The Twenty-four Solar Terms

Chinese astronomy divides the year into twenty-

four parts based on the longitude of the sun on
the ecliptic, which are called the "Solar Terms".
This shows the relationship between the
universe, season, climate and agriculture. To
date, it has functioned as a complete weather
calendar , to guide the agricultural production in
China.

What is a Solar Term ?

A solar term is any of the 24 points in traditional East Asian

lunisolar calendars that matches a particular astronomical
event or signifies some natural phenomenon. The points are
spaced 15° apart along the ecliptic and are used by lunisolar
calendars to stay synchronized with the seasons. Solar terms
originated in China, then spread to Korea, Vietnam, and
Japan. Each solar term or node is the moment when the sun
reaches one of twenty-four equally
spaced points along the ecliptic, including the solstices and equinoxes, positioned at
fifteen degree intervals.

Because the calculation is solar based, these nodes fall around the same date every year
in solar calendars, but do not form any particular pattern in the Chinese calendar.
Calendars with the 24 seasonal markers are published each year in farmers' Chinese
almanacs.
What are the Twenty-four Solar Terms and their meanings ?

Each Jieqi (solar term) was given a name that signified the related meteorological and
phenological changes on the earth.
The table below show the Twenty-four Solar Terms :
Gregorian
solar terms Chinese name date Remarks
(approx.)
spring starts here according to
February the Chinese definition of a
start of spring 立春 lìchūn
4 season, see also Cross-quarter
day
starting at this point, the
February
rain water 雨水 yǔshuǐ temperature makes rain more
19
likely than snow
awakening of when hibernating insects
驚蟄 jīngzhé March 5
insects awaken
lit. the central divide of spring
vernal equinox 春分 chūnfēn March 20 (referring to the Chinese
seasonal definition)
a Chinese festival where,
clear and bright 清明 qīngmíng April 5 traditionally, ancestral graves
are tended
grain rains 穀雨 gǔyǔ or gǔyù April 20 rain helps grain grow
refers to the Chinese seasonal
start of summer 立夏 lìxià May 6
definition
grain full 小滿 xiǎomǎn May 21 grains are plump
芒種 mángzhòng or
grain in ear June 6 lit. awns (beard of grain) grow
mángzhǒng
lit. summer extreme (of sun's
summer solstice 夏至 xiàzhì June 21
height)
when heat starts to get
minor heat 小暑 xiǎoshǔ July 7
unbearable
major heat 大暑 dàshǔ July 23 the hottest time of the year
uses the Chinese seasonal
start of autumn 立秋 lìqiū August 7
definition
limit of heat 處暑 chùshǔ August 23 lit. dwell in heat
Septembe condensed moisture makes dew
white dew 白露 báilù
r8 white; a sign of autumn
lit. central divide of autumn
Septembe
autumnal equinox 秋分 qiūfēn (refers to the Chinese seasonal
r 23
definition)
cold dew 寒露 hánlù October 8 dew starts turning into frost
October appearance of frost and descent
descent of frost 霜降 shuāngjiàng
23 of temperature
November refers to the Chinese seasonal
start of winter 立冬 lìdōng
7 definition
November
minor snow 小雪 xiǎoxuě snow starts falling
22
December season of snowstorms in full
major snow 大雪 dàxuě
7 swing
December lit. winter extreme (of sun's
winter solstice 冬至 dōngzhì
22 height)
cold starts to become
minor cold 小寒 xiǎohán January 6
unbearable
January
major cold 大寒 dàhán coldest time of year
20
 Why was the Twenty-four Solar Terms was invented by
ancient Chinese?
In ancient times, agriculture was the economic mainstay of
China and its people, and the purpose of establishing a
calendar was to regulate agricultural production. Chinese
ancients discovered through astronomical observation, that
during the earth's 12-month orbit around
the sun, its changing position gave rise to periodical changes in climate and thus
distinctive farming seasons. They subsequently designated 24 positions within the
earth's orbit, calling them the 24 Jieqi (24 solar terms).

Chinese months follow the phases of the moon, and as a result, they do not precisely
follow the seasons of the solar year. To help farmers to decide when to plant or harvest
crops, the Chinese calendar is marked with 24 seasonal markers, which follow the solar
year.
How does the Twenty-four Solar Terms come into
existence and develop?

The Twenty-four Solar Terms come to being and develop in

close relationship with Chinese agricultural production,
and today the year comprises of 24 Solar Terms. During the
Shang Dynasty they only used four solar terms; the Zhou
Dynasty (11th century BC - 221BC), used eight; but it was in
the Western Han Dynasty (206BC - 24) that the 24 terms
were finally decided upon.
At the initial stage of agricultural development, people began to explore the seasonal
rule in the agricultural production to meet the needs in seeding, harvesting and other
activities. Gradually, they formed the concept of "Seed in Spring, grow in Summer,
Harvest in Autumn and Store in Winter". During the Spring and Autumn Period, the
agricultural production was high, subject to the seasonal changes with the invention of
iron tools, thus forming the concept of Solar Term. At that time, the method of tugui
was used to measure the shadow of the sun for determining the solar terms. Initially,
there were only the Summer Solstice and the Winter Solstice. Later added were the
Spring Equinox, the Autumnal Equinox, the Beginning of Spring, the Beginning of
Summer, the Beginning of Autumn and the Beginning of Winter.

 Astronomically, the Twenty-four Solar Terms are defined according to the position of
the sun on the ecliptic. 0 degree of celestial longitude is the Spring Equinox and the
every solar term matches the passage 15 degrees. As a result, there come Twenty-four
Solar Terms as it passes by 360 degrees. Later, the Twenty-four Solar Terms were
introduced into North Korea, Japan and other neighboring countries.

Source: http://www.chinatraveldepot.com/C216-The-Twenty-four-Solar-Terms
Pt 2

Solar Terms
Solar terms or jieqi are days marking one of the 24 time
zones of the solar year in traditional Chinese calendar. The 24
solar terms are special terms created by ancient working
people of China to reflect the changes of weather, climate and
natural phenomena. It is a unique component and creative
invention of Chinese traditional calendar. Solar terms originated in China, and then
spread to North Korea, Japan and other neighboring countries.
How are the solar terms defined?

Astronomically, the Twenty-four Solar Terms are defined according to the position of
the sun on the ecliptic. A solar term is any of 24 points in traditional East Asian
lunisolar calendars that matches a particular astronomical event or signifies some
natural phenomenon. 0 degree of celestial longitude is the Spring Equinox and the
points are spaced 15° apart along the ecliptic , and are used by lunisolar calendars to
stay synchronized with the seasons.

Because the Sun's speed along the ecliptic varies depending on the Earth-Sun distance,
the number of days that it takes the Sun to travel between each pair of solar terms varies
slightly throughout the year. Each solar term is divided into three pentads (候 hou), and
each pentad consists of five days (rarely six), so there are 72 pentads in a year.
What is the important role of the solar terms?

The solar terms are closely related to agricultural production

and every aspect of daily life, including clothing, food,
housing and transportation etc. Originated in the Yellow
River reaches, Jieqi reflected our ancestors’ knowledge about
climate changes during their farming activities. Over the
years, Jieqi has played an important role in China`s
agricultural and animal husbandry production.
How do you decide a leap year according to solar terms?

The 24 solar terms is a gross name of the system that

comprises of 12 major solar terms and 12 minor solar terms
interlaced with each other. Starting from "雨水 spring showers
", the 12 major solar terms are "雨水 spring showers ", "春分
vernal equinox", "谷雨 corn rain", "小满 corn forms", "夏至
summer solstice", "大暑 great heat", "处暑 end of heat", "秋分
autumnal equinox","霜降 frost", "小雪 light snow", "冬至
winter solstice", and "大寒 severe
cold" . Each major solar term falls on one of the 12 lunar months, designated by the 12
earthly branches.

The minor solar term after "雨水 spring showers " is "惊蜇 insects waken" and then in
turn "清明 bright and clear", "立夏 summer commences", "芒种 corn on ear", "小暑
moderate heat",  "立秋 autumn commences", "白露 white dew", "寒露 cold dew", "立
冬 winter commences", "大雪 heavy snow", "小寒 moderate cold", and "立春 spring
commences".

In the Agricultural Calendar, each lunar month contains a major solar term. A lunar
month that does not include a major solar term is taken as the leap month of the
preceding month. In 19 tropical years there will be 228 major solar terms and 235
months. Therefore, 7 lunar months will not contain major solar terms and they are
classified as leap months.