The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Autumn, or Liqiu in Chinese, is the 13th solar term of the year and the first solar term of autumn. It usually falls on August 7 or 8 each year, when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 135 degrees. Start of Autumn reflects the end of summer and the beginning of autumn — the fruitful season is approaching. In ancient China, people emphasized a lot on this term since they regarded it as the significant point when summer turned into autumn.
In ancient times, the Start of Autumn was divided into three five-day periods, known as sanhou: "In the first phase comes the cool wind" — after the Start of Autumn, northern winds start to prevail in many places of China, bringing coolness to the land; "In the second phase fall the white dews" — during this period, it is still very hot in daytime but cool in the evening, so dew will form on the surface of outdoor plants in the morning; the third phase marks the chirping of cold cicadas, signaling the gradual retreat of summer heat.
Although Start of Autumn indicates the beginning of autumn, hot weather will not come to an end. The period of hot days after Start of Autumn, usually lasting for 30 days, is called "Autumn Tiger" or "Indian Summer". Because of decreasing precipitation, it is even more sweltering during this period than during Major Heat.
"A falling leaf heralds the coming of autumn"
In Chinese culture, the Start of Autumn is closely associated with the imagery of a single falling leaf. The idiom "一叶知秋" (yī yè zhī qiū), meaning "a falling leaf heralds the coming of autumn," has been used for centuries as a metaphor for perceiving the development of a situation from small signs. The concept traces back to the Huainanzi (《淮南子》), a Han dynasty text, which states: "Seeing one leaf fall, one knows the year is drawing to a close." The leaf in this idiom specifically refers to the leaf of the parasol tree, or Chinese phoenix tree (wutong). The parasol tree has broad leaves that are highly sensitive to temperature changes. As the temperature drops around the Start of Autumn, the leaf stalks weaken and the leaves begin to fall — earlier and more noticeably than those of other trees. The parasol tree also holds a special place in Chinese culture. It is regarded as an "auspicious tree" symbolizing good fortune, nobility and prosperity, as celebrated in the Book of Songs (Shijing): "The phoenix sings on the high ridge; the parasol tree grows facing the morning sun." In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the imperial court even held a formal ritual to "announce autumn" using the parasol tree. According to the Dream of the Southern Capital (Mengliang Lu) by Wu Zimu of the late Song Dynasty: "On the day of Start of Autumn, officials of the astronomical bureau planted a parasol tree in the palace hall. At the exact moment of Start of Autumn, the official would announce: 'Autumn has come!' And at that very moment, one or two leaves would fall from the tree, as if in response — a symbolic way of heralding the arrival of autumn."
Traditional customs
Fleshing out in autumn – On the first day of the Start of Autumn, usually people will weigh themselves and compare their weight to what it was at the Start of Summer. If one has lost weight during the summer, then at the beginning of autumn, he or she needs to flesh out by eating many different kinds of delicious food, especially meat.
Biting autumn / Eating gourds – During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), people would put gourds outside for a day before the Start of Autumn, and eat them on Start of Autumn day to drive off the summer heat. Today people in Tianjin still keep this custom, believing that eating melons such as towel gourd, white gourd and bitter gourd can prevent diarrhea in autumn and the coming winter and spring.
Eating peaches – In Hangzhou, people eat peaches on the Start of Autumn day. The peach stones are kept until New Year's Eve and thrown into the stove, burned into ash. People believed that in this way, plagues could be prevented for the whole year.
Eating dumplings – In Shandong province, people make dumplings during the Start of Autumn, and they call it "Eating the Autumn". On the day of Start of Autumn, senior members of the family will stand in the middle of the hall, worshiping a bowl of cereal, and praying for the harvest in autumn. Most of the families will eat dumplings together after Start of Autumn day.
Touching Autumn – There is the custom of "Touching Autumn" in the northern part of Yancheng, Jiangsu province. On the eve of Start of Autumn, people can touch and take for free all kinds of fruits as they like in private or public gardens, and the owners will not be angry, no matter how much they lose. Many gardeners even leave some mellow fruits in the field on purpose for the guests during the night.
Agricultural significance – Start of Autumn is a big solar term for farmers. It is time to gather crops. There is a saying: "If it rains on the day of the Start of Autumn, a good harvest is expected."
Source: Chinajob
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