The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into "24 solar terms". Start of Autumn (li qiu) is the 13th solar term of the year. This year, it begins on Aug 7 and ends on Aug 23.

Start of Autumn marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn — a time of harvest and abundance.

In China, the "24 solar terms" were created thousands of years ago to guide agricultural production. Today, this tradition offers guidance for daily life through special foods, cultural ceremonies, and even health tips aligned with each term.

Here are nine things you should know about Start of Autumn.

'Autumn Tiger'

Although Start of Autumn marks the beginning of autumn, hot weather does not immediately end. The period of hot days following Start of Autumn, usually lasting about 30 days, is known as "Autumn Tiger". Due to decreasing precipitation, this period can feel even more sweltering than the Major Heat phase.

Fleshing out in autumn

On the first day of Start of Autumn, people typically weigh themselves and compare their weight with what it was at the beginning of Start of Summer. If they have lost weight over the summer, it is customary to "flesh out" by enjoying a variety of delicious food, especially meat.

Gathering crops

Start of Autumn is an important solar term for farmers, marking the beginning of the harvest season. An old saying goes, "If it rains on the day of Start of Autumn, a good harvest is expected."

Eating peaches

The peach pits are kept until New Year's Eve, and then thrown into the stove and burned to ash. It is believed that this ritual helps prevent plagues throughout the year.

Eating longans

Start of Autumn marks the harvest time for the longan. Eating longan is believed to bring good fortune or career success to future generations.

Eating dumplings

In Shandong province, local residents make dumplings during Start of Autumn, a tradition known as "Eating the Autumn". Senior family members stand in the middle of the hall to worship a bowl of cereal and pray for a bountiful harvest. Most families share dumplings together on the day after Start of Autumn.

Eating red beans

Since the Tang (618-907) and the Song (960-1279) dynasties, people in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, have eaten red beans on the day of Start of Autumn. They take seven to 14 little beans, swallowing them with well water. It is said that when taking the beans, one must face west, as it is believed to help prevent dysentery during the autumn.

Eating gourds

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), people placed gourds outside for a day before Start of Autumn and ate them the following day to drive off summer heat. Today, residents in Tianjin continue this custom, believing that eating melons such as towel gourd, white gourd, and bitter gourd can help prevent diarrhea in autumn as well as the coming winter and spring.

'Touching Autumn'

In the northern part of Yancheng, Jiangsu province, there is a custom known as "touching Autumn". On the eve of Start of Autumn, people freely pick and take all kinds of fruits from private or public gardens without upsetting the owners, regardless of how many fruits were picked. Many gardeners even deliberately leave ripe fruits overnight for visitors to enjoy.

 

Vocabulary

立秋

lì qiū

Start of Autumn

 

龙眼

lóng yǎn

longans

 

红豆

hóng dòu

red beans

 

摸秋

mō qiū

touching Autumn

 

秋老虎

qiū lǎo hǔ

Autumn Tiger

 

贴秋膘

tiē qiū biāo

flesh out in autumn

 

立秋对农民们来说十分重要，因为它标志着收获季节的开始。

lì qiū duì nóng mín men lái shuō shí fēn zhòng yào ，yīn wèi tā biāo zhì zhe shōu huò jì jié de kāi shǐ。

Start of Autumn is an important solar term for farmers, marking the beginning of the harvest season.

 

立秋标志着夏天的结束和秋天的开始，它代表着收获与富足。

lì qiū biāo zhì zhe xià tiān de jié shù hé qiū tiān de kāi shǐ，tā dài biǎo zhe shōu huò yǔ fù zú。

Start of Autumn marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn — a time of harvest and abundance.