Quick Answer: When Is Xiaoshu, Minor Heat?
Xiaoshu (小暑, Xiǎoshǔ), or Minor Heat, begins when the Sun’s apparent ecliptic longitude reaches 105 degrees. It falls on July 7 in the Hong Kong Observatory’s 2026 and 2027 calendars. It marks a stage in summer and is followed by Major Heat. [1][2][3]
- Sequence: Minor Heat follows the summer solstice. The Observatory also calls it Moderate Heat. [1]
- Hot-day count: Sanfu (三伏, sānfú) uses a different calendar rule. Its first period began July 15 in 2026. [4]
- Local custom: Accounts from the lower Yangtze region describe tasting new rice in the season. [5][6]
Use the solar-term date for Xiaoshu and the traditional day count for Sanfu. [1][4]
One of the seasonal customs associated with Xiaoshu is a meal made from newly harvested rice. Some accounts describe setting out the rice as an offering before tasting it. The name for the custom means tasting what is new. [5][6]
How the Calendar Sets the Minor Heat Date
The 24 solar terms divide the Sun’s apparent annual path into 15-degree steps. Xiaoshu begins at 105 degrees, after Summer Solstice at 90 and before Major Heat at 120. The Hong Kong Observatory’s 2026 almanac lists the Xiaoshu crossing at 9:57 a.m. on July 7 in Hong Kong time. [1][2][3]
The solar date is shared, but local rain patterns vary. For 2024, the China Meteorological Administration’s regional breakdown gives July 3 as the end of the plum rains in its Jiangnan category and July 15 in its middle and lower Yangtze category. [1][7]
Why Minor Heat and Sanfu Have Different Dates
The first period of Sanfu begins on the third geng day (庚日, gēngrì) counted from the summer solstice. Geng is one of the ten stems in the traditional day cycle. In 2026 the third such day was July 15, eight days after Xiaoshu on July 7. [2][4]
A calendar can therefore show the first day of Sanfu during the period associated with Minor Heat. To find it, count the geng days from the solstice instead of using the Minor Heat entry. [1][2][4]
Tasting New Rice and Other Summer Foods
The Nanjing Local Gazetteer Office describes tasting the new crop, called shixin (食新, shíxīn). Its account includes cooking rice from the new harvest and offering it to ancestors or agricultural deities before the harvest food is shared. The same account records new wine accompanying the observance. [5]
Seasonal food can differ across the lower Yangtze region. A Zhejiang cultural account also mentions eating lotus root in Jiangnan at Xiaoshu. The new-rice custom follows the arrival of a crop. The lotus-root example reflects a different seasonal ingredient. [5][6]
FAQs About Xiaoshu and Minor Heat
Is Xiaoshu the same as Major Heat?
Xiaoshu begins at 105 degrees and Major Heat follows at 120. The two terms are separate markers in the solar year. [1]
Does Xiaoshu always begin on July 7?
Its date depends on when the Sun reaches 105 degrees in the local time zone. July 7 is the entry in the Hong Kong Observatory calendars for 2026 and 2027. [1][2][3]
Sources
[1] Hong Kong Observatory. The 24 Solar Terms
[2] Hong Kong Observatory. Hong Kong Observatory Almanac 2026
[3] Hong Kong Observatory. 2027 Gregorian–Lunar Conversion Table
[4] Shanghai Municipal Government. The Beginning of Sanfu in 2026
[5] Nanjing Local Gazetteer Office. Nanjing Customs in the Summer Solar Terms
[6] Zhejiang Federation of Humanities and Social Sciences Circles. Customs at Minor Heat
[7] China Meteorological Administration. China Climate Bulletin 2024