China began using calendars roughly more than four thousand years ago. According to a page from an oracle-bone calendar inscribed on oracle bones, the calendar used during the Shang Dynasty had already reached a remarkably sophisticated level. This particular oracle-bone calendar is the oldest surviving physical calendar in the entire history of humankind, and thus this page of oracle bones is commonly referred to as the "calendar."

A Tang Dynasty poem reads: “In the mountains, there’s no calendar; when the cold ends, one doesn’t even realize how many years have passed.” The “calendar” mentioned here may well be the earliest form of desk calendar. During the Tang dynasty, historians would cut paper daily and bind it into volumes—each month represented by a separate book. Each page bore the month and date, with blank spaces left for the imperial eunuchs to record the emperor’s words and deeds. This was known as the “calendar.” At the end of each month, the calendar was first submitted to the emperor for review, then filed away by the historians for use in compiling the “National History.” Because of its function of recording time and events, both civil and military officials eagerly began to emulate it.

Early development

According to historical records, as early as the first year of Yongzhen during the reign of Emperor Shunzong of the Tang Dynasty—about 1,100 years ago—the imperial palace was already using calendars. At that time, these calendars were known as "Huangli," or Imperial Calendars. They not only recorded dates but also served as crucial materials for compiling the national history. The calendars of that era resembled today's pocket calendars: the entire year was divided into 12 volumes, with the number of pages in each volume determined by the number of days in the corresponding month. Each page bore the month and date, and the calendars were temporarily kept by eunuchs who attended to the emperor. Every day, these eunuchs would jot down the emperor’s words and deeds on the blank pages of the calendar. At the end of each month, after the emperor reviewed and approved the entries, the calendars were handed over to the official historians for archiving. The historians then combined the calendar entries with major events occurring at the court and in various regions across the country, refined and polished the content, and finally recorded it all as part of the national history.

In time, as calendars brought great convenience to daily life, they gradually made their way into the homes of many high-ranking officials at court. After undergoing several transformations, these families began to compile their own calendars. Later, as calendars became increasingly popular and household-oriented, people started printing on them not only the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, monthly cycles, solar terms, and auspicious days along the ecliptic—but also leaving large blank spaces for recording personal notes and events.

As for the calendar, its evolution into various forms such as wall calendars and desk calendars has occurred only within the past century. The styles of desk calendars have evolved from their initial simple designs to a wide array of diverse variations. In recent years, the rise of the market economy and the widespread adoption and development of the internet have facilitated cultural exchanges among different societies—and naturally, desk calendars have been part of this trend. Most notably, desk calendars have become smaller and more refined.