On the morning of December 16th, Beijing once again witnessed a phenomenon of blood-red skies. Videos and photos of the red sky quickly spread on social media platforms in mainland China. According to netizens, this unusual sight appeared around 6:30 AM on the 16th and vanished around 7:20 AM, shifting colors from red to pink before disappearing.
Images and videos online depicted the sky in Beijing this morning resembling a blood-red plasma. While state media described it as resembling “rosy dawn,” some netizens expressed concern, with comments questioning whether this was a good omen. Discussions around this topic sparked heated debates among netizens and rapidly trended on Weibo.
Earlier on October 11th, Beijing experienced a spectacular aurora borealis due to geomagnetic storms, with the sky also turning blood-red at that time. An ancient Chinese saying goes, “The heavens reflect, showing good or bad fortunes.” Observations in the world are seen in the skies and take shape on land.
Based on interpretations from the Tang Dynasty Daoist Li Chunfeng’s astrological book “The Yisi Prediction,” a red sky symbolizes potential occurrences of war, famine, and bloodshed, signaling instability in governing powers and the fate of nations.
Historical records show that in 141 BC, the sky turned blood-red, and that year, a 16-year-old Liu Che ascended to the throne as Emperor Jing of Han. Such occurrences have been associated with significant changes in leadership and fortunes.
Throughout this year, China has experienced various anomalies. Recently, Beijing witnessed a phenomenon called “three days in one.” Ancient texts like the “Record of Filial Piety” and “Jingzhou Predictions” suggest that when such phenomena occur, calamities may befall rulers or territories, predicting wars, destruction, and loss.
History has shown examples where cosmic phenomena preceded significant events. As documented in the “Book of Jin,” in January of 317 AD, the appearance of three suns simultaneously in the sky with a rainbow penetrating the sun was followed by the fall of the Western Jin Dynasty and the establishment of the Eastern Jin Dynasty three months later.