On November 30th, 2016, China’s "Twenty-four Solar Terms" was officially listed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. In the international meteorological community, this time cognition system with a history of thousands of years is known as "China’s Fifth Invention”。
"Twenty-four solar terms" is Chinese’s understanding of the annual movement of the sun.Seasons, climate, phenologyThe knowledge system and social practice formed by the changing laws in other aspects. The ancients in China divided the annual movement track of the sun into 24 equal parts, and each equal part was a "solar term", collectively called "24 solar terms".
Spring rains shock spring and clear valleys,
Summer is full, summer is full, summer is summer,
Autumn dew, autumn cold and frost,
Snow in winter, snow in winter, little cold in winter.
Let’s follow Xiaoxin to understand these 24 solar terms and review some 24 solar terms this year!
Beginning of Spring
Beginning of spring, the first of the 24 solar terms, is also one of the important traditional festivals of the Han people. As the saying goes, "A year’s plan lies in spring", "When the sun is in harmony, everything is in spring". After passing through beginning of spring, everything is full of vitality, and the whole year begins.
Rain Water
Rainwater is located around the fifteenth day of the first month of each year (February 18-20 in Gregorian calendar). At this time, the spring breeze blows all over, the ice and snow melt, the air is moist, and the rain increases, so it is called rain. People often say: "It is getting warmer in the spring, and the rain is busy to send fertilizer."
Awakening of Insects
Stinking means that the weather is getting warmer, the spring thunder begins to ring, and all kinds of hibernating animals dormant in the soil will wake up and move, marking the beginning of the mid-spring season. As the proverb goes, "A startled person plows the soil, and the air is flowing at the vernal equinox." At this time, most parts of China entered the spring ploughing season.
Spring Equinox
The vernal equinox is the mid-point of 90 days in spring. On this day, the northern and southern hemispheres are equal in day and night, marking the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere, and the winter crops in most parts of China have entered the spring growth stage. Agricultural proverb: "Wheat rises at the vernal equinox, and every moment is worth a thousand dollars".
Qingming Festival
Tomb-Sweeping Day is also called the outing festival, which is at the turn of mid-spring and late spring, that is, the 108th day after the winter solstice. It is a traditional festival in China, and it is also a day for ancestor worship and grave sweeping. At this time, the climate is fresh and warm, plants and trees sprout new branches, everything begins to grow, and farmers are busy ploughing and planting in spring.
Grain Rain
Grain Rain is the last solar term in spring, which originated from the ancient saying that "rain gives birth to hundreds of valleys", which means that the cold wave weather basically ends and the temperature rises faster. At the same time, it is also the best time to sow, transplant seedlings and order beans. As the saying goes, "Before and after Grain Rain, we planted melons and beans".
Beginning of Summer
Long summer, the first solar term in summer, indicates the official start of the Meng Xia season. The bucket refers to the southeast, and the dimension is long summer, so everything has grown up. Traditionally, long summer is regarded as one of the most important solar terms when the temperature rises significantly, the summer heat is approaching, and thunderstorms increase, and crops enter the peak season.
Grain Buds
Xiaoman is the second solar term in summer. "Full" describes the surplus and shortage of rain. At this time, the seeds of summer crops such as wheat in the northern part of China have been fruitful and full, but they are not yet mature, so they are called Xiaoman.
Grain in Ear
The awn seed indicates the official start of the midsummer season. Literally, it means "the wheat with awns is harvested quickly, and the rice with awns can be planted". Before and after the ear planting, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in central China, where the rainfall increased and the temperature rose, all kinds of utensils and clothes were prone to mildew, were also called "mildew rain".
Summer Solstice
The summer solstice is the highest day of the year at noon. On this day, the day is the longest and the night is the shortest in the northern hemisphere. From this day on, into the hot season, everything in the world grows most vigorously at this time. After the summer solstice, the sun gradually moved south, and the days in the northern hemisphere became shorter and the nights became longer.
Minor Heat
Slight summer heat means the official start of The Last Month Of Summer season. Summer heat, which means hot, is a small heat, not very hot. It’s getting hot, but it’s not the hottest yet. At this point, it is already around the beginning.
Major Heat
Summer is the hottest solar term in a year. At this time, the temperature is the highest, the crops grow fastest, and various meteorological disasters such as drought, waterlogging and wind disasters are also the most frequent in many areas. During the summer heat, China folk have the custom of drinking tea, drying ginger and burning incense.
Beginning of Autumn
Beginning of autumn, the first solar term in autumn, marks the official start of the autumn season. "Autumn" means that the summer is cool. From this day on, autumn begins, the autumn is crisp, the moon is bright and the wind is clear. Since then, the temperature has gradually decreased from the hottest.
End of Heat
Being in the summer heat means "getting out of the summer heat", which means leaving in the heat. It is a turning point in the temperature drop. It is a symbol of the cooling climate, indicating that the summer day is over and autumn is of meteorological significance.
White Dew
The Millennium is the fifteenth of the twenty-four solar terms. At this time, the weather is getting colder, and many dewdrops will be found on the ground and leaves in the early morning. This is because the water vapor condenses on it at night, hence the name. When you enter the Millennium, you will feel a little cold at night.
Autumn Equinox
The autumnal equinox is usually from September 22 to 24 every year. There are two meanings of "autumnal equinox": first, it means that the sun reaches 180 degrees of the yellow meridian on this day and directly hits the equator of the earth, so the day and night are equally divided for 24 hours, and from this day on, it gradually changes from a long white night to a short white night; Second, the climate changes from hot to cold.
Cold Dew
Cold dew means that the temperature is lower than when it is white dew, and the dew on the ground is colder, which is about to condense into frost. During the cold dew season, Nanling and the vast areas to the north have entered autumn, the northeast has entered late autumn, and the northwest has entered or will soon enter winter.
Frost’s Descent
First frost solar term means that the weather is getting colder and the first frost appears. It is the last solar term in autumn, and it also means that winter is about to begin. In first frost season, health care is particularly important. There is a folk proverb that "it is better to make up for first frost once a year".
Beginning of Winter
Beginning of winter is one of the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar and one of the traditional festivals in China. Li, Jian Shi also means that winter begins from now on. Winter means the end, which means that crops should be collected after harvest.
Minor Snow
Light snow solar terms, the temperature dropped, and it began to snow, but it was not yet the season of heavy snow, so it was called light snow. Before and after the light snow, the Yellow River basin began to snow (the snowfall in the south was two solar terms later); In the north, it has entered the freezing season.
Major Snow
Heavy snow marks the official start of the mid-winter season. At this time, the weather is colder, and the possibility of snowfall is greater than that of light snow. It does not mean that the snowfall must be very large. Before and after the heavy snow, there was gradually snow in the Yellow River Basin. In the north, it’s already the severe winter of "thousands of miles frozen, Wan Li snowing".
Winter Solstice
The winter solstice is an important solar term in the China lunar calendar and a traditional festival of the Chinese nation. There is a folk custom of eating jiaozi on the winter solstice. On this day, the northern hemisphere has the shortest day and the longest night, and it began to enter the cold weather. As the saying goes, eating noodles on the winter solstice makes a day grow longer.
Minor Cold
Slight cold marks the official start of the season and winter. The coldest day of the year has arrived. According to the meteorological data of China, slight cold is the lowest temperature solar term, and only a few years of great cold have lower temperature than slight cold.
Major Cold
Great cold is the last of the 24 solar terms in the whole year. Around the Great Cold is the coldest season of the year. As the saying goes, "Walk on the ice in 3949". After the severe cold, beginning of spring followed, and the weather became warmer. At this point, the earth made a revolution around the sun and completed a cycle.
[Do you know the intangible cultural heritage of the motherland?]
China’s 24 solar terms were selected as intangible cultural heritage, so far, China has been selected as 39 items in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List! Come and see what there are!
1. Kunqu Opera
Selected time: 2001
The oldest existing drama in China.
2. Guqin art
Selected time: 2003
One of the oldest plucked instruments in the world.
3. Xinjiang Uygur Muqam Art
Selected time: 2005
A large-scale comprehensive art form integrating song, dance and pleasure.
4. Mongolian long-tune folk songs
Selected time: 2005
An artistic form that condenses the wisdom of Mongolian people.
5. China seal cutting
Selected time: 2008
Show your skills and express your feelings between square inches
6. Engraving printing skills in China.
Selected time: 2009
Initiate the historical precedent of human copying technology
7. China’s calligraphy
Selected time: 2009
Unique modeling symbols and pen and ink rhythm
8. Chinese paper cutting
Selected time: 2009
Expressed the aesthetic taste of the general public.
9, China traditional wood construction skills.
Selected time: 2009
Reflect the traditional social hierarchy and interpersonal relationship in China.
10. craftsmanship of nanjing yunjin brocade
Selected time: 2009
Continuing the tradition of royal weaving in China.
11. Dragon Boat Festival
Selected time: 2009
Traditional festivals with unique national spirit and rich cultural connotation.
12. China Korean Agricultural Music Dance
Selected time: 2009
Set performance, singing and dancing in one.
13. Epic Gesar
Selected time: 2009
Grand narrative about the sacred achievements of Gesar, an ancient Tibetan hero.
14. Dong people’s big songs
Selected time: 2009
Pass on the cultural information of a nation.
15. Gansu flowers
Selected time: 2009
It has the special value of multi-ethnic cultural exchange.
16. Xinjiang Manas epic
Selected time: 2009
One of China’s three epics.
17. Mazu believes in customs
Selected time: 2009
China’s most influential patron saint of navigation.
18. Mongolian Humai
Selected time: 2009
A magical singing art created by Mongolians.
19. Fujian Nanyin
Selected time: 2009
One of the oldest existing music in China.
20. Regong Art
Selected time: 2009
Tangka, murals, pile embroidery, sculpture and other Buddhist plastic arts.
21, China traditional mulberry silk weaving skills.
Selected time: 2009
Cultural identification of Chinese national identity.
22. Tibetan Opera
Selected time: 2009
Reflect the life, thoughts and feelings of the Tibetan people.
23. Traditional firing techniques of Longquan celadon
Selected time: 2009
A traditional handicraft with production, skill and artistry.
24. Traditional production techniques of Xuan paper
Selected time: 2009
Outstanding representative of traditional handmade paper.
25. Drum music in Xi ‘an
Selected time: 2009
A typical representative of China’s traditional instrumental culture.
26. Cantonese Opera
Selected time: 2009
China’s North-South Opera is a master.
27. Qiang Year
Selected time: 2009
The Qiang people express their respect and worship for all living things, the motherland and their ancestors.
28. Traditional Construction Techniques of China Wooden Arch Bridge
Selected time: 2009
The technical system of arch bridge using core technologies such as "beam braiding".
29. Traditional spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidery skills of Li nationality
Selected time: 2009
Set spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidery in one.
30. Maixi Refu
Selected time: 2010
It’s the bottom of the valley, the remains and development of Uygur ancestors’ sacrifice, blessing and celebration activities.
31. Manufacturing technology of China watertight compartment blessing boat.
Selected time: 2010
Its application in China began in the Tang Dynasty.
32. Chinese movable type printing
Selected time: 2010
One of four great inventions of ancient china.
33. Chinese medicine acupuncture
Selected time: 2010
So as to regulate the balance state of the human body and achieve health care and treatment.
34. Beijing Opera
Selected time: 2010
It is a dramatic performance art that combines singing, reading, doing and playing.
35. Hezhe rap art Imakan
Selected time: 2011
One person narrates by mouth in a combination of rap and singing, without musical instrument accompaniment.
36. Shadow play
Selected time: 2011
Color puppet images made of leather or paper, accompanied by music and singing to perform stories.
37. Fujian puppet show inheritor training plan
Selected time: 2012
It has been widely spread in southern Fujian since the 10th century.
38. abacus
Selected time: 2013
Known as "actually the oldest computer".
39. 24 solar terms
Selected time: 2016
In the international meteorological field, this time cognition system is known as "the fifth invention of China".
Source: China News Network WeChat WeChat official account (cns2012), People’s Daily Weibo Comprehensive