The Chinese community in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and other places like to study Tongsheng, and Cai Zhenbutong's Tongsheng is particularly popular.


Cai Zhen Bu Tang Tongsheng is a comprehensive book of calendars and kanyu that has been passed down for four generations, and has been recognized as part of the intangible cultural heritage.


Recently, we interviewed the only person in Hong Kong who compiled the Tongsheng to learn how a Tongsheng was created and how the Choi family inherited this intangible cultural heritage.


Cai Zhenbutang began in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, founded in Guangzhou, and publishes almanacs every year, including spring cow diagrams, auspicious and evil times, taboos and so on. This business was passed down from generation to generation until Choi moved his name to Hong Kong after Choi took over, and continued to carry forward the Choi family tradition until 2013, when "Zhen Po Tong Sheng" was listed as an intangible cultural heritage. In order to inherit the family's almanac, Cai Boli began to train his 11 children from the beginning, among which Cai Xinghua, who ranked seventh, inherited the work of compiling Tongsheng, choosing a day, and reading feng shui.




Cai Xinghua recalled that when she was a child, she and her siblings pushed a wooden cart to transport newly published table calendars, tongsheng and wall calendars to the nearby stationery store for sale; when she grew up, she assisted her father in the typesetting work of Tongsheng, "In the past, the Chinese calligraphy of the elders was very beautiful, and my father asked a calligrapher to write, and then we printed them, such as the common sacrifices, prayers, market openings, transactions, marriages, etc., which were common in Yiji, and we cut them out and pasted them on manuscript paper for proofreading." The same is true for making a spring cow diagram, others may think that this kind of cut-and-paste and handicraft is fun, but Cai Xinghua explained that 2 pieces of manuscript paper are needed every month, and the lunar calendar usually has 12 months, so 24 sheets are needed in a year, and if there is a leap month, it becomes 26 pieces of manuscript paper, "It takes a lot of work!" Therefore, the brothers and sisters always divide and work, someone is responsible for writing, someone is responsible for cutting and pasting, someone is responsible for proofreading, and finally the father does the final proofreading, and everyone works together to publish Tongsheng.


It is not easy to write Tongsheng, Cai Xinghua said with a smile, the most important thing is to be literate and have a deep understanding of astronomical phenomena and traditional culture. Writing Tongsheng requires familiarity with the knowledge of calendars, kanyu, folk customs, etc., and the ability to combine these knowledge to provide readers with practical information and advice.


Cai Xinghua said that in the compilation process of Tongsheng, they will refer to past experience and data, and update it in light of contemporary conditions. For example, they adjust their predictions for solar and lunar eclipses based on new astronomical data, and add new items such as online shopping, mobile phone use, etc., taking into account the changes in modern society.


Cai Xinghua emphasized that Tongsheng is not a superstition, but a tool to guide people's lives. They hope to let readers understand astronomical phenomena and traditional culture, and provide some practical advice, such as choosing an auspicious day for weddings, openings, moving and other activities, or avoiding bad days to make some important decisions.



Cai Xinghua said that they attach great importance to the inheritance of Tongsheng. In addition to training within the family, they also actively participate in various cultural activities and exhibitions to pass on the knowledge of Tongsheng to more people. They also collaborate with academics and experts to conduct research and exchange to continuously improve the quality and reliability of Tongsheng.


As an intangible cultural heritage, Cai Zhen Bu Tang Tongsheng carries a wealth of calendar and knowledge of Kanyu, and has a wide influence in the Chinese community. Through the efforts and inheritance of the Cai family, this traditional culture has been preserved and developed, providing an important tool for people to understand astronomical phenomena, traditional culture and life guides.


Information comes from the Internet