摘要
I. The Creation of an Integrated Astronomical Research Center Following the launch of the CAS＇s Knowledge Innovation Program （KIP） pilot project in 1998, it was formally decided in April 1999 to merge the following CAS institutions： five astronomical observatories （Beijing Observatory, Purple Mountain Observatory, Shanghai Observatory, Yunnan Observatory and Shaanxi Observatory）, three research stations （Urumqi Astronomical Observatory, Changchun Astronomical Observatory and Guangdong Satellite Observation Station） and one research institute （Nanjing Institute of Optics and Technology）; into a new entity, to be known initially as the National Center for Astronomical Observations. Later, in April 2001, when the KIP was in full swing, a merger of some of the above institutions took place with the approval of the Ministry of Science ＆ Technology and the State Council. The new entity, which since the merger, has been known as the National Astronomical Observatories, CAS （NAOC）, is headquartered in Beijing on the site of the former Beijing Observatory. The new institution has four subordinate units, namely： Yunnan Observatory, Nanjing Institute of Optics and Technology （NIAOT）, Urumqi Astronomical Observatory （UAO） and Changchun Astronomical Observatory （CAO）.
