitude and Stars” (in Vol. 5)
In this essay, Wang Zhenyi describes and explains the revolving pattern of the Sun, the Moon, and planets such as Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Saturn.
5.《地球比九重天论》 “Comparison of the Earth to the Sky” (in Vol. 5)
6.《岁差日至辨疑》 “Discussion on the Precession of the Equinoxes and the Solstice” (in Vol. 5)
7.《岁轮定于地心论》 “The Geocentric Theory of the Annual Cycle” (in Vol. 5)
8.《日月五星随天左旋论》 “Theory of the Leftward Rotation of the Sun, Moon and Five other Planets with the Sky” (in Vol. 5)
Another digitized version of 《德风亭初集》The Preliminary Collection of Defeng Pavilion (in Chinese), though lacking sufficient organization and presentation, can be found here.
Other writings by Wang Zhenyi, though lost, still have accounts as proof to their existence, offering us a glimpse into the totality of Wang Zhenyi’s legacy.
9.《筹算易知》The Musts of Calculation & Other Mathematical Publications
Wang Zhenyi’s quest for knowledge in sciences could never be separated from her passion for mathematics. Throughout her learning, she developed an admiration for Mei Wending (梅文鼎 1633–1721 A.D.), a well-known astronomer, mathematician, and calendarist in the early Qing Dynasty. Wang Zhenyi mastered one of his famous books titled 《筹算原本》 Principles of Calculation. Later, she rewrote her own edition under the title《筹算易知》The Musts of Calculation with simpler terms and multiplication and division calculation methods. With this work, she made concepts in Mei’s book digestible for beginners in the field.
10. Her other known writings on mathematics include the book《术算简存》The Simple Principles of Calculation (published when she was twenty-four years old) and the article《勾股三角解》“The Explanation of the Pythagorean Theorem and Trigonometry” (in Vol. 7)
《勾股三角解》“The Explanation of the Pythagorean Theorem and Trigonometry” (to be read from right to left, top to bottom)
11.《星象图释》 “The Explanation of the Starry Sky”
12.《象数窥余》”A Glimpse of the Symbols and Numbers”
The list goes on and on.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTION – LITERATURE👩🏻🏫
In contrast to her academic writing, her poetry can be more easily accessed on the Internet. Many poems she wrote in her early years when traveling with her father are about the geography and cultural customs of particular areas in China, reflecting her broad interest in the natural world and human life.
Moreover, it is with her poetry that her cutting-edge spirit was elucidated distinctively. She wrote in the literary format of shi (诗), ci (词), and fu (赋). Instead of making her writing flowery and sentimental, Wang Zhenyi’s work is characterized by a sense of freedom and its vibrancy.
It’s made to believe,
Women are the same as Men;
Are you not convinced,
Daughters can also be heroic?
A pioneering woman in every aspect, Wang Zhenyi lived a short but colorful life. During the last two months of her life, she suffered a relapse of malaria and became gravely ill. Had she not died so early, it is inconceivable how many more great works she would have written in the coming years.
Hearing many voices against her, Wang Zhenyi stood and advocated for the idea that men and women “are all people, who have the same reason for studying.” This progressive and undying spirit of truth-seeking kept her shining and making changes in a feudal society. With that, her story continues to empower generations of people.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1) Bernardi, Gabriella. The Unforgotten Sisters: Female Astronomers and Scientists before Caroline Herschel. 1st ed. 2016 edition. New York, NY: Springer, 2016.
2) DeBakcsy, Dale. A History of Women in Astronomy and Space Exploration: Exploring the Trailblazers of STEM. Pen and Sword History, 2023.
3) ———. A History of Women in Mathematics: Exploring the Trailblazers of STEM. Pen and Sword History, 2023.
4) Lee, Von. 中國婦女傳記詞典 (“Biographical Dictionary of Chinese WomenQing”). M.E. Sharpe, 1998.
5) Peterson, Barbara Bennett. Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. 1st edition. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2000.
6) 张捷夫 Zhang Jiefu. 清代人物传稿（上编）Biographies of Qing Dynasty Figures (Part 1). Vol. 10. 中华书局 Zhonghua Book Company, 2001.
7) 沈雨梧 Shen Yuwu. 清代女科学家 (Women Scientists in Qing China). 1st ed. 杭州 Hangzhou: 浙江教育出版社 Zhejiang Education Publishing House, 2011.
8) 苏者聪 Su Zhecong, ed. 中国历代才女 Talented Women in Chinese History. 郑州 Zhengzhou: 河南人民出版社 Henan People’s Publishing House, 1996.