Abstract
Xuanze shu (method to select auspicious time and space) may be the most complicated branch and occupy the most abundant part of Chinese pseudo-science. Through the constraint of space and time, it affected the daily life of billions of Chinese during the last two thousand years; however, it has attracted little attention from scholars.
This article tries to clarify the content of strips related to xuanze shu excavated at Yinwan Han tomb in order to gain a better understanding of the early form of this method. The author also investigates through detailed case studies the evolution pattern of xuanze shu through history and its interaction with society. The reason why xuanze shu has survived the dramatic changes of the modern society is analyzed. This paper provides an excellent example of how studies of pseudo-science can also enrich our knowledge of the popular culture and daily life of ancient Chinese.
Keywords
pseudo-science, popular culture, daily life, Han strips
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