Five Chariots
Chinese constellation
title: "Five Chariots" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["chinese-constellations"] description: "Chinese constellation" topic_path: "geography/china" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Chariots" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Chinese constellation ::
Five Chariots (五車, pinyin: Wǔ Ju) is a Chinese constellation equivalent to Auriga, minus Delta Aurigae. It is known in Japanese as Gosha (五車).
Stars
Characteristics
The Five Chariots is a constellation that borders Taurus. The constellation is named as such due to the five main stars, representing the Five Emperors.
Five Emperors
Main article: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
The Five Emperors represent the five elements. Four of them represent the four seasons, but the fifth represents the center. The Eastern Emperor represents wood, the Northern Emperor represents fire, and the Southern Emperor represents water. The one in the middle, Shaohao, represents earth. The Western Emperor, the Yellow Emperor, represents metal. These emperors were in control of life and death, and as such people regularly made sacrifices or gave offerings to them.
References
General references
- (Chinese) Chen Jiujin 陳久金. 中國星座神話. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, .
References
- Ian Ridpath. "Auriga".
- (2009). "Ancient Chinese constellations". Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union.
- (1960). "The Decoration of Mirrors of the Han Period". Artibus Asiae. Supplementum.
- (1960). "An Early Chinese Calendar Chart: "Kuan-Tzu," III, 8 (Yu kuan 幼官)". T'oung Pao.
- (1986). "The Engraved Designs on the Late Sixth Century Sarcophagus of Li Ho". Artibus Asiae.
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