twenty-four solar terms

Twenty four specific seasons in the Chinese calendar and representative works of human intangible cultural heritage

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The 24 solar terms refer to the changes and establishment of natural rhythms in the calendar“ Built in December ”The specific season of. The 24 solar terms accurately reflect the changes of natural rhythm and play an extremely important role in people's daily life. It is not only a time system to guide agricultural production, but also a folk custom system with rich folk customs. The 24 solar terms contain a long cultural connotation and historical accumulation, and are an important part of the long history and culture of the Chinese nation.^[1-2]^[12]^[79]

The "twenty-four solar terms" is the product of the ancient farming civilization. It is the knowledge system formed by the ancient ancestors to conform to the agricultural time, observe the movement of the celestial bodies, and understand the laws of seasonal, climatic, phenological and other changes in the middle of the year. The twenty fourth solar term was originally based on passing of night formulate, Big Dipper The bucket handle rotates clockwise for one cycle, which is called one "year old" (photography); The current "24 solar terms" are formulated according to the position of the sun on the retrogressive ecliptic, that is, the annual movement track of the sun is divided into 24 equal parts, every 15 ° is an equal part, and every 1 equal part is a solar term. At the age of four, there are two solar terms each month for three months in spring, summer, autumn and winter. Each solar term has its own unique meaning.^[3-4]^[87]

Through historical development, the lunar calendar has absorbed the solar term component of the Ganzhi calendar as a supplement to the calendar, and adjusted it to conform to the Regression year The "24 solar terms" have become an important part of the lunar calendar. The twenty-four solar terms have a great impact on the production of the almanac of later generations, which is one of the core theories of Chinese traditional meteorology. In the international meteorological community, the 24 solar terms are known as "China's fifth great invention". On November 30, 2016, the 24 solar terms were officially listed in UNESCO Representative works of human intangible cultural heritage Directories.^[5-6]^[9]^[34]^[86]

Chinese name: twenty-four solar terms
Foreign name: 24 solar terms
Age of origin: Ancient times
Primitive calendar: Stem and branch calendar

Division basis: passing of night , Gui Biao imaging, Solar yellow meridian
Reflection: time 、 climate 、 phenology Isochronous change
Origin: Visual timing , Ganzhi Calendar cultivation culture
Development and evolution: Included in the lunar calendar, becoming an important part of the lunar calendar

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Origin of solar terms

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Origin of solar terms

The Chinese astrological culture has a long history and is broad and profound. The ancients began to explore the mysteries of the universe very early, and thus deduced a complete and profound culture of watching stars. The original basis of the 24 solar terms Big Dipper Handle rotation direction（ passing of night ）The Big Dipper rotates in a circle, which is closely related to seasonal changes. The Big Dipper consists of seven stars, namely, Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, and Yaoguang. It is named because the Big Dipper is as zigzag as the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is an important star in the Northern Hemisphere (China is located in the Northern Hemisphere). The Big Dipper rotates in a circle, and the natural rhythm of the corresponding regions in the Northern Hemisphere is also gradually changing when the stars move, so it became the basis for ancient people to judge the changes of seasons. The "twenty-four solar terms" are Stem and branch calendar The middle indicates the change and establishment of natural rhythm“ Built in December ”For a specific season, "December is built" is a solar month based on the "24 solar terms". The Ganzhi calendar divides one year old (photography) into twelve stars (December establishment, December order). The month order is calculated according to the operation of the Big Dipper, and the star referred to by the handle is called“ Doujian ”(also called monthly construction). In traditional culture, the time and location of Ganzhi and the Eight Diagrams are linked together“ The Eight Diagrams of the Day After Tomorrow ”The position of "Gen" is the direction of the intersection of the end of the year and the beginning of the year, which represents the end and the beginning. For example, in the Yi · Shuogua Biography, "Gen" is the hexagram of the northeast, and the end and the beginning of all things. "That is, the bucket handle starts from the north of the due east (Yin position, the position of the acquired eight trigrams" Gen "), rotates a circle clockwise as a cycle, which is called one" year old "(one year old from the beginning of spring to the next). Yin month is“ Chunzheng ”The beginning of spring is the beginning of the year. The beginning of spring is the beginning of all things and the meaning of all regeneration. The handle of the Big Dipper points to the established 24 solar terms, starting from Beginning of Spring , finally Severe cold , cycle.^[7-10]^[54]

Origin of solar terms

During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty incorporated the "twenty-four solar terms" into the Taichu Calendar as a supplement to the calendar for guiding farming. The longest shadow and the shortest day are measured in the Yellow River basin by using Tugui to measure the shadow (average time method)（ The day is short to ）This day is the winter solstice, and the winter solstice is the starting point of the "24 solar terms". The winter solstice is divided into 24 equal parts with the next winter solstice. The time between each "solar term" is equal, and the interval between each solar term is 15 days. The solar terms divided by the "Tugui method of measuring the shadow of the sun" ranked the winter solstice as the first of the "24 solar terms", beginning with the winter solstice and ending with heavy snow. The current "twenty-four solar terms" come from the method of determining solar terms according to the position of the sun on the returning ecliptic established more than three hundred years ago (since 1645), that is, on a 360 degree circle of the "ecliptic" (the sun's visual path on the celestial sphere in a year), 24 equal parts are divided, and every 15 degrees is one equal part, Taking the vernal equinox as the starting point of 0 degree (the first spring is still listed as the first in the order), press Yellow meridian Degree orchestration. That is to say, the sun starts from 0 degrees of yellow longitude (at the moment, the sun vertically shines at equator (I), every time you move forward 15 degrees is a solar term, once you run for a week, you will return to the vernal equinox, which is one Regression year 。 The circle of the ecliptic is 360 degrees. Every 15 degrees of the sun's movement on the ecliptic is a "solar term"“ degrees ”Equality“ time ”Inequality. The solar term divided according to the "degree of the sun's yellow longitude" starts from the beginning of spring and ends in severe cold.^[11-16]

Alternate seasons

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Alternate seasons

In ancient times, the 24 solar terms were established on the basis of "turning the stars" (with the handle pointing), and the current 24 solar terms are established on the basis of "annual apparent movement of the sun" (degrees of the sun's yellow longitude); Although the two establishment methods are different, the reason for the change is that The earth revolves around the sun Therefore, their joint time is basically the same. As the earth rotates around the earth's axis and revolves around the sun, in this process, the earth's axis is not perpendicular to the orbital plane of the revolution, but inclined, resulting in the equatorial plane not parallel to the ecliptic plane, forming an angle of ecliptic intersection. Due to the existence of the declination angle, the annual change of the direct solar radiation point moving back and forth between the north and south latitudes of 23 ° 26 'on the earth is caused, which results in Noon sun height Change and the length of day and night change, forming the four seasons. The point of direct sunlight moves back and forth between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Cancer. The activity law of the direct solar point is: at the vernal equinox, the direct solar point is at 0 ° of the equator, and then moves northward. On the summer solstice, the direct point of the sun is on the Tropic of Cancer (that is, the ancient people called it "the day arrives at the north, the day is long"), and then moves south. On the autumnal equinox, the direct point of the sun is at 0 ° of the equator, and then continues to move south. On the winter solstice, the direct point of the sun is on the Tropic of Cancer (that is, the ancient people called it "the day arrives at the south, the day is short"), and then moves northward and circularly. China is located in the Northern Hemisphere. The Tropic of Cancer (the angle of intersection between the yellow and the red) passes through China. It is a special latitude line of great significance for astronomy, geography, climate, biology, etc. The seasonal laws reflected by the movements of the Big Dipper, the sun and other celestial bodies are closely related to this line. When the seasons in the astronomical sense change, the natural rhythms in this Tropic of Cancer (the angle of ecliptic) and the corresponding regions nearby are also gradually changing.^[2]^[17-18]

Alternate seasons

The twenty-four solar terms basically summarize the exact time of the alternation of the four seasons in a year and the laws of natural phenomena such as phenology in nature. From“ Four upright ”At the beginning, the so-called "standing" means the beginning of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The four seasons alternate throughout the year, and the "four standing" indicates the rotation of the four seasons, reflecting the changes in phenology, climate and other aspects, such as spring birth, summer growth, autumn harvest, winter Tibet, as well as the changing laws of sunshine, rainfall, temperature and so on. China has a vast territory, mainly located in low and middle latitudes. Low latitude generally refers to the space range between north and south latitude of 30 degrees on the earth surface, that is, within 30 ° N to 30 ° S, including tropic Subtropical zone（ Subtropical ）Two heat zones solar radiation And heat concentration zone; The mid latitude is the latitude zone between 30 and 60 degrees north latitude, where the prevailing air masses at high and low latitudes overlap each other, and cyclones are active frequently. The climate varies greatly in different latitudes. In China's low latitude region (southern region), there is abundant precipitation, sufficient light, humidity, and small temperature difference between winter and summer. During the season change, sunshine, precipitation and other climatic factors change significantly. In the middle latitude region (northern region), there is little precipitation, dryness, and great difference in temperature difference between winter and summer. During the season change, the climate element changes obviously is the temperature. In the middle latitude region, the temperature difference in four seasons is large, and the temperature changes clearly.^[13-15]^[19]

Section time

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spring

spring
Beginning of Spring	Bucket handle pointing method: bucket finger; Solar Yellow Meridian Degree Method: Solar yellow meridian The degree is 315 degrees. The festival is due on February 3-5 of the Gregorian calendar. Spring is the stem and branch calendar first month of the lunar calendar Start of.^[20]
rain	Douzhiyin; The solar longitude is 330 °. The festival is due on February 18-20 of the Gregorian calendar.
The Waking of Insects	Nail fighting; The sun's yellow longitude is 345 °. The festival is due on March 5-07 of the Gregorian calendar. Waking the insects is the beginning of the stem and branch calendar.
Vernal equinox	Douzhimao; The sun's yellow longitude is 0 °. The festival is due on March 20-22 of the Gregorian calendar.
Qingming	Bucket handle pointing method: bucket finger B; Gui Biao shadow measurement: 105 days after the winter solstice; Yellow longitude degree method: the sun yellow longitude is 15 °. The festival is due on April 04-06 of the Gregorian calendar. Qingming is the beginning of the Ganzhi calendar.
grain rain	Douzhichen; The sun's yellow longitude is 30 °. The festival is due on April 19-21 of the Gregorian calendar.^[2]

summer

summer
Beginning of summer	Douzhi Xun; The degree of solar yellow longitude is 45 °. The festival is due on May 5-07 of the Gregorian calendar. Beginning of summer is the beginning of the fourth month of the Ganzhi calendar.
grain full	Dou Zhisi; The sun's yellow longitude is 60 °. The festival is due on May 20-22 of the Gregorian calendar.^[21]
Awn seed	Bucket finger C; The sun's yellow longitude is 75 °. The festival is due on June 5-07 of the Gregorian calendar. Grain in Ear is stem and branch calendar Meridian Moon Start of.
the summer solstice	Douzhi Noon; The sun's yellow longitude is 90 °. The festival is due on June 21-22 of the Gregorian calendar.^[22]
Sunstroke	Dipper fingers; The sun yellow longitude is 105 °. The festival is due on July 6-08 of the Gregorian calendar. The light summer is the beginning of the last month of the Ganzhi calendar.
Severe heat	Dipper finger not; The solar yellow longitude is 120 °. July 22-24, Gregorian calendar.^[2]

autumn

autumn
Beginning of Autumn	Douzhikun; The sun's yellow longitude is 135 °. The festival is due on August 7-09 of the Gregorian calendar. The beginning of autumn is the Ganzhi calendar Shen Start of month.
Manage the summer heat	Douzhishen; The solar yellow longitude is 150 °. The festival is held from August 22 to 24 of the Gregorian calendar.
White dew	Douzhi Geng; The sun's yellow longitude is 165 °. The festival is due on September 7-09 of the Gregorian calendar. Bailu is the Ganzhi Calendar Unitary Start of month.
the autumnal equinox	Dou zhi you; The sun's yellow longitude is 180 °. The festival is held from September 22 to 24 of the Gregorian calendar.
Cold dew	Douzhixin; The sun's yellow longitude is 195 °. The festival is due on October 8-09 of the Gregorian calendar. Cold Dew is Ganzhi Calendar Xu Start of month.
First Frost	Douzhixu; The solar yellow longitude is 210 °. The festival is due from October 23 to 24 of the Gregorian calendar.^[2]

winter

winter
Beginning of winter	The bucket finger is dry; The sun's yellow longitude is 225 °. The festival is due on November 7-8 of the Gregorian calendar. Beginning of winter is the Ganzhi calendar Hai Start of month.
light snow	Douzhihai; The solar yellow longitude is 240 °. The festival is held from November 22 to 23 of the Gregorian calendar.^[23]
heavy snow	Douzhiren; The sun's yellow longitude is 255 °. The festival is due on December 6-8 of the Gregorian calendar. Heavy snow is the Ganzhi calendar son Start of month.
Winter Solstice	Bucket finger; The sun's yellow longitude is 270 °. The festival is due on December 21-23 of the Gregorian calendar.
slight cold	Douzhigui; The sun's yellow longitude is 285 °. The festival is due on January 5-7 of the Gregorian calendar. Xiaohan is the beginning of the ugly month in the Ganzhi calendar.
Severe cold	Douzhi Chou; The solar yellow longitude is 300 °. The festival is due on January 20-21 of the Gregorian calendar.^[2]

The meaning of solar terms

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Beginning of Spring

The beginning of spring is the first of the 24 solar terms. Standing means "beginning"; Spring represents warmth and growth. The beginning of spring is“ Four upright ”First, it reflects the change of winter and spring seasons. Spring is born in spring, summer is long, autumn is harvested, and winter is hidden. The beginning of spring marks the end of the winter when everything is closed, and the beginning of the spring when everything is warm and everything grows.^[49]

The beginning of spring, in nature, is characterized by the beginning of everything recovery Signs. By the beginning of spring, in China, the Tropic of Cancer (Huangchi Jiaojiao) and the area to the south can be clearly felt early spring The smell of. In most areas to the north, it is only a prelude to spring. Everything has not yet recovered, and it is still in the winter when everything is closed. For the area north of the Tropic of Cancer, the farther away from the Tropic of Cancer (the angle of intersection of yellow and red), the later it enters spring.^[9]^[24]^[50]

rain

Rainwater is the second solar term in spring. Rainwater solar term means the beginning of rainfall. The rainfall is mostly light rain or drizzle precipitation It is very important for the growth of crops. It is the reflection of farming culture on the seasons. Spring can not be separated from the moisture of rain. The rain in spring, which moistens things silently, enables dead trees to bloom and seeds to germinate. Entering the Rainwater Solar Term, the north of China is still overcast and cold, some places are still snowing, and there is no spring breath; Most places in the south are full of spring, a scene of early spring.^[51]^[82-83]

Rainwater solar period generally starts from February 18 to 20 of the Gregorian calendar and ends on March 4 or 5. Rainy season, with changeable weather, is one of the seasons with the most cold waves in the whole year. At the Rainwater Solar Term, the direct point of the sun is also gradually approaching the equator from the southern hemisphere. At this time, in the northern hemisphere, the sunshine hours and intensity are increasing, the temperature rises rapidly, and the warm and humid air from the sea starts to be active, and gradually moves northward to meet the cold air, forming rainfall, but the rainfall magnitude is mainly light rain or drizzle.^[51]

The Waking of Insects

Waking the insects is the third solar term in spring, which reflects the germination and growth of natural organisms under the influence of rhythm changes. Waking insects means that when the weather gets warmer, spring thunder begins to sound, and insects hibernating underground are awakened. When the insect wakes up, the sun rises, the temperature warms, the spring thunder suddenly moves, and the rain increases, all things are full of vitality. "Waking Insects" marks Midspring The beginning of Maoyue. As the solar term with the fastest temperature rise throughout the year, the average temperature in most parts of northern China has risen to above 0 ℃. The temperature in the south along the Yangtze River is above 8 ℃, while that in the southwest and south China has reached 10 to 15 ℃. It has been a melting spring, and the sunshine hours have also increased significantly.^[52]

Waking the insects is the beginning of the stem and branch calendar; Mao is the moon in mid spring. The divination is in the earthquake position. Everything comes out of the earthquake, which is the image of growth. It is built 12 months a year old, and each month corresponds to a divination. The Maoyue (including the two solar terms of the awakening of insects and the vernal equinox) corresponds to a divination of Lei Tian and Da Zhuang; The divinatory image of Dazhuang Divination is that thunder begins to strike in the sky, and the thunder rings in the sky, which is very vivid. "Mao" means that everything comes out from the ground, representing vitality; In the wake of insects, the spring air is stirring, and nature has new vitality. The so-called "spring thunder startles hundreds of insects" refers to the insects that hibernate underground when spring thunder starts to sound. The symbolic feature of the solar term for awakening insects is that spring thunder suddenly moves and everything is full of vitality.

Modern meteorological science shows that the reason why there are occasional thunder sounds before and after the "sting" is that the earth humidity is getting higher and higher, which promotes the rise of hot air near the ground or the strong and frequent activity of hot and humid air moving north. From the perspective of the natural phenological process throughout China, due to the vast territory and the large north-south span, the time when spring thunder starts to sound will be different sooner or later. The saying that "the insects start to awaken and the thunder start" is only consistent with the climate law in the south of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin.^[25]

Vernal equinox

The vernal equinox is also known as "Sun Zhong", "Day Night Equinox", "Mid Spring Moon", "Sheng Fen", etc. The meaning of the vernal equinox is that, on the one hand, the day and night are evenly divided, each being 12 hours; Second, the vernal equinox is in the middle of three months of spring (from the beginning of spring to the beginning of summer), and it divides the spring equally.

The vernal equinox is of great astronomical significance. The northern and southern hemispheres divide day and night equally. Since that day, the direct position of the sun continues to move from the equator to the northern hemisphere, and the days begin to grow longer than night in the northern hemisphere. The vernal equinox is also characterized by warm weather, abundant rain and bright sunshine.^[53]

Qingming

Qingming means "Qi Qingjing Ming". It is the solar term reflecting the phenological changes in nature. In this season, the sun is shining, the vegetation is sprouting, the air is clear and the scenery is bright, and everything is visible. The nature presents a vibrant scene. By the Qingming Festival, the climate in southern China was cool and warm, and the land was like a scene of spring and beautiful scenery; In the north, the snow began to break, and gradually entered the sunny spring.^[26-27]

grain rain

Grain rain is the last solar term in spring. Grain rain means "rain begets hundreds of grains". At this time, the precipitation increases significantly. The seedlings in the field are newly planted and new crops need the most rain, which is the so-called "spring rain is as precious as oil". The rainfall is sufficient and timely, and cereal crops can thrive.^[55]

Grain rain and rain Like Xiaoman, Xiaoxue, and Heavy Snow, these solar terms reflect the precipitation phenomenon and the ancient farming culture's reflection of the seasons. As rain water moistens the earth, grains can grow. At this time, precipitation increases significantly, and rain water promotes the growth and development of cereal crops.

During the grain rain season, in southern China, it often begins to rain significantly, and especially in southern China, once cold air meets warm and humid air, it tends to form a long-term rainfall weather. "Qinling Mountains Huaihe River" is the geographical and climatic boundary between the north and south of China. In winter, the Qinling Mountains can prevent cold waves from moving southward into the southern region; In summer, wet sea breeze is prevented from entering the northern region. The Qinling Mountains and Huaihe River basins are the transitional areas between the southern spring rain and the northern spring drought areas. From the Qinling Mountains and Huaihe River to the north, the spring rain decreases sharply.^[28]^[56]

Beginning of summer

Beginning of summer, the first solar term in summer, indicates the official beginning of the midsummer season. The Dou refers to the southeast. The dimension is the beginning of summer. Everything has grown up here, so it is called the beginning of summer. Beginning of summer, saying goodbye to spring, is the beginning of summer. It is an important solar term for the growth of crops in the peak season.^[29]

Beginning of summer is the beginning of summer. Spring birth, summer growth, autumn harvest, winter storage, until the beginning of summer, everything flourishes. Due to China's vast territory, large north-south span and different natural rhythms, only some places in the south of China have summer scenes during the beginning of summer. At the beginning of summer, only the area south of the line from Fuzhou to Nanling in China has entered the real summer scene of "thick shade of green trees, long summer days, and buildings reflected into the pond"; However, some areas in the northeast and northwest just had the smell of spring.^[30]^[57]

grain full

Xiaoman is the second solar term in summer. The small full solar term means that the rainy season with heavy rainfall begins to increase, and there will always be continuous and large-scale heavy rainfall. Xiaoman is a direct reflection of rain, grain rain, light snow, heavy snow, etc precipitation The solar term of. Xiaoman reflects the climatic characteristics of large rainfall: "Xiaoman Xiaoman, rivers gradually full". Another explanation is that the grains of summer crops such as northern wheat begin to fill, but are only slightly full, but not completely full.^[58]

Southern region: During the Little Full Solar Term, southern China generally has a lot of rainfall. Because the warm and humid air flow in the south is active, and the cold air flowing from the north to the south meets in South China at the intersection of the Yellow River and the Chichi River, at this time, there will often be continuous large-scale heavy rainfall in South China, resulting in heavy rain or extremely heavy rain, as the folk saying goes, "small full, rivers gradually full". Jiangnan is often full of rivers and lakes. If there is less rain at this stage, it may be the pacific ocean Of Subtropical high The power is weak and the position is south, which means that it is in the season of Huangmei. For the region south of the Yangtze River, the region south of the Yangtze River is often full of rivers and lakes during the Little Full Solar Term. "Full" refers to the surplus of rain. When it is small, the rainfall is large, and the river is so small that it is full.^[58]

Northern region: For the northern region, the small or no rainfall is not as impressive as the rise of temperature. The Little Full Solar Term is often the longest period of sunshine in the 24 solar terms in northern China. Heated Northern Dry air It is much easier than heating the humid air in the south, so when Xiaoman is full, the temperature in some places in the north will rise quickly and the temperature difference with the south will further narrow. The northern region is dryland agriculture, and wheat is the main food crop. It is said in the north that Xiaoman is named because the grain of summer crops such as wheat has begun to be plump, but has not yet matured, about Milk ripeness Later, it is called "Xiaoman".^[31]^[58]

Awn seed

Grain in Ear is the third solar term in summer. Grain in awn, "awn" refers to some awned crops, such as rice, millet, millet, etc; "Seed", one is the "seed" of the seed, and the other is the "seed" of sowing. The meaning of awn seed is: "Grain crops with awn can be planted, and will become invalid after that". The temperature in the awn planting season increased significantly and the rainfall was abundant, which was suitable for the cultivation of late rice and other cereal crops cultivation culture Reflection on seasons.

It is recorded in the almanac that "Douzhi has been used as awn seed. At this time, the grain with awn can be planted. After that, it will become invalid, so it is called awn seed." It means that the awn seed solar term is the most suitable for planting grain crops with awn, such as late rice, millet, millet, etc. Grain in awn is also the dividing point of crop planting time. Due to the hot weather, it has entered a typical summer, and farming is all based on this season. After this solar term, the survival rate of crops will be lower and lower.^[85]

As the dividing point of planting crops, the awn seed solar term is a busy solar term for sowing, which is also called "busy planting" in the folk. After this solar term, the survival rate of crops is getting lower and lower. This is what the farming proverb "busy planting in awn" says. This is the time to raise rice in the south and harvest wheat in the north; People in the south are busy planting seedlings, while people in the north are busy harvesting wheat.^[75]

the summer solstice

the Tropic of Cancer

The summer solstice is the fourth solar term in summer. On this day, the sun shines directly on the ground, reaching the northernmost end of the year, almost directly the Tropic of Cancer , at this time, Northern Hemisphere Local day The time is the longest in the whole year. For the Tropic of Cancer and the area to the north, Summer Solstice Also in a year Noon sun height The highest day. that day Northern Hemisphere Get the most solar radiation, nearly twice as much as the southern hemisphere.

The summer solstice is the northernmost day of the year, the extreme of the sun's northbound travel. The summer solstice is the turning point of the sun. After that day, it will go back the Tropic of Cancer Moving southward, the days in the northern hemisphere will be shortened day by day. After the summer solstice, the Tropic of Cancer and the area to the north, noon Solar altitude angle It also began to decrease day by day.^[76]

Sunstroke

Sunstroke, the fifth solar term in summer, means the beginning of midsummer. Heat means hot. Light heat means light heat, not very hot. It means that the weather is getting hot, but it is not the hottest. The summer heat began to enter the dog days, and the weather was changeable. Many places in China have entered the thunderstorm season since the light summer. The monsoon climate is the main feature of China's climate. In summer, affected by the warm and humid air flow from the sea, China is hot, humid and rainy in many places. In this season, although the sun is fierce, hot, humid and rainy, for crops, the same period of rain and heat is conducive to growth.

From the seasonal distribution of precipitation, the precipitation in China is mainly concentrated in summer, that is, when the southeast monsoon prevails. In the high temperature season, crops grow vigorously and need a lot of water. Summer is the season with the most rainfall and concentration in China. The high temperature period is consistent with the rainy period, and the water and heat are well matched, which is very beneficial to the growth of crops. Because the precipitation in China is mainly formed by the water vapor brought by the southeast monsoon, the precipitation gradually decreases from the southeast coast to the northwest inland due to the influence of the summer monsoon.^[59]

Severe heat

"Heatstroke" means hot, which means extreme heat. Great heat is the hottest solar term of the year, which is just around mid summer, and the "hot and humid steam" reaches its peak at this time. In this season, the sun is fierce, the temperature is high, the humidity is wet and the rain is heavy. Although it is hard to avoid the pain of damp and heat, it is very conducive to the growth of crops, which grow fastest during this period. Climatic characteristics of severe heat: high temperature, frequent thunderstorms, typhoon.^[61]

The monsoon climate is the main feature of China's climate. In summer, affected by the warm and humid air flow from the sea, southern China is hot, humid and rainy. In late July every year, Subtropical zone The monsoon rain belt moves to North China Northeast China. The rainy season in North China, Northeast China and other northern regions is from late July to early August (about the period from summer heat to the beginning of autumn); The northwest region is located in the inland and far from the sea, so it is the arid region with the least annual precipitation in China.^[60-61]

Beginning of Autumn

Beginning of autumn means that it has entered autumn since then. It is the node where Yang Qi gradually shrinks, Yin Qi gradually grows, and gradually changes from Yang Sheng to Yin Sheng. The beginning of autumn also means that precipitation, humidity, etc., are at the turning point of the year and tend to decline or decrease; In nature, everything begins to grow from prosperity to maturity. “^[32]

The beginning of autumn does not mean the end of the hot weather. The beginning of autumn is still in the hot season, and the summer has not yet come out. The second solar term (the first summer) in autumn comes out, and the weather is still very hot in early autumn. The so-called“ The heat is three volts ”There is also a saying of "one volt after autumn". There is at least one volt after the beginning of autumn. According to the calculation method of "Three Volts", the day of "Beginning of Autumn" is often still in the mid volt period, that is to say, the heat is not over, and the real coolness usually comes after the Bailu solar term.^[62]

Manage the summer heat

To deal with the heat is to "go out of the heat", which means to leave in the heat. At the end of the summer, the direct solar radiation point continued to move southward, the solar radiation weakened, the subtropical high retreated southward, the temperature gradually decreased, and the summer heat gradually disappeared. Summer treatment means that the extremely hot weather has come to an end. During this period, the weather is still hot, but it has shown a downward trend. The significance of heat treatment in daily life is to remind people that the heat is gradually receding, the weather is changing from hot to cool, and attention should be paid to prevention“ Autumn dryness ”。^[63]

White dew

White dew is an important solar term reflecting the growth of cold air in nature, and it is also the solar term with the largest temperature difference between day and night. As the weather gradually turns cool, it is sunny and hot in the daytime, but the temperature drops quickly once the sun sets, and the temperature difference between day and night increases. Until Bailu, the summer monsoon was gradually replaced by the winter monsoon, and the cold air turned from the defensive to the offensive. In addition, the direct sunlight point moved southward, the sunshine time in the northern hemisphere became shorter, the light intensity weakened, and the ground radiation dissipated heat faster, so the speed of temperature decline gradually accelerated. The residual heat in early autumn gradually dissipates, and the heat and cold alternate day and night, and the cold generates dew. The ancients used four seasons with five elements. Autumn is golden, golden and white. It is white to describe autumn dew, so it is called "Bailu".^[64]^[88]

the autumnal equinox

In the autumnal equinox, "minute" means "half" or "half". On the day of the autumnal equinox, the sunlight almost shines directly on the earth's equator, and the days and nights around the world are equal. After the autumnal equinox, the direct sunlight point continues to move from the equator to the southern hemisphere, and the days begin to be shorter and the nights longer in the northern hemisphere, that is, the days begin to be shorter than the nights within a day; The opposite is true in the southern hemisphere. After the autumnal equinox, the position of direct solar radiation moves to the southern hemisphere, and the northern hemisphere gets less and less solar radiation, but more heat is lost from the ground, and the temperature decreases significantly faster. By the autumnal equinox, the heat had disappeared, and the weather had turned cool.^[65]

Cold dew

Cold Dew is a solar term reflecting the characteristics of climate change. When entering the cold dew, cold air flows southward from time to time, the temperature difference between day and night is large, and the autumn dryness is obvious. The ancients regarded cold dew as a sign of the growing cold. After the cold dew, the cold air in the north has had some influence Cold high pressure Under control, the rainy season ended.

From the perspective of climate characteristics, in the cold dew season, the southern autumn is getting stronger, cool and windy, and dry with little rain; The vast area of northern China has entered or will enter winter from late autumn. In general, the Cold Dew Solar Term is a time of year when the temperature drops relatively fast, and most of the northern regions will start the seasonal conversion of autumn and winter.^[66]

First Frost

The frost falling solar term reflects the climate characteristics of sudden drop in temperature, large change in temperature difference between day and night, and obvious autumn dryness. The frost falling solar term is characterized by cold weather in the morning and evening, hot at noon, and large temperature difference between day and night. On the national average, frost falls day and night in a year Temperature difference Maximum season. Since "frost" is the expression of cold weather and large variation of temperature difference between day and night, it is named after "frost fall" to indicate the season of "sudden drop of temperature and large temperature difference between day and night". After the frost falls, the scene of late autumn is obvious, and cold air moves southward more and more frequently.^[24]

Beginning of winter

Beginning of winter is a seasonal solar term, which means that it has entered winter since then. Establish, establish the beginning; Winter is the end of the world. Beginning of winter means that life begins to be closed and everything enters a state of recuperation and collection. Its climate has gradually changed from dry and dry in autumn to rainy and cold in winter. The sunshine time will continue to shorten after the beginning of winter, and the sun height will continue to decrease at noon.^[67]

The solar term of the beginning of winter and the upper westerly jet have been completely established in southern Asia. At this time, the intensity and eastward shift of the southern branch of the upper westerly wave. When the Asian region has zonal circulation and the south branch of westerly wind fluctuates strongly, a wide range of rainy weather will occur. In addition, the zonal circulation will end and the meridional circulation will also be established, with cold waves and significant cooling. Northeast wind and north wind prevail in winter, and the temperature gradually drops. Because there is still some energy stored on the surface, it is not very cold in early winter.^[67]^[84]

During Meng Dong (from the beginning of winter to the light snow), when it is sunny and windless, it is often warm and comfortable“ Xiao Yangchun ”Weather, in the folk, there is a saying of "little sunny spring in October". In early winter in parts of the south（ Meng Dong ）It is generally not very cold during this period, but as time goes on, cold air frequently moves south and the temperature gradually drops. In northern China, it is very cold from the beginning of winter to spring, and the climate change of several solar terms in winter is not obvious. Snow is the main feature of northern winter.

light snow

Light snow is the second solar term in winter. Climate elements include illumination 、 air temperature and precipitation Wait, light snow is a reflection precipitation And air temperature It is the solar term with high frequency of cold wave and strong cold air. The arrival of the light snow solar term means that the weather will become colder and the precipitation will increase. "Snow" is the product of cold water vapor, which represents cold and precipitation. The climate in this season is not deep and the precipitation is not large, so "light snow" is used to describe the climate characteristics of this season. "Light snow" is a metaphor, which reflects the active cold current and increasing precipitation during this solar term, not a small amount of snow under this solar term.^[68]

heavy snow

The heavy snow solar term is the beginning of the Ganzhi calendar, marking the beginning of the mid winter season. The heavy snow solar term is a climate concept. Climate elements mainly include light, temperature and precipitation. It represents the climate characteristics during the heavy snow solar term, that is, temperature and precipitation. The heavy snow solar term is characterized by a significant drop in temperature and an increase in precipitation. Like the light snow solar term, the heavy snow solar term reflects the changing trend of temperature and precipitation. It is the reflection of ancient farming culture on the seasons.^[33]^[69-70]

Winter Solstice

The winter solstice is the solar term reflecting the direct sunlight movement. The winter solstice is the extreme of the southward direction of the direct sunlight point. On the day of the winter solstice, the sunlight directly shines on the Tropic of Capricorn. The sunlight is the most inclined to the Northern Hemisphere, and the solar altitude angle is the smallest. It is the shortest day and the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere. The winter solstice is also the turning point for the direct sunlight point to return to the north. After that day, it will go back. The direct sunlight point starts from Tropic of Cancer (23 ° 26 ′ S) moves northward, and the days in the Northern Hemisphere (where China is located) will increase day by day. The winter solstice has both natural and humanistic connotations. It is not only an important solar term in the 24 solar terms, but also a traditional festival of Chinese folk. In southern China, there are customs of ancestor worship and feasting on the winter solstice. In northern China, it is customary to eat dumplings on the winter solstice every year.^[71]

The winter solstice is a solar term reflecting the movement of direct sunlight. It is the turning point of "going south and returning north every day". For all parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the sun has risen since then and the sunlight has gradually increased. From the perspective of the law of solar terms, the beginning of spring is the starting point of the rising of yang qi in the "yin and yang" qi. Since the beginning of spring, yin and yang have changed, and yang qi has risen. The beginning of spring marks the rebirth of all things and the opening of a new cycle. The winter solstice is the starting point of the sun's return. Since the winter solstice, the sun's height has risen and the days have increased day by day. The winter solstice marks the sun's rebirth and the sun's round-trip movement has entered a new cycle.^[9]^[35]

slight cold

Xiaohan means that the weather is cold but not extreme. After the winter solstice, the cold air frequently moves southward, and the temperature continues to decrease. The temperature drops to the lowest during the mild and severe cold of the year. A folk saying goes, "When it's cold, it's at twenty-nine or thirty-nine, and the weather is so cold that it shakes." This shows the cold degree of the Xiaohan solar term. In the light cold season, the direct sunlight point is still in the southern hemisphere, and the heat in the northern hemisphere is still lost. The heat absorbed in the day is still less than the heat released at night, so the temperature in the northern hemisphere continues to decline.^[24]^[72]

Severe cold

Great cold, like mild cold, is also a solar term indicating the degree of cold weather. Great cold means extreme cold. According to China's long-term meteorological records, there is no slight cold in the severe cold solar term in the northern region; But for most of the southern regions, the coldest solar term is in the severe cold. After the severe cold, the beginning of spring followed, and the weather became warmer. So far, the earth has revolved around the sun, completing a cycle.^[24]^[34]^[73]

Division of solar terms

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passing of night

Stars Move (Ancient Times)

Some Local Bases in Pre Qin China passing of night Determine the solar term, and the Big Dipper rotates in a circle, which is closely related to the 24th solar term. Polaris is located at the northern end of the Earth's axis, at the five times extension of the line between Tianxuan and Tianshu in the Big Dipper. Due to the rotation of the earth, the Polaris is located on the axis of the celestial sphere, so it is relatively stationary. The Big Dipper on the axis seems to revolve around the Polaris, which results in a "rotating star". The alternation of seasons is closely related to the "Yellow and Red Cross Angle". The Yellow and Red Cross Angle is the fundamental reason for the change of the four seasons and the distinction of the five belts on the earth, which affects the natural geographical phenomenon closely related to it. The twenty fourth solar term is related to the time of Ganzhi and the Eight Trigrams, and they belong to the same system. The "24 solar terms" and the "construction in December" are the basic contents of the Ganzhi calendar. The 24 solar terms are the specific seasons in the Ganzhi calendar that indicate the changes of natural rhythms and establish the "construction in December" (month order). Since the 24 solar terms are determined by the rotation and direction of the handle of the Big Dipper, this calendar is also called the "Star Calendar".^[22]^[54]^[67]

In ancient astronomy, "Jian" refers to the handle of the Big Dipper, and the position of the handle of the Big Dipper is used as the standard to determine the month, which is called Doujian (Monthly construction). The bucket handle rotates once, which is called one year old. "Sui", also known as "Sheti" and "Taisui", is an epoch star name in ancient times. The ancients used "Sui" to represent the alternation of cold and heat. "Yi · Xici": the combination of cold and heat makes one year old. The ancients believed that December was the rule of the universe's movement. For example, in Wenzi Nature, "December moves round and round." It means that heaven and earth turn round and round again and again. Every one year cycle Dipper handle The rotation points to "twelve stars" in turn, called“ Built in December ”(or "December Order"). December is the solar term month based on the 24 solar terms, with numbers and Twelve Earthly Branches The construction in December is respectively: Jianyin in the first month, Jianmao in the second month... Jianzi in November, and Jianchou in December. The handle is from due east by north (Yin position, The Eight Diagrams of the Day After Tomorrow At the beginning, rotate clockwise for a circle. At the end of the year, December refers to the ugly side, and the first month returns to the Yin position, so“ Bucket handle back ”Spring is right; "Dou Bing Hui Yin" refers to the beginning of all things and the meaning of all regeneration. Dou refers to the beginning of spring, Dou refers to rain, Dou refers to stinging,... Dou refers to the ugliness of cold. Although the 24 solar terms established by the dipper handle pointing method were formulated by the ancients according to the Big Dipper's seven stars, in fact, the reason for the star shifts was that the earth revolved around the sun. Therefore, the intersection time of the dipper handle pointing method and the sun yellow meridian method was basically the same.^[1]^[36]

Gnomon photogrammetry

Guibiao Shadow Measurement (from Han Dynasty to early Qing Dynasty)

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the "twenty-four solar terms" were included in the Taichu Calendar as a supplement to the calendar for guiding farming in the Yellow River basin. It is measured in the Yellow River basin by Gui Biao photogrammetry ("average time method") The day is short to (The shortest day) Winter Solstice Taking the winter solstice as the starting point of the "24 solar terms", the time period from the winter solstice to the next winter solstice (about 365 days), that is, the year of return (the year of return), is divided into 24 segments (15 days per segment), with the average number of days between each two solar terms. The date between the winter solstice and the next winter solstice is divided into twelve equal parts, called "medium gas", and the time between adjacent "medium gas" is divided equally, called "solar term". On average, there is one "mid air" and one "solar term" every month, collectively referred to as the "24 solar terms". They are: Winter Solstice, Little Cold, Great Cold, Beginning of Spring, Rain, Waking Insects, Equinox, Qingming Festival, Grain Rain... Beginning of Winter, Light Snow, Heavy Snow. The "average time method" divides solar terms, starting from the winter solstice and ending with heavy snow.

The "average time method" division only shares the same name with the "twenty-four solar terms" determined by "bucket handle pointing", and the determination method and starting time are completely different. Each "solar term" divided by the "average time method" has the same date, and each month is divided into two parts. The first part of the month is called "festival", and the middle part is called "qi". A solar year is divided into seasons, festivals, climates, and climates. One year=four seasons=12 festivals=12 climates=72 climates. It is divided into twelve sections（ Seasons ）And twelve qi（ Zhongqi ）There is a "festival" and a "qi" every month. The "festival" is the beginning of the month, and the last day of the "qi" is the end of the month. The leap month of last month will be the month with only festivals and no atmosphere. Since the "average time method" does not consider the uneven movement of the sun on the ecliptic, it is inconsistent with the actual astronomical phenomena. Because around the winter solstice, the earth Perihelion Nearby, the speed of operation is slightly faster, which results in that the time of the sun in the southern hemisphere is about 8 days shorter than that in the northern hemisphere in a year, so the winter in the northern hemisphere is slightly shorter than that in summer.^[34]^[74]

Solar yellow meridian

The current "twenty-four solar terms" came from the division method based on the sun's longitude, which was established more than 300 years ago, and has been in use since 1645. The "24 solar terms" in the "lunar calendar" since the Western missionaries established the "Shixian Calendar" is based on the return of the sun Ecliptic It is determined by the position of the sun (degrees of the sun's longitude), that is, on a 360 degree circle of the "ecliptic" (the sun's apparent path on the celestial sphere in a year), it is divided into 24 equal parts, one equal part every 15 degrees, and the starting point of 0 degrees is the vernal equinox (the first place is still listed in the ranking) Yellow meridian Degree orchestration. That is, the sun is regarded as starting from the vernal equinox, that is, zero degrees of longitude. At this moment, the sun shines vertically at the equator, and every 15 degrees forward is a solar term; After a week of operation, it returns to the vernal equinox, which is a regression year. The 24 solar terms are exactly 360 degrees. Every 15 degrees that the sun moves on the ecliptic is a "solar term", and between each "solar term" degrees Equality, time Inequality.^[11]

The "twenty-four solar terms" reflect the annual apparent motion of the sun, so the date of the "twenty-four solar terms" in the Gregorian calendar is relatively fixed, and there is no difference of 1-2 days between them. The twenty fourth solar term“ Two in two ”The activity law of the solar direct point is: at the vernal equinox, the solar direct point is at the equator 0 °, and then moves northward; At the summer solstice, the sun shines directly at the Tropic of Cancer (23 ° 26'N), and then move southward; At the autumnal equinox, the direct point of the sun is at 0 ° of the equator, and then continues to move southward; At the winter solstice, the direct sunlight point is Tropic of Cancer (23 ° 26 'S), and then move northward. The twenty-four solar terms are 24 time points. The specific date of the "point" is the natural result of the movement of celestial bodies. The solar term divided according to the "degree of the sun's yellow longitude" starts from the beginning of spring and ends in severe cold. The current 24 solar terms take a cycle of the earth's revolution around the sun as a cycle, which basically summarizes the different positions of the sun on the ecliptic at different times of the year, the exact time of the cold and summer, and the laws of natural phenomena.^[14]

The Gregorian calendar dates of the 24 solar terms are roughly the same every year: the first half of the year is before the 6th and 21st, and the second half of the year is before the 8th and 23rd.^[37]

Climate type

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The twenty-four solar terms are the product of agricultural civilization. It is the knowledge system formed by ancient ancestors through observing the movement of celestial bodies in combination with the laws of geographical climate and phenological changes. Agricultural production is closely related to geographical and climatic resources, and superior geographical and climatic resources are born Farming civilization Important conditions of. China is located in the eastern part of the Eurasian continent and the west coast of the Pacific Ocean. There are huge differences in thermal properties between land and sea, thus forming the most typical monsoon climate in the world. The monsoon climate is a mixture of continental climate and oceanic climate. In winter, affected by the dry and cold air flow from inland, the weather is cold, dry and little rain; In summer, affected by the warm and humid air flow from the ocean, it is hot, humid and rainy. High temperature and humidity with sufficient sunshine and rainfall Rain and heat synchronization It is a very superior climate resource in China. The high temperature period is consistent with the rainy period, and the water and heat are well matched, which is very beneficial to the growth of crops. Climate elements include light, temperature and precipitation, among which precipitation is an important one. The 24 solar terms accurately reflected the law of natural rhythm changes, and played an extremely important role in ancient agricultural production.^[34]^[44]^[50]

Astronomical latitude

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Astronomical latitude

The conversion of natural solar terms is closely related to the astronomical "yellow and right angles". The ecliptic angle is the intersection angle between the ecliptic and the equator. It is about 23 degrees 26 minutes north latitude, and it is the northernmost boundary where sunlight directly shines on the earth. Tropic of Cancer（ Yellow declination angle ）It is a special latitude line with typical astronomical significance on the earth, which is of great significance to astronomy, geography, climate, biology, etc. China is located in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Tropic of Cancer (the angle of intersection between the Yellow and the Red) passes through China. The latitude value of the Tropic of Cancer is the ecliptic angle, which determines the range of the regression movement of the direct sunlight point, that is, the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer. It also has a profound impact on other physical geographical phenomena closely related to it, such as the changes of the four seasons on the earth and the natural phenomena such as the five belts, the pressure belt, the wind belt, the climate belt, and the natural belt changes. The arrangement of the "24 solar terms" is closely related to this special astronomical latitude line and China's climate type.^[38-39]

Solar month

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Solar month

"December construction" is a solar month based on the "24 solar terms"“ Built in December ”The division of is based on the seasons, that is, the beginning of spring, the beginning of summer, the beginning of summer, the beginning of summer, the beginning of summer, the beginning of summer, the beginning of autumn, the white dew, the cold dew, the beginning of winter, the heavy snow, and the light cold, respectively, as the Yin month Uzuki , Chenyue, Siyue Meridian Moon , the end of the month, the end of the month, the end of the month, the end of the month, the end of the month, the end of the month, the end of the month, the end of the month A child month The beginning of the ugly moon. The construction of the main branches starts with Yin. The beginning of the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty in the Gan Zhi ancient calendar is recorded in the Western Han Dynasty's book Huai Nanzi Astronomical Instructions: "Tianwei established the Yuan Dynasty, often beginning with Yin, moving to the right at one year old, and moving around the sky at the age of twelve, and starting again at the end." Taisui photographed Tigers at Yin, said Shan E at Mao,... he was trapped at Zi, and said Chi Fenruo at Chou (Erya Shitian).

The "twenty-four solar terms" and the "construction in December" are the basic contents of the Ganzhi calendar. Taking the position indicated by the handle of the Big Dipper as the standard for determining the month, it is called Doujian (also called Yuejian). The bucket handle rotates one circle clockwise as a cycle, which is called one "year old" (photography). That is, as stated in Huainanzi Astronomical Training: "The emperor Zhang Siwei used to fight, the month moved one hour, and returned to his place. The first month refers to Yin, the twelfth month refers to ugliness, and one year old turns, and the end comes back". The "Dou" here refers to the handle of the Big Dipper, which turns once to be one year old; Four years old, from Yin, finally ugly. The handle of the bucket rotates and points to the twelve stars in turn, which is called "building in December". The construction in December is as follows: the construction in the first month, the construction in February, the construction in March, the construction in April, the construction in May, the construction in June, the construction in July, the construction in August, the construction in September, the construction in October, the construction in November, and the construction in December.^[6]^[34]

Folk customs

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The 24 solar terms scientifically reveal the law of changes in astronomy and meteorology. It ingeniously combines astronomy, farming, phenology and folk customs, derives a large number of related seasonal culture, and becomes an important part of the traditional culture of the Chinese nation. In order to describe the characteristics of time series more accurately, the ancients divided the solar terms into four groups: "fen", "zhi", "qi" and "closed". "Equinox" means spring equinox and autumn equinox; The "solstice" refers to the summer solstice and the winter solstice; "Open" means the beginning of spring and summer, and "close" means the beginning of autumn and winter. Beginning of Spring, Beginning of Summer, Beginning of Autumn and Beginning of Winter are collectively called "Four Lis". "Four Li" and "Two Fen Two Zhi" add up to "Eight Jie", which is called“ four seasons and eight solar terms ”。 As a traditional agricultural society, the ancients attached great importance to the beginning of spring, during which various folk activities were held. In ancient times, etiquette and custom did not focus on the first month of the lunar calendar, but on the spring day; Major worship of gods and ancestors, exorcism and disaster elimination, praying for good luck and greeting the New Year are scheduled to be held on the Spring Festival Day and the days before and after it; This series of festival activities not only formed the framework of the New Year's Day celebration in later generations, but also its folk functions have been preserved to this day. From the perspective of the law of solar terms, the beginning of spring is the beginning of the rising of yang qi in the qi of "yin and yang". Since the beginning of spring, yin and yang have changed, and yang qi has risen. The beginning of spring marks the rebirth of all things and the beginning of a new cycle; The winter solstice is the starting point of the sun's return. Since the winter solstice, the sun's height has risen and the days have increased day by day. The winter solstice marks the sun's rebirth and the sun's round-trip movement has entered a new cycle. In the "Four Seasons and Eight Festivals", the winter solstice is no less important than the Spring Festival. In the long agricultural society, the 24 solar terms play an important role and have rich cultural connotations. Some solar terms, such as the beginning of spring, the winter solstice, and the Tomb Sweeping Day, are both natural solar terms and important folk festivals. Other solar terms also derive a large number of related folk culture.^[40-41]

Development history

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Beidou

The Twenty four Solar Terms and Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches as well as Eight Trigrams Etc. are linked together, belong to the same system, and have a long history. In ancient times, the ancients "observed signs and gave time", and the 24 solar terms were the basis passing of night Formulated, it is the time system for the ancients to guide agricultural production. In the long agricultural society, the 24 solar terms play an important role. The Han Dynasty was an important period of economic and cultural exchanges between the north and south of China. The formal written records of the 24 solar terms appeared in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty (179-121 BC)《 Huainanzi Astronomical Training 》Medium. The concepts of Yin and Yang, Four Seasons, Eight Digits, Twelve Degrees, and Twenty four Solar Terms are also mentioned in the "On the Six Cardinals" of the Preface to the Book of Historians. According to the literature, four solar terms appeared in the central plains of northern China in the Shang Dynasty, including mid spring, mid summer, mid autumn and mid winter, and eight solar terms appeared in the Zhou Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty the absolute beginning In the first year, 104 BC《 Primordial calendar 》The solar terms in the Ganzhi calendar were absorbed as a supplement to the calendar used to guide farming, and the "24 solar terms" were measured by measuring the length of the shadow with a gnomon. The day with the longest shadow and the shortest day was the winter solstice, and the winter solstice ranked first among the 24 solar terms. The "twenty-four solar terms" currently listed in the "lunar calendar" are derived from the "fixed gas method" established more than 300 years ago, which divides the ecliptic into 24 equal parts with an interval of 15 °, forming 24 solar terms. The "twenty-four solar terms" divided by the degree of solar longitude ("fixed gas method") are internationally common A.D The calendar date is almost fixed, with a maximum difference of one or two days. Historically, according to the change cycle of the moon phase, the lunar calendar takes each new moon phase change as a month, the reference year of the sun as the length of a year, and adds 24 solar terms and sets leap months to adapt the average calendar year to the year of regression. The twenty fourth solar term is included in the lunar calendar and has become an important part of the lunar calendar.^[8-9]^[42-43]

historical value

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twenty-four solar terms

The 24 solar terms are the product of the ancient farming civilization. It occupies an extremely important position in the traditional farming culture of China, which contains the long cultural connotation and historical accumulation of the Chinese nation. The 24 solar terms are not only the time criterion issued by the governments of all dynasties, but also the compass guiding agricultural production. In daily life, people predict cold, warm, snow and rain. The 24 solar terms have practical value for people's life and culture since ancient times. The 24 solar terms are the specific segmentation of time, its replacement and periodic recurrence. The solar term day, which marks the change of solar terms, is the symbolic time of time shift and circulation, and is an important node of Yin Yang transformation. The 24th solar term and the December lunar calendar are the basic contents of the Ganzhi calendar. The Ganzhi calendar takes the reference of the dipper handle of the Big Dipper as "Jian", and "the dipper handle refers to Yin" as the first month of the spring. Its calendar system, which takes the first month of the spring as the first month, has a profound impact on the "Jianzheng" calendar of later generations. The 24 solar terms accurately reflect the changes of seasons and are used to guide farming activities, affecting the food, clothing, housing and transportation of thousands of families. As the basic time pointer of farming activities, the 24 solar terms have thus become an important node and time coordinate of people's annual time life, and to a certain extent, become the time pointer of people's daily social life.

In the early era of visual timing, the farming cycle was the celebration cycle, and some solar terms were also festivals. Since then, due to the promotion of the Yin Yang calendar in the historical development, solar terms and festivals have been separated, but many solar terms are still retained as festivals. Almost every solar term has its own colorful solar term custom activities. These activities can be summarized as follows: worship the gods to meet the weather; Honor the ancestors and maintain family ties; Eliminate evil and evil, and seek peace; Recreation and relaxation. In addition, almost every solar term has its own special eating customs. Following the traditional concept of "harmony between man and nature, conforming to the four seasons" and centering on the 24 solar terms, a wealth of health preserving customs have also been formed, such as nourishing liver at the beginning of spring, replenishing water at the beginning of summer, nourishing yin at the beginning of autumn, and replenishing yin at the beginning of winter. At the same time, around the 24 solar terms, a large number of stories and legends as well as poems, lyrics, songs and fu also emerged, which concentrated on expressing people's thoughts, feelings and spiritual sustenance. In short, around the 24 solar terms, there are many customs and activities such as beliefs, taboos, rituals, etiquette, entertainment, diet, health preservation, legends, stories, etc. Therefore, for people, the 24 solar terms are not only a time system, but also a set of life and folk custom systems with rich connotations. The reason why the 24 solar terms have become increasingly popular and popular in people's daily social life is directly related to this.^[6]^[8-9]^[19]^[44]

social influence

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Historically, the 24 solar terms have long gone abroad, gone to the world and influenced Korean Peninsula 、 Japan 、 Southeast Asia 。 Although the change of seasons is not obvious in some places, the people there are still inheriting and carrying forward the 24 solar terms and their attached culture, which fully demonstrates its cultural value. As early as in ancient times, the 24 solar terms have been accepted by Korea, Japan and other countries, and continue to be used in modern times after combining their national actual conditions and national culture. In the traditional Vietnamese calendar, most of the "24 solar terms" are retained, and the time of some solar terms is changed, which is more suitable for the actual situation in Vietnam. Although Vietnam officially uses the solar calendar, some people still use the traditional lunar and solar calendar among the people, especially farmers, who still follow the solar terms to arrange agricultural production.^[3]^[44-45]

Cultural exchange and communication in historical development, and the "24 solar terms" reflect the return movement of the sun's direct point of view“ Two in two ”The four solar terms (vernal equinox, autumnal equinox, summer solstice and winter solstice) have been popular throughout the pre Qin period. In the West, the four seasons are divided into two parts: spring equinox, summer solstice, autumn equinox and winter solstice. The spring equinox in the "two minutes and two solstices" has become the new year of Uzbekistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran and other countries, with a history of more than 3000 years. The 24 solar terms have been introduced into Japan for more than 1000 years, and some solar terms have been included in Japan's legal festivals. Ancient Japan always used the Chinese lunar calendar and followed the "24 solar terms".^[9]^[45]^[77]

Solar term culture

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Eight winds

Eight winds refer to climate change at four seasons. "Yi Wei Tong Gua Yan": "The wind of the eight festivals is called the eight winds. The beginning of spring is the wind, the spring is clear and the common wind is coming, the beginning of summer is the clear and bright wind, the beginning of summer is the scenery wind, the beginning of autumn is the cool wind, the beginning of autumn is the Changhe wind, the beginning of winter is not the week wind, and the beginning of winter is the Guangmo wind." This statement mainly comes from the Yi ology. The Guangmo wind corresponds to the northern ridge position, the line wind corresponds to the northeast Gen position, and the common wind of the Ming Dynasty corresponds to the eastern earthquake position The Qingming wind corresponds to the Xun position in the southeast, the scenery wind corresponds to the south departure, the cool wind corresponds to the Kun position in the southwest, the Changhe wind corresponds to the right west exchange, and the uncircumcised wind corresponds to the dry position in the northwest.^[24]^[34]

Solar term time

spring	date	summer	date	autumn	date	winter	date
Beginning of Spring	February 3-5	Beginning of summer	May 5-7	Beginning of Autumn	August 7-9	Beginning of winter	November 7-8
rain	February 18-20	grain full	May 20-22	Manage the summer heat	August 22-24	light snow	November 22-23
The Waking of Insects	March 5-7	Awn seed	June 5-7	White dew	September 7-9	heavy snow	December 6-8
Vernal equinox	March 20-22	the summer solstice	June 21-22	the autumnal equinox	September 22-24	Winter Solstice	December 21-23
Qingming	April 4-6	Sunstroke	July 6-8	Cold dew	October 8-9	slight cold	January 5-7
grain rain	April 19-21	Severe heat	July 22-24	First Frost	October 23-24	Severe cold	January 20-21

Seventy-two

The Collection and Interpretation of Seventy two Marquis of Yueling is a written work compiled by Wu Cheng, a scholar of the Yuan Dynasty. In his book, "seventy-two solar terms" belong to the twenty-four solar terms, and each solar term is divided into three solar terms, each explaining its reason. It takes five days as a period, and each period corresponds to a phenological phenomenon, which is called "waiting". Among them, plants are supposed to sprout, blossom, and bear fruit; Animals should have their first vibration, first sound, mating, migration, etc; Non biological waiting includes initial freezing, thawing, and initial sound of thunder. Because the time unit of climate is small (5 days is a climate), and the interannual and regional climate is very different, it is difficult to use it widely. The written records of "Seventy two Marquis" were first found in the "Six Seasons of Yizhou Book".^[80]

“ Seventy-two ”They are:

Seventy-two
Solar term	introduce
Winter Solstice	On the day of winter solstice, the earthworm knots, the elk horn disintegrates for five days, and the water springs move for five days.
slight cold	On the day of light cold in Yanbei Township, another five day magpie started its nest and another five day pheasant started its robin.
Severe cold	In the cold days, the chicken suckles, the vulture and the bird are fierce for five days, and the water is hard for five days.
Beginning of Spring	On the first day of spring, the east wind thawed, the insects began to shake up five days later, and the fish went on ice five days later.
rain	On the day of rain, the otter sacrificed fish, and five days later, the wild geese came (waiting for the wild geese north), and five days later, the vegetation sprouted.
The Waking of Insects	Peaches begin to blossom on the day when the insects are awakened, and five days when the barn is ringing, and five days when the eagle turns into a dove.
Vernal equinox	On the day of the spring equinox, the black bird arrives, and five days later, the thunder starts to sound, and five days later, the electricity starts to strike.
Qingming	On the day of Tomb Sweeping Day, Tongs began to bloom, voles turned into bamboos five days later, and rainbow appeared five days later.
grain rain	On the day of grain rain, the Ping was born. On the fifth day, the dove whistled and brushed its feathers. On the fifth day, Dai Sheng fell to the mulberry tree.
Beginning of summer	On the first day of summer, the mole grasshopper chirps, the earthworm emerges five days later, and the king melon grows five days later.
grain full	On the day of Xiaoman, the bitter vegetable shows, the grass dies on five days, and the light summer comes on five days (Mai Qiusheng).
Awn seed	On the day of awn seed, the praying mantis is born, the shrike begins to sing for five days, and the tongue is turned back and silent for five days.
the summer solstice	On the day of summer solstice, antlers were broken, and five days later, the pile began to sound, and five days later, half summer was born.
Sunstroke	On the day of light summer, the wind is warm, and for five days, the crickets live and fight, and for five days, the eagles learn.
Severe heat	On the day of the great heat, the grass decayed into Juan, the earth moistened the summer heat for five days, and it rained heavily for five days.
Beginning of Autumn	On the beginning of autumn, the cool wind comes, the white dew falls for five days, and the cicadas chirp for five days.
Manage the summer heat	On the day of summer, eagles are sacrificed to birds; on five days, the heaven and the earth begin to quench; on five days, the grass is planted.
White dew	On the day of white dew, wild geese came, black birds returned five days later, and birds raised shame five days later.
the autumnal equinox	On the autumnal equinox, the thunder began to subside, the insects were stung for five days, and the water began to dry up for five days.
Cold dew	On the day of cold dew, wild geese and guests, on the other five days, birds enter the flood to become clams, and on the other five days, chrysanthemums have yellow flowers.
First Frost	On the day of frost, the jackals are sacrificial animals. Five days later, the grass and trees are yellow, and five days later, the insects are salty.
Beginning of winter	The water began to freeze on the beginning of winter, the ground began to freeze on the fifth day, and the pheasant entered the flood on the fifth day as a mirage.
light snow	On the day of light snow, the rainbow disappeared. On the other five days, the weather rose and the earth atmosphere dropped. On the other five days, the weather closed and became winter.
heavy snow	On the day of heavy snow, Hedan did not sing. Five days later, the tigers began to make friends, and five days later, Litang was born.^[46]

Other related

Announce

edit

Issue commemorative coins

People's Bank of China To be released on August 7, 2022 Twenty four solar terms (story of time) gold and silver commemorative coins a set. There are 28 gold and silver commemorative coins in this set, including 4 gold coins and 24 silver coins.^[78]

Protection and inheritance

"The twenty-four solar terms are listed as' intangible cultural heritage ', which is conducive to enhancing the popularity of these solar terms and protecting their cultural connotation. We should carefully study and discuss the twenty-four solar terms and the outstanding culture they contain, such as the concept of imitating, adapting to, and utilizing nature, the wisdom of the unity of heaven and man, and the unique understanding of the universe and nature of Chinese people, so as to contribute to today's society; For some folk cultural matters that have continued and passed on for hundreds or even thousands of years, we should actively explore the contents that are in line with the times, so that they can follow the times and resonate with the times.

On May 20, 2006, the "24 Solar Terms" was listed as a folk custom project approved by the State Council First batch National Intangible Cultural Heritage List 。 On November 30, 2016, China's "24 Solar Terms" were officially listed United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Representative works of human intangible cultural heritage Directories.

On May 5, 2017, the "24 Solar Terms" Protection Alliance was established in Gongshu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.^[3]^[5]^[44]^[47]

July 2019, by China Meteorological Administration Huafeng Meteorological Media Group The "China Weather · Twenty four Solar Terms Research Institute" jointly sponsored by the Meteorological Publicity and Science Popularization Center of the China Meteorological Administration was officially established.^[9]^[44]^[47-48]

On October 31, 2023, the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Project Protection Units was announced, and the 24 solar terms project protection unit National Agricultural Exhibition Hall (China Agricultural Museum) passed the evaluation 。^[81]

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