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The 24 Solar Terms

èrshísì jiéqì — "Twenty-four seasons of the sun"

Long before weather apps, Chinese farmers read the seasons through the 二十四节气 (èrshísì jiéqì), the 24 solar terms. Each marks a subtle turn in the year—the first thunder that wakes hibernating insects, the rains that swell the grain, the longest night of winter. Poetic yet precise, they map the sun's journey and still shape how China farms, eats, and lives by the seasons.

May 27, 2026
Right now处暑End of Heat · next: 白露 White Dew in 13 days

How It Works

Unlike the festival calendar, the solar terms are purely astronomical: they divide the sun's apparent path along the ecliptic into 24 equal arcs of 15° each. The sun crosses one roughly every 15 days, so the terms fall on nearly fixed Gregorian dates—立春 (Start of Spring) around February 4, 夏至 (Summer Solstice) around June 21, and 冬至 (Winter Solstice) around December 22.

The 24 names form a vivid seasonal poem. Many describe weather or farm work directly—惊蛰 (jīngzhé) is the "Awakening of Insects" when spring thunder stirs them, and 谷雨 (gǔyǔ) is "Grain Rain," the moisture that nourishes young crops. Together they chart the full arc from sowing to harvest to rest.

Origins & History

The solar terms developed over two thousand years ago, taking their mature form in the Han dynasty as a guide for agriculture in the Yellow River heartland. Because they track the sun rather than the moon, they offered farmers a reliable seasonal clock that the lunar months alone could not.

In 2016, UNESCO inscribed the 二十四节气 on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, honoring them as "China's fifth great invention"—a knowledge system that has guided life and thought for millennia.

In Chinese Life Today

Several solar terms double as cherished occasions. 清明 (qīngmíng), around April 5, is both a term and the Tomb-Sweeping Festival, when families honor ancestors; 冬至 (dōngzhì), the winter solstice, gathers families to eat dumplings in the north and 汤圆 in the south.

The terms still shape the table and the body. Traditional Chinese medicine (中医, zhōngyī) pairs each season with foods and habits—eating warming dishes at 冬至, lighter fare as 立夏 (Start of Summer) arrives—keeping the rhythm of the sun alive in everyday wellness.

Why It Matters for Learners

The solar terms are a doorway into Chinese culture, agriculture, and beautifully descriptive vocabulary—names like "Grain Rain" and "Awakening of Insects" teach poetic, concrete language while revealing how deeply Chinese life is tied to the seasons. Spotting a term like 清明 also helps you understand festivals, food customs, and seasonal small talk.

The Year’s 24 Solar Terms

Spring 春 Summer 夏 Autumn 秋 Winter 冬

Click any term to read about it. The red-ringed slice is the term in effect today.

Did You Know?

China's Fifth Great InventionUNESCO added the 24 solar terms to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016; admirers call them China's "fifth great invention" after paper, printing, gunpowder, and the compass.
Insects Wake to Thunder惊蛰 ("Awakening of Insects") marks the spring thunder that, by tradition, rouses hibernating creatures from the soil—one of the most poetic names in any calendar.
Almost Fixed DatesBecause they follow the sun, solar terms land on nearly the same Gregorian date every year—立春 around February 4, 冬至 around December 22.
Dumplings at the SolsticeOn 冬至 (Winter Solstice), northern Chinese eat dumplings—folklore says it keeps your ears from freezing in the coldest depths of winter.