Lifestyle

After April, the last month of spring, summer sends its greetings in May. Summer weather is typically rainy and hot. Because it is a ripening time for crops, this period is crucial for farming.

By HOU PENG & LIU JIAN

STAYING COOL: People go boating on li xia day in south China (XINHUA)

Solar Term 7: Beginning of Summer (Li Xia)

Gregorian date: May 5 or 6

Lunar date: Early in the 4th month

Li is defined as beginning or start, and xia means summer. In East Asian cultures, li xia marks the beginning of summer. On the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around May 5 and ends around May 21. Falling on May 5 in 2010, li xia is an official farewell to spring and an open-armed embrace of summer.

Li xia is a climate turning point. Around li xia, temperatures rise to at least 18 or 20 degrees Celsius in most parts of China. After li xia, the weather becomes progressively warmer. Creatures become more and more dynamic and animated. Farmers are busy working in the fields, and crops are growing fast. A farmers' saying goes: "All fields should be weeded for three days in a row after li xia."

In many regions of China, people have maintained their li xia traditions over the years, making special porridges, drinking tea and eating eggs. As the day draws near in places like Ningbo, Zhejiang, it's local custom for people to prepare boiled eggs in tea, along with a hearty dinner that includes bamboo shoots and local fresh vegetables. It is said that eating bamboo shoots aids in building strong, long arms and legs – just like bamboo. Eating beans can improve a person's eyes, since they are of similar shape.

On li xia day, people avoid sitting on doorsteps, since it's believed this can enfeeble the body, causing hands to become acidic and feet to be soft for the whole year. In ancient times, large scales were hung by village households in south China for villagers to weigh themselves; the custom is still practiced today using modern scales.

Li xia indicates that summer heat and yang energy are on the way. Health experts say it's important to follow a good diet and exercise during this transitional period between spring and summer.

Farmers transplant rice seedlings in south China's Yunnan Province on xiao man day (XINHUA)

Solar Term 8: Grain Full (Xiao Man)

Gregorian date: May 21 or 22

Lunar date: Middle of the 4th month

Xiao man, or Grain Full, centers around the ripening period for grains. According to the Gregorian calendar, this usually begins around May 21 and ends around June 5.

At this time of the year, summer crops are maturing in the north, while the south is in the midst of its summer harvest and summer sowing. In south China, the two-week period initiated by xiao man is one in which wheat and potatoes are harvested, and sweet potato cuttings are taken.

During xiao man, it's customary for people to eat sow thistle, a kind of wild herb. In old China, poor peasant farmers had to allay their hunger with wild herbs. Out of respect for these struggles, eating sow thistle has gradually become a special xiao man food tradition.

In southern parts of China, xiao man is tied to rainwater levels and irrigation. Farmers' sayings about their importance include, "If there is not enough rainwater during xiao man, there will be cracks all over the field."

Since last October, a rainfall shortage has plagued southwest China, drying up vast farmland and leaving people in desperate need of drinking water – the worst drought in decades. Hopefully, there will be enough rainwater during the xiao man period this year. Let's keep our fingers crossed!