The Solar Calendar Park

Chuxiong is a fascinating land of ethnic minorities with brilliant
 cultures, among which the Ten-month Solar Calendar is the most
compelling. The Ten-month Solar Calendar Park is situated in the
suburb of Chuxiong Town, and covers an area of more than 500 Mu
(Chinese acre).

On solar calendar, one year is divided into ten months in five
 seasons. There were 36 days for each month and two months
constitute a season. So ten months take up 360 days, and the
 rest 5 or 6 days are determined for “the Spring Festival”.
Different from the 12 zodiac animals of lunar Calendar, the Yi
ethnic minority here has 10 traditional zodiac animals, namely
(in order) Tiger (Hu), Otter (Shui Ta), Crocodile (E Yu),
Python/Boa (Mang), Chinese Pangolin (Chuan Shan Jia), Musk Deer
(She), Sheep (Yang), Monkey (Hou), Leopard (Bao), and Lizard (Bi Hu).

The Solar Calendar indicates that a revolution period of the Earth
 around the Sun is 365.25 days. As the most precise ancient calendar,
 it is not only a treasure with great scientific and humanistic
 values in the Yi ethnic culture, but also the intellectual
quintessence of the Chinese nation and the cultural heritage of the
 whole world.

The Ten-month Solar Calendar Park, aimed to show the quintessence
 of the world civilization, is a place combining the study of ethnic
 culture, the demonstration of folk customs and the exhibition of
 local art etc. It is undoubtedly a dynamic museum of the Yi ethnic culture.