The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms (节气, jié qì). End of Heat, (处暑, chǔ shǔ), the 14th solar term of the year, begins this year on Aug 22 and ends on Sept 6.

End of Heat marks the transition from summer to autumn across much of China, though in some regions, particularly in South China, the heat lingers, delaying autumn’s arrival. End of Heat is also a crucial time for farmers as they enter the busy harvest season.

The following are six traditional concepts you should know about the End of Heat.

Enjoying fall colors in early September (迎秋赏景, yíng qiū shǎng jǐng)

In China, regions beyond the Great Wall will enter autumn in early September, where people can enjoy the scenery as it changes with the season.

Autumn weariness (秋乏, qiū fá)

There is a saying that "People tend to feel sleepy in spring, doze in summer, and feel tired in autumn" (春困夏倦秋乏, chūn kùn xià juàn qiū fá). The transition to cooler weather during End of Heat brings with it what is known as "autumn weariness". It is a sign that the human body needs rest after consuming excessive energy during the summer. Make sure to get plenty of sleep (充足的睡眠, chōng zú de shuì mián), do more exercises, and keep plants indoors to help.

Enjoying clouds (赏云, shǎng yún)

Summer temperatures dissipate with the arrival of End of Heat. With the changing weather, clouds in the sky scatter around, forming different shapes. There is a saying that goes, 七月八月看巧云 (qī yuè bā yuè kàn qiǎo yún), meaning "Enjoying the clouds of various forms in July and August" (lunar month: 农历, nóng lì).

Time for night-blooming cereus (赏昙花, shǎng tán huā)

The night-blooming cereus is a flower full of mystery that often blooms during End of Heat. This is because the climate during End of Heat, characterized by warm days and cool nights, is similar to tropical deserts. Night-blooming cereus originates in the tropical deserts from Mexico to Brazil. They blossom at night to avoid the blazing daytime sun.

Eating duck (吃鸭子, chī yā zi)

Duck has a sweet flavor and, according to Chinese traditional medicine (传统中医理论，chuán tǒng zhōng yī lǐ lùn), also has a "cool" nature (鸭子性寒，yā zi xìng hán). It is tradition to eat duck during End of Heat. There are many recipes for cooking duck, including roast duck, cooked duck with lemon, smoked duck with walnut dressing ,and sautéed duck with ginger shoots. The tradition of eating duck during the End of Heat period is still popular in China today.

The Fishing Season Festival (开渔节, kāi yú jié)

For fishermen, End of Heat is a season of harvest. During this period, the Fishing Season Festival is held in regions along the coastline of the East China Sea in Zhejiang province. The festival is held on the day when the fishing ban ends and fishermen can start fishing again. Due to high temperatures in the sea, stocks of fish are bountiful and mature. This is the perfect time to enjoy many kinds of seafood (海鲜, hǎi xiān).