{"id":4867,"date":"2026-10-24T06:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T06:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/?p=4867"},"modified":"2026-10-24T06:37:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T06:37:01","slug":"%e6%98%a5-%e4%ba%8c%e5%8d%81%e5%9b%9b%e7%af%80%e6%b0%97","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/ja\/spring-solar-terms\/","title":{"rendered":"\u4e2d\u56fd\u306e\u6625\u306e\u4e8c\u5341\u56db\u7bc0\u6c17\uff1a\u8fb2\u4f5c\u696d\u30fb\u98df\u3079\u7269\u30fb\u7fd2\u4fd7"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Quick Answer: What Are the Six Spring Solar Terms?<\/h2>\n

The six spring solar terms (\u8282\u6c14, ji\u00e9q\u00ec) mark the traditional spring season, from early February until the start of summer in early May. Their fixed order and approximate starting dates are shown below.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
Term and pinyin<\/th>English name<\/th>Approximate Gregorian start<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Lichun (\u7acb\u6625, L\u00ecch\u016bn)<\/td>Start of Spring<\/td>Around February 4<\/td><\/tr>\n
Yushui (\u96e8\u6c34, Y\u01d4shu\u01d0)<\/td>Rain Water<\/td>Around February 19<\/td><\/tr>\n
Jingzhe (\u60ca\u86f0, J\u012bngzh\u00e9)<\/td>Awakening of Insects<\/td>Around March 5<\/td><\/tr>\n
Chunfen (\u6625\u5206, Ch\u016bnf\u0113n)<\/td>Spring Equinox<\/td>Around March 20<\/td><\/tr>\n
Qingming (\u6e05\u660e, Q\u012bngm\u00edng)<\/td>Clear and Bright<\/td>Around April 4\u20135<\/td><\/tr>\n
Guyu (\u8c37\u96e8, G\u01d4y\u01d4)<\/td>Grain Rain<\/td>Around April 20<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

These are approximate starting dates, not six fixed annual appointments. Each term also names the period until the next begins. Guyu continues until Lixia (\u7acb\u590f, L\u00ecxi\u00e0), the Start of Summer. For a particular year, check an astronomical table and its time zone; Hong Kong tables use UTC+8.[1][2]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<\/section>\n

\"Chinese
A visual guide to the six spring terms, regional customs and spring tea harvest labels.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A calendar can announce spring while northern fields remain cold. Farther south, rice nurseries and tea gardens follow different rhythms. China’s spring calendar connects these seasonal changes with food and customs, but their shared sequence does not give every region the same weather or farming timetable.<\/p>\n

How the Spring Solar Terms Follow the Sun<\/h2>\n

The 24 terms divide the Sun’s apparent annual path into steps of 15\u00b0 of ecliptic longitude. Lichun begins at 315\u00b0, followed by 330\u00b0, 345\u00b0, 0\u00b0, 15\u00b0 and 30\u00b0 for the remaining spring terms. The interval is roughly half a month, rather than exactly 15 days.[1]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

This is the solar component of the Chinese calendar, or Nongli (\u519c\u5386, n\u00f3ngl\u00ec). Lunar months follow the Moon, while solar terms keep track of the seasonal year. A term therefore has no fixed lunar month-and-day date. Our Chinese lunar calendar guide<\/a> explains how those two parts fit together.<\/p>\n

Traditional spring runs from Lichun to Lixia, with Chunfen near its middle. Weather-related names preserve observations associated with ancient central China. They provide a seasonal framework, while local plants, soil and weather determine what actually happens in a field.[1]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Farming, Food and Customs Across the Six Spring Terms<\/h2>\n

The agricultural descriptions below are regional examples, not planting instructions. The foods and rituals show how communities have marked the season in different ways.<\/p>\n

Lichun: Welcoming Spring<\/h3>\n

In northern winter-wheat areas, early spring work concerns a crop already sown the previous autumn. Conserving soil moisture, checking seedlings and managing cold damage can matter more than sowing new fields. Wheat resumes growth progressively from south to north; neither a date on the calendar nor a single warm afternoon makes the entire wheat belt ready for the same work.[3]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Around Beijing, Yaochun (\u54ac\u6625, y\u01ceoch\u016bn), or \u201cbiting spring,\u201d welcomes the season through food. Chunbing (\u6625\u997c, ch\u016bnb\u01d0ng) are thin pancakes wrapped around fillings such as bean sprouts, chives and shredded meat. Radish is another familiar bite-spring food. These are regional expressions of renewal, rather than a meal required across China.[4]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Zhejiang offers a different example: Jiuhua Lichun Ji (\u4e5d\u534e\u7acb\u6625\u796d, Ji\u01d4hu\u00e1 L\u00ecch\u016bn J\u00ec), the spring rite in Miaoyuan village, Quzhou. Its modern annual celebrations have been held since 2005 and include spring-ox rituals and wishes for a good farming year. Its long cultural roots coexist with modern revival and adaptation. The Lichun guide<\/a> explores the custom further.[5]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Yushui: Rain, Soil and Family Visits<\/h3>\n

Rain Water names the increasing importance of rainfall as spring develops. In warmer farming areas, rain can support winter wheat and rapeseed as growth resumes. Yet water has opposite jobs in different fields: dry northern soils may need moisture conserved, while wet southern fields need working drainage. Yushui does not promise rain on its opening day, and northern snowfall remains possible.[3][6]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

In western Sichuan, the term also carries a family association. Married daughters visit their parents with gifts, sometimes bringing Guanguanrou (\u7f50\u7f50\u8089, gu\u00e0ngu\u00e0nr\u00f2u), a pot of slow-cooked meat. Pork trotters, beans and kelp appear in recorded versions, though households do not all follow one recipe. The gift expresses thanks to parents and links the seasonal visit with family care.[6]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

The visit makes Yushui a family occasion as well as a seasonal marker in western Sichuan. The custom connects a married daughter’s household with her parents’ home; that social setting explains why a pot of meat carries more meaning than an ordinary meal.<\/p>\n

Jingzhe: Insects, Fieldwork and Pears<\/h3>\n

Awakening of Insects evokes spring thunder and creatures emerging from winter shelter. Warming conditions, including soil temperature, drive renewed animal activity; thunder is the traditional image, not a necessary wake-up signal. The timing of the first spring thunder also differs between northern and southern China.[7]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

For farmers, this period brings closer attention to growing crops, weeds and pests. In parts of the lower Yangtze region, winter wheat and rapeseed already need active management. Spring fieldwork therefore includes tending established plants, rather than simply beginning a nationwide sowing season.[7]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Eating pears is associated with Jingzhe in places including Shanxi. Folk explanations connect the fruit with leaving troubles behind, but the custom is not proof of a medical effect.[8]<\/sup> In parts of Guangdong, Ji Baihu (\u796d\u767d\u864e, j\u00ec b\u00e1ih\u01d4), the White Tiger rite, uses a paper tiger in a tradition concerned with averting quarrels and misfortune. This is separate from controlling pests in crops: the ritual belongs to folk belief, while pest management is agricultural work.[9]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Chunfen: Mid-Spring and Seasonal Games<\/h3>\n

At the March equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator northward. Day and night are nearly equal, rather than exactly twelve hours everywhere: the Sun’s apparent size and atmospheric refraction extend the daylight measured between sunrise and sunset. In the traditional Chinese seasonal sequence, this is mid-spring, not its beginning.[10]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Growing warmth increases the pace of farm work, but crop stage still decides the task. Winter wheat can need water and nutrient management as stems lengthen. Early-rice growers farther south may be raising seedlings, while later or colder rice areas follow a different timetable. There is no universal rule that all paddies must be transplanted at Chunfen.[3][11]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Egg balancing is a seasonal game. An egg can balance on other days too; the equinox supplies the occasion, not a special gravitational force.[12]<\/sup> Chuncai (\u6625\u83dc, ch\u016bnc\u00e0i), or spring greens, is another food association. The vegetables vary locally; modern examples include shepherd’s purse and bamboo shoots. The shared idea is enjoying seasonal growth, rather than following a single prescribed menu.[13]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Qingming: Spring Planting and Remembrance<\/h3>\n

Qingming combines a solar term with the Qingming Festival<\/a> (\u6e05\u660e\u8282, Q\u012bngm\u00edng Ji\u00e9), an occasion for remembering ancestors. Tomb visits and Taqing (\u8e0f\u9752, t\u00e0q\u012bng), spring outings, bring remembrance and outdoor seasonal life into the same part of the year. The festival developed alongside older seasonal traditions, including Cold Food observances; the astronomical term and the customs are related but distinct.[13][14]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

In rice-growing areas, warming conditions can support seedling production and field preparation. Northern winter-wheat farmers, meanwhile, are caring for an established crop. The familiar saying about planting melons and beans around Qingming expresses a broad seasonal association, not a guarantee that every region is ready to sow.[3][15]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

In Shanghai and the wider Jiangnan region, Qingtuan<\/a> (\u9752\u56e2, q\u012bngtu\u00e1n) are green rice cakes associated with Qingming. Their herb-scented dough encloses sweet or savory fillings, from red bean paste to newer combinations such as salted egg yolk and pork floss. Recipes and fillings vary, and the food is not a nationwide requirement.[14]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Tea picking can already be under way before Qingming. Qingming does not mark the opening of every tea region’s harvest.[16]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Guyu: Crop Rain and Spring Tea<\/h3>\n

Grain Rain is the last spring term. Water supports newly planted crops, but heavy rain can also flood fields. In the middle and lower Yangtze early-rice belt, transplanting may still continue after Guyu; in warmer southern areas, the same crop can be further advanced. Guyu is not a nationwide deadline for finishing rice planting or the last possible frost.[15]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Spring tea connects these seasonal markers with harvest labels. Mingqian (\u660e\u524d, m\u00edngqi\u00e1n) means tea picked before Qingming. Yuqian (\u96e8\u524d, y\u01d4qi\u00e1n) commonly means tea picked between Qingming and Guyu. These labels are especially familiar in Jiangnan green-tea contexts; cultivar, altitude, weather and processing also affect the finished tea. \u201cEarlier\u201d is not a universal quality grade.[16]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Guyu tea (\u8c37\u96e8\u8336, g\u01d4y\u01d4 ch\u00e1) is associated with picking or drinking fresh tea around the term. It should not automatically be treated as the same label as Yuqian.[17]<\/sup> Our Chinese tea harvest seasons guide<\/a> explains the wider picking calendar.<\/p>\n

Other local associations include eating Xiangchun (\u9999\u693f, xi\u0101ngch\u016bn), Chinese toon shoots, in parts of northern China, and honoring Cangjie, the legendary creator of Chinese writing, in Baishui, Shaanxi.[17]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Why Spring Arrives Differently Across China<\/h2>\n

Solar terms locate the Sun in its annual cycle; they do not measure the temperature of an individual field. Three differences explain why the same term can correspond to very different work:<\/p>\n