At the beginning of dawn, the sun slowly rises from the east, and a new day quietly begins. The ancients, with their outstanding intelligence, meticulously carved a day's time into twelve distinctive chapters in a poetic way - the Twelve Hours. This time division system had already sprouted in the Han Dynasty, when people began to use the order of "twelve earthly branches" to identify various time periods of the day. With the passage of time, this system gradually developed and improved, and was widely popularized in the Tang and Song Dynasties, eventually becoming a time measurement method commonly used by Chinese people. Before the formation of the twelve hour system, ancient people used the time measurement method that had already appeared during the Yin and Shang dynasties. This timing method cleverly combines the movement of the sun, natural phenomena, and people's daily life patterns, dividing the time of the day into twelve time periods: midnight, rooster crowing, dawn, sunrise, mealtime, mid day, mid day, sunrise, dusk, and human setting. At midnight (23:00-1:00), when the people were quiet and everything was quiet, Zhang Ji found it difficult to fall asleep. However, he unexpectedly found a trace of spiritual comfort in the sound of the bell from the temple, and his inspiration burst forth, creating a timeless famous line. In addition to timing, ancient people also used the method of engraved timing. The fragrance of the golden furnace is exhausted and the sound is lingering. The light wind of the bentgrass blows cold. The spring scenery is annoying and I can't sleep, and the moon moves and the shadows of flowers hang on the railing. "Wang Anshi used the method of timing by omission as the background to depict the quiet night scene of the incense burner smoke being exhausted and the sound of omission being lingering. The "leak" in the leak engraving timing method is a pot with holes used for timing, and the "engraving" is a floating arrow with a scale. Leakage carving is divided into two types: drainage type and water receiving type. The drainage type leak mark is when water flows out through the pot hole, causing the water level inside the pot to drop and the floating arrow to sink accordingly. The passage of time can be determined by observing the scale on the floating arrow. On the contrary, the water receiving type leak engraving involves placing a floating arrow in a pot that receives water. As the water level rises, the floating arrow also rises to indicate time. The invention of leak engraving allowed people to know time at any time without frequent observation of astronomical phenomena, reducing dependence on natural conditions and marking a major advancement in ancient Chinese time measurement technology. This timing method not only has high accuracy, but also contains rich cultural connotations and emotional values. Ancient literati often mentioned omissions in poetry to express their inner emotions. Wen Tingyun said in "Gengluozi": "The willow threads are long, the spring rain is fine. The sound of leakage outside the flowers is conveyed far away. Startled by the geese, the city is covered in black, and the painted screen is adorned with golden partridges. The fragrant mist is thin, penetrating through the curtains, leaving a melancholic farewell to the family pond pavilion. The red candle is on the back, the embroidered curtain hangs, and the dream of the long lord is unknown." The sound of leakage is conveyed far away, echoing with the imagery of the drizzling rain, willow threads, geese, and city black on a spring night, together constructing a lonely and melancholic picture of a deep boudoir on a spring night. The two timing methods mentioned above, namely the time scale timing method and the omission timing method, mainly use the rise of the sun as the beginning of daytime time measurement, and are therefore deeply influenced by seasonal changes, belonging to a non-uniform time system. The reason why this time system occupies a central position in traditional Chinese society is largely attributed to the characteristics of agricultural society, where people follow the natural rhythm of "working at sunrise and resting at sunset". Compared to this, the twelve hour system exhibits a more refined and even division of time. It starts at midnight and evenly divides the day into twelve periods, marked by the twelve periods of Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai. Among them, "chen" originally symbolized the direction in the sky, while the twelve hours are a stable and accurate time frame constructed by observing the visual trajectory of the sun throughout the day and utilizing its directional changes. The concept of the twelve hour system originated from the Western Han Dynasty's use of the "sun plus" twelve hour system in the calculation of the calendar, also known as "extra time". However, this time system was initially only a theoretical concept and was not widely popularized in society. It was not until the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang that the system of time was reformed, combining omission carving with "adding time" and innovatively proposing the method of timing by the hour of the hour, that the twelve hours were officially recognized as the exclusive term for time. This new timing method was later adopted by the official calendar of the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Wen of Sui added the position of "Sichen Shi" to the official ranks of Marquis Youwu, specifically responsible for time management. However, the impact of this system on social life at that time was still relatively limited. After the Tang Dynasty, with the further development of timing technology and social life, the twelve hour system gradually became popular and became an indispensable time measurement method in ancient Chinese society. The "History of the Song Dynasty" provides a detailed description of the timing method during the day: "At each hour, the official in charge of telling the time was playing cards, and the rooster was singing, beating the drum 15 times. At night, the rooster was singing, releasing the drum, striking the bell 100 times, and then leaking." At that time, the "rooster" in the palace who was responsible for telling the time used Tang Dynasty lyrics. In the early morning, they sang: "The morning light shines, ten thousand households open, and the courtiers pay their respects. Ping Dan Yin, Chao Bian Se, Tai Shi Xin. The sunrise is shining, the auspicious dew is shining, and the auspicious light surrounds. When it's time to eat, enjoy the Six Delights and recommend the Eight Treasures. Yu Zhongsi, during the Shaoyang period, Dasheng Ji. At noon in the south of the day, the world is clear and all things are visible. At dawn, the setting sun flies, and the evening air is clear. At the hour of Ashi Shen, listening to the morning leisure, I am deeply focused. As the sun sets, the group moves and rests, strictly guarding. The twelve hours not only accurately and delicately depict the ancient people's grasp of time, but also reflect their profound wisdom in life. If the night at midnight is deep and all is quiet, laying the foundation for a peaceful prelude to a new day, then at the hour of ugliness (1:00-3:00), the golden rooster begins to crow, the sun is ready to shine below the horizon, and the light begins to emerge. A new day is about to begin. Wang Anshi once bravely climbed Feilai Peak at this time, just to witness the magnificent sunrise with his own eyes, and left behind the timeless saying "On Feilai Mountain, I searched for a thousand towers, and heard the rooster crow as the sun rose. I am not afraid of clouds blocking my eyes, and I am destined to be at the highest level. At the hour of Yin (3:00-5:00), the rising sun rises in the east, and Cen Shen rides his horse. "The flat Dan drives the four horses, and five plates emerge boldly. The river flows back to the two cliffs, and the sun hides behind the peaks." The sunlight penetrates through the mist, illuminating the winding rivers and towering mountains, forming a refreshing natural painting. In the eyes of the great poet Li Bai, the scene of sunrise (5:00-7:00) has a unique charm: "The sunrise in the east seems to come from underground. The sky flows into the sea again, and the six dragons are resting here." Li Bai believed that the sun rises from the east, as if it came from underground, crossing the sky day after day and sinking into the western sea, which is an unchangeable natural law. He further sighed and said, "The beginning and end of history never cease, and human vitality cannot be sustained for a long time." Through this, he expressed his philosophical thoughts on the rise and fall of all things in nature. Finally, Li Bai expressed his open-minded state of mind that transcends the secular world by saying, 'I will encompass a large area, and I will study both Haoran and Mingyun in the same subject.'. In the cycle of twelve hours, noon (11:00-13:00) holds a pivotal position, marking the sun's highest point of the day. The Song Dynasty literati Su Shunqin wrote in his poem "Zige Temple Lianju Poetry": "The sun shines in the middle of the day, and the mist evaporates for half a day." The sun hangs high, shining brightly, and its yang energy is extremely strong, as if it covers everything on the earth in brightness and warmth, and the mist evaporates under the sunshine. Noon is not only the most abundant time of yang energy in nature, but also carries special significance in the hearts of ancient people. The ancients believed that at the third quarter of noon (around 11:45), the yang energy was at its peak, and executing the punishment of beheading at this time was believed to quickly dispel the yin energy, preventing the person being beheaded from becoming a ghost. This concept had a profound impact on ancient legal practice. In addition, noon is also an important time for people's social activities. There is a tradition in ancient times that 'the market is in the middle of the day'. The Book of Changes, Volume 2, records: 'The market is in the middle of the day, to the people of the world, to gather goods from all over the world, to trade and retreat, and to find their own place.' The tranquility and leisure at noon are also favored by literati and scholars. Wang Anshi depicted the comfort of taking a nap with delicate brushstrokes in "The Pillow at Noon": "The cushion in front of the flowers is about to flow, and the sun urges the red shadow to hook the curtain." The sunlight passes through the curtains, and the red shadow is mottled, quiet and slightly melancholic. For the vast majority of farmers, noon is a testament to their hard work: "On the day of hoeing, at noon, sweat drips down the soil." "For a hundred years, the world has shared sorrow, and the morning bell and evening drum never cease." In ancient times, the form of morning bell and evening drum was often used to announce the beginning and end of a day. The Bai Xingjian's "Biography of Li Wa" says: "At dusk, the drums are beating everywhere. My grandmother said, 'The drums have already started, let's go back quickly, no violation!' At the hour of You, the sun is setting in the west, but it still shines brightly. Tao Yuanming sighed, "As the sun sets, the flock moves and breathes, and the birds return to the forest to sing. Roaring proudly under the Eastern Pavilion, we chat and regain our lives." As the sun sets, the timing of the evening begins. In the court of the Northern Song Dynasty, the night was divided into five periods, starting from the hour of Xu and continuing until the hour of Yin the next day. "Each night was divided into five periods, with the hour being divided into five points, with drumming as the festival and striking the bell as the festival. The third one corresponds to the hour of midnight, which is the origin of "three nights in the middle of the night". At three o'clock on the third shift, ten thousand households fell asleep, and the dew was about to shed smoke for the frosty moon. The fighting mice went up to the hall, and the bats came out. The jade qin moved and leaned against the window strings. At three o'clock on the third shift, all was silent, and people had fallen asleep peacefully. The dew condensed into frost, the moonlight fell, and the smoke was swirling. The fighting mice went up to the hall, and the bats appeared, adding a touch of mystery and vitality to the night. Day after day, year after year. Twelve hour is not only the poetic expression of ancient Chinese time, but also the profound embodiment of Chinese life philosophy. (New Society)