Sheshan Observatory

Sheshan Observatory

Sheshan Observatory is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Situated at the summit of West Sheshan Mountain, Sheshan Observatory was originally constructed in 1900 by the French Catholic Jesuits. It boasts European architectural style and spans an area of over 8,000 square meters. At the time, it was outfitted with a 40-centimeter doublet refracting telescope, hailed as the “best in the Far East,” and over the past hundred years, it has taken more than 7,000 valuable astronomical photographs.

In 2004, with support from the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, the Sheshan Station of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory transformed the century-old observatory into China’s first professional astronomy museum—the Shanghai Astronomy Museum. The museum consists of two major exhibition halls: “Time and Humanity” and “International Exchanges in Astronomy.” The former introduces fundamental concepts of time, its relationship with human society and life, and the contributions made by the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory to timekeeping in China. The latter is divided into several sections including “Astronomy Exchange,” “Meridian Time Measurement,” “Telescope Chronicles,” “The Century-Old Mirror,” and “Treasury of Celestial Knowledge.” It showcases the development history of modern astronomy in China, especially in the Shanghai region, through a wealth of cultural relics and historical materials, while also providing insights into related astronomical knowledge.

It is the earliest modern-style observatory in China and one of the country’s key centers for astronomical research. Its telescope was China’s first of its kind and has helped accumulate a large amount of valuable astronomical data. In recent years, a new astronomical observation platform was built west of Sheshan Catholic Church, housing a 164-centimeter optical astronomical telescope, along with other advanced equipment such as two laser telescopes, a radio telescope, and a 156-centimeter optical refracting telescope. There is also an armillary sphere. Two sundials—one made of stainless steel and the other of white marble—can determine daytime hours and the solar terms of the four seasons based on the sun’s shadow lines, making them the most up-to-date sundials in China. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Sheshan Observatory has achieved 27 national-level scientific research results in areas such as celestial mechanics and artificial satellite orbit determination, and has been involved in international geodetic measurements of Earth’s rotation using new technologies.

The Sheshan Workstation actively engages in science education and has been designated as the “Shanghai Youth Science and Technology Education Base,” the “National Youth Science and Technology Education Base,” and the “Shanghai Patriotic Education Base.”

In 2013, it was included in the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

In September 2016, it was selected for the inaugural list of “China’s 20th-Century Architectural Heritage.”

Location

Sheshan Town, Songjiang District, Shanghai, China (West Sheshan Mountain)

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units