What are the 24 solar terms?

The 24 solar terms are: summer solstice, winter solstice, vernal equinox, autumnal equinox, beginning of spring, long summer, beginning of autumn, beginning of winter, rain, fright, Qingming, Grain Rain, Xiaoman, Miscanthus, summer, midsummer, Chushu, Bailu, cold dew, first frost, light snow, heavy snow, slight cold and severe cold.

Twenty-four solar terms represent climate change and agricultural season, which is of great significance in agricultural production and is the characteristic of our summer calendar.

The twenty-four solar terms mainly reflect the climate of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River with Luoyang to Kaifeng as the center. Twenty-four solar terms originated in the Yellow River Basin. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, four solar terms were set, namely, mid-spring, mid-summer, mid-autumn and mid-winter.

The twenty-four solar terms reflect the influence of the sun on the earth and belong to the solar calendar category. It is a knowledge system formed by observing the movement of the sun in a year and understanding the changing laws of the four seasons, climate and phenology in a year. It not only plays a guiding role in agricultural production, but also affects the food, clothing, housing and transportation of ancient people, and even cultural concepts.