The biggest, but not the only, European mystification about the ancient origin of Chinese astronomy, occurred in the 17th century. According to Chinese sources, astronomy dates back to the middle of the third millennium B.C. The reliability of the sources is debatable. In 213–212 B.C., the emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the destruction of all manuscripts except palace chronicles and practical books. At the turn of the 2 and 1 c. B.C. the historian Sima Qian wrote the "Records of the Grand Historian". This monumental work outlines the ancient legends and chronicles from the 8 century B.C. For a long time, China was closed to Europeans, the first popular European book about China was written by Marco Polo (13 c.). In the 17–18 centuries, in China the Jesuit mission resided. The mission included 36 astronomers who, with their reports, created among the Europeans an idea of the antiquity of Chinese astronomy. The subsequent discussion questioned this idea. From the 19th century, the Petersburg Academy of Sciences was represented in Pekin. Chinese studies (Sinology) arose due to the work of various missions, and many profound researchers emerged from the missionaries, the remarkable Russian Sinologists were among them. The works of the 19 and 20 centuries continue the debate about the authenticity of ancient sources. We consider the history of this discussion and the main arguments of the parties, including the works of P.-S. Laplace, K. A. Skachkov, G. N. Popov, A. V. Marakuev, N. J. Needham, N. Sivin, E. I. Beryozkina, Cheng-Yih Chen, V. Ye. Eremeyev.
