Solar Terms 101: Survive Minor Heat Like the Elegant Ancient Chinese

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 节气 jiéqì solar terms based on seasonal changes and natural phenomenon. They play an important role in guiding agricultural activities, even to this day. But even city-dwellers like us can enjoy them. Each solar term has its own associated customs, traditions, and even recipes. In Solar Terms 101, we delve into what makes each one special...

Name of the solar term: 小暑 xiǎoshǔ lit. “Minor Heat” 
Gregorian date: Jul 7 +/- a day (Jul 6, 2020)

What is xiaoshu all about?

Although the Chinese calendar recognizes 立夏 lìxià as the beginning of summer, the real heat starts to hit from 小暑 xiǎoshǔ, the 11th solar term of the year which coincides with the sun reaching the 105 degree of the celestial longitude. 

With the influence of the southeast monsoon continuing to grow, warm, humid air reaches into the northern and inner parts of China, even affecting places as dry as Beijing. Therefore, capital dwellers should be prepared for more rainfall following the advent of this solar term. Many regions in China are hit by their heavy storm season around this time, when peaceful nights of sleep are torn asunder by window-trembling thunder. In typically rainy Southern China though, the subtropical climate can lead to a scorching summer and the potential for more droughts. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can say goodbye to the infamous hot and damp “sauna weather” that turns your clothes into plastic wrap. As the folk saying goes, “小暑大暑，上蒸下煮 xiǎoshǔ dàshǔ, shàng zhēng xià zhǔ” “Xiaoshu is followed by Dashu, steaming you first and boiling you afterward.”

The micro-seasons of xiaoshu

Just like other solar terms, xiaoshu is divided into three micro-seasons according to the natural phenomenons that commonly take place within these 15 days. The first one is 温风至 wēn fēng zhì, which can be translated to something like a heatwave, indicating that asphalt-melting temperatures are on their way. The second one is 蟋蟀居宇 xīshuài jū yǔ, or crickets live in the yard, referring to the fact that crickets and a few other insects abandon the fields for greener, cooler yards in the summertime. Similarly, eagles train their kids for high-accuracy hunting during the 鹰始鸷 yīng shǐ zhì micro-season of this solar term for the same reason. After all, there is no better way to stay cool than soaring high above the sky.

Jasmines on the head, fireflies in the bag

There aren't many records about traditions surrounding the xiaoshu season, but that hasn't stopped experts from speculating about how the ancient Chinese would spend these hot summer months.

Just like the modern-day student who stays at home and binge-plays video games during summer vacation, ancient Chinese found that the heat outside was a good excuse to hone their Go skills indoors. As one of the four arts in China, the Go game requires an extremely high level of concentration and requires players to keep their internal peace throughout the match, which is an efficient way to stay cool according to traditional belief, 心静自然凉 xīnjìng zìrán liáng a peaceful mind will cool down the body. 

Despite the heat, outdoorsy types still found ways to entertain themselves as well. Fishing with a conical hat was a good way to prevent sunburns, while simultaneously putting food on the table. Likewise, when the sun goes down, the balmy air brought out beautifully-lit fireflies in droves. In fact, according to historical records from the Jin Dynasty, there was a poor student who couldn't afford to buy any lamp oil, so he came up with the idea to store fireflies in a bag for his nighttime study.

And, in a season when your body can easily produce unpleasant smells, true ancient Chinese gentlemen and ladies used jasmine blooms as a perfume and accessory. The flowers were usually intertwined on a thin iron wire and sold on streets near the Changjiang River. Instead of smashing the petals into their underarms, however, women would hook the buds onto clasps in their hair. The flower would not only produce a refreshing fragrance but also wave elegantly while they went about their business.

What to eat for xiaoshu

In the most southern parts of China, such as Guangdong or Fujian, Hakka people would have harvested the early season rice. Due to warfare and natural disasters, the Hakka were constantly on the move and the mountainous areas weren't suitable for rice growing. Consequently, the harvest of the early season rice meant much more to them than a simple agricultural achievement. They would pay their tribute to the god of grains and their ancestors before eating the plain but tasty rice. In fact, the rice would be quite a treat in an age when people consumed nothing more than porridge and coarse cereal on ordinary days.

In other parts of China, you didn't have to be austere during xiaoshu. We all know lamb is a popular dish in northern China during winter, but some places made lamb dishes even during xiaoshu. They believed the steaming summer can deplete a lot of yang energy from the body, and the name for lamb (羊 yáng) happens to a homophone of yang, thus it was thought to be a great way to refill one’s energy. People who reside around the Changjiang River may disagree with us northerners, however, since their traditional food for xiaoshu are sweet water eels, honey marinated lotus roots, and green bean sprouts. 

Read: Solar Terms 101: Heat, Plums, and the Changing of Energy for Xiazhi, AKA Summer Solstice

Images: Zhihu, Sohu, Shobserver, OTTAWAZINE