The lunar mansion system was in use in other parts of East Asia, such as ancient Japan; the Bansenshūkai, written by Fujibayashi Yasutake, mentions the system several times and includes an image of the twenty-eight mansions.[2]
Ancient Chinese astronomers divided the sky ecliptic into four regions, collectively known as the Four Symbols, each assigned a mysterious animal. They are Azure Dragon (青龍) on the east, Black Tortoise (玄武) on the north, White Tiger (白虎) on the west, and Vermilion Bird (朱雀) on the south. Each region contains seven mansions, making a total of 28 mansions. These mansions or xiù correspond to the longitudes along the ecliptic that the Moon crosses during its 27.32-day journey around the Earth and serve as a way to track the Moon's progress. In Taoism they are related to 28 Chinese generals.[4]
Late Sui to early Tang dynasty portrayal of the Five Stars and Twenty-Eight Mansions, by Liang Lingzan (梁令瓒), .
List of mansions
Ming Dynasty Water and Land Ritual paintings of the mansions from Baoning Temple. (clockwise: Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird)
The names and determinative stars of the mansions are:[5][6]
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