The 24 Solar Terms (节气), Explained — China's 2,000-Year-Old Climate Calendar

Most people meet the Chinese calendar as a lunar calendar — the one that determines Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn. But there's a second, parallel system woven into the same calendar: the 24 solar terms (24 节气, èrshísì jiéqì). They're what made the Chinese agricultural year work for 2,000 years.

What are solar terms?

The 24 solar terms divide the solar year into 24 segments of about 15 days each, based on the sun's position along the ecliptic. They're fully solar (not lunar), so they fall on roughly the same Gregorian dates each year — give or take a day.

Why they mattered

Before printed weather forecasts, farmers needed a way to know when to plant rice, when to expect the first frost, when the heaviest rains were coming. The solar terms encode that knowledge — each term marks a real, observable transition in the Chinese subtropical climate.

All 24 solar terms

In order through the year:

1. 立春 Lìchūn — Start of Spring (~Feb 4). Buds under snow.
2. 雨水 Yǔshuǐ — Rain Water (~Feb 19). Ice softens; rivers move.
3. 惊蛰 Jīngzhé — Awakening of Insects (~Mar 5). Thunder stirs sleeping things.
4. 春分 Chūnfēn — Spring Equinox (~Mar 20). Day equals night.
5. 清明 Qīngmíng — Pure Brightness (~Apr 5). Tomb sweeping; spring outings.
6. 谷雨 Gǔyǔ — Grain Rain (~Apr 20). Soft rain feeds the grain.
7. 立夏 Lìxià — Start of Summer (~May 5). The world leans into work.
8. 小满 Xiǎomǎn — Grain Buds (~May 21). Wheat is plump but unripe.
9. 芒种 Mángzhòng — Grain in Ear (~Jun 6). Plant or miss the window.
10. 夏至 Xiàzhì — Summer Solstice (~Jun 21). The longest day.
11. 小暑 Xiǎoshǔ — Minor Heat (~Jul 7). Warmth before the furnace.
12. 大暑 Dàshǔ — Major Heat (~Jul 23). The year burns brightest.
13. 立秋 Lìqiū — Start of Autumn (~Aug 8). Metal returns; light tilts inward.
14. 处暑 Chǔshǔ — End of Heat (~Aug 23). Evenings turn honest.
15. 白露 Báilù — White Dew (~Sep 8). Silver on the grass at dawn.
16. 秋分 Qiūfēn — Autumn Equinox (~Sep 23). Balance, heading the other way.
17. 寒露 Hánlù — Cold Dew (~Oct 8). Gather what summer gave.
18. 霜降 Shuāngjiàng — Frost Descends (~Oct 23). First frost; earth pauses.
19. 立冬 Lìdōng — Start of Winter (~Nov 7). Inward turn; keep counsel.
20. 小雪 Xiǎoxuě — Minor Snow (~Nov 22). Snow in passing.
21. 大雪 Dàxuě — Major Snow (~Dec 7). White on white; deep decisions.
22. 冬至 Dōngzhì — Winter Solstice (~Dec 22). The longest night.
23. 小寒 Xiǎohán — Minor Cold (~Jan 6). Simmer something patient.
24. 大寒 Dàhán — Major Cold (~Jan 20). The year at its stillest.

Why they still matter

You might not need to know when to plant rice. But the solar terms are still:

• A practical seasonal rhythm — they map onto real climate transitions in much of East Asia.
• The basis for the Chinese month pillar — your bazi month pillar is determined by the solar term you were born in, not the lunar month.
• The schedule for Qingming and dietary traditions — many Chinese families adjust diet (more cooling foods after 立夏, more warming foods after 立冬) and herb regimens by solar term.
• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — recognized in 2016.

You can see the current solar term and its dates in the right column of Today, and all 24 across any year on the Calendar.