Buzz
'Midnight cock crows at Ba. Being in a dreamy state, when my husband comes back' is probably not unfamiliar to everyone. So what time is Ba's watch? How is the standard clock table calculated?
1. What is the watch hour?
In previous ages, before the clock was invented, people could not know the exact timeframes. At this time, they could only guess based on 'time frame', 'experience', 'moon', 'sun'... In order for people to grasp the timeframes at that time, they came up with a way to beat drums to announce the hours (watch hours) at night.
- One beat of the drum: Canh One
- Two beats of the drum: Canh Two
- Three beats of the drum: Canh Three
- Four beats of the drum: Canh Four
- Five beats of the drum: Canh Five
- Long drum beat: Tan Canh
In the past, as the sky turned to dusk and the sun set, soldiers on the fortress beat the drum three times for the 'gather call' (meaning gather belongings, end current activities to rest. At around 7 pm, one beat of the drum signals the beginning of Canh One (Canh 1 starts from 7 pm – or 7 pm).
By 21 hours, soldiers continue to beat the drum twice to signal Canh Two. Around 23 hours, three beats of the drum will be struck to signal Canh Three. In sequence, at 1 am, Canh Four is struck, at 3 am, Canh Five is struck. Ending at 5 am, there will be a very long drum beat, called 'tan canh', signaling the start of a new work day.
2. What time is Canh ba?
Based on ancient wisdom passed down, Ba Time is the period from 11 pm to 1 am (Tý hour). According to folklore, Ba Time officially starts from 11 pm the previous day to 1 am the next day, coinciding with this period is the Tý hour. So the old folk saying goes 'Tý hour Ba Time'!
3. Most accurate standard time table
Today, Ba Time is no longer widely used, especially in feng shui as well as among the elderly. Those who love Chinese cinema, costume dramas are certainly no strangers to Ba Time. So what is the most accurate standard time table?
- Canh 1: From 7 pm to 9 pm (Tuất hour)
- Canh 2: From 9 pm to 11 pm (Hợi hour)
- Canh 3: From 11 pm to 1 am the next day (Tý hour)
- Canh 4: From 1 am to 3 am (Sửu hour)
- Canh 5: From 3 am to 5 am (Dần hour)
- Tanh canh: 5 am
4. Zodiac-based time table
Surely in life you've heard of 'Tuat hour', 'Hoi hour', 'Mao hour',... So what are those hours like, how are they calculated, and what time do they start?
- Tý hour: From 11 pm the previous day to 1 am the next day.
- Su hour: From 1 am to 3 am
- Dan hour: From 3 am to 5 am
- Mao hour: From 5 am to 7 am
- Thin hour: From 7 am to 9 am
- Ty hour: From 9 am to 11 am
- Tho hour: From 11 am to 1 pm
- Mui hour: From 1 pm to 3 pm
- Than hour: From 3 pm to 5 pm
- Dau hour: From 5 pm to 7 pm
- Tuat hour: From 7 pm to 9 pm
- Hoi hour: From 9 pm to 11 pm
5. Why does the hour of the zodiac, hour by age, start at 11 pm instead of midnight?
The Can Chi calendar (Lunar calendar) originated from China. However, when switching to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) international standard time zone, there were adjustments. Each country's time zone is determined based on its position on the globe. For instance, China has a time zone of UTC +8:00, meaning it is 8 hours ahead of the international time zone.
In Vietnam, the standard GMT time zone is UTC +7:00. This implies that Vietnam's time frame is 1 hour behind China's. Consequently, the Lunar calendar needs to be adjusted back 1 hour to synchronize with China's lunar time. If calculated from 00h, our Can Chi calendar will be 1 hour ahead of the standard time.
In this article, Software Tips shares with you the most accurate standard time table, what time is Canh ba, and many other issues related to timekeeping. Have a great day!
