The twenty-four solar terms, or èrshísì jiéqì (二十四节气), give the Chinese calendar a precise solar rhythm. They divide the Sun’s apparent annual path into twenty-four equal positions rather than dividing the weather into twenty-four guaranteed conditions.
A position of the Sun, not a weather forecast
From Earth, the Sun appears to travel along a path called the ecliptic. The solar-term system divides that 360-degree path into twenty-four segments of 15 degrees each. A term begins at the instant the Sun reaches its assigned longitude.
This astronomical definition is repeatable. The name attached to a term may mention rain, dew, snow, heat or crops, but it does not promise that weather in every place. “Minor Snow,” for example, is a seasonal name—not a forecast that snow will fall across China that day.
The names carry the climate of their history
UNESCO describes the knowledge system as originating in the Yellow River reaches, where observations of seasons, astronomy and natural phenomena shaped its formulation. It later spread and developed through agricultural work, ritual, teaching, proverbs and everyday routines.
That history matters when reading the names. China spans many regional climates, and Chinese communities live far beyond the mainland. A term can remain calendrically exact while its local weather, crops, foodways and social meaning differ by region, period and community.
The complete cycle
The sequence below begins with Start of Spring, the traditional opening of the seasonal cycle. A calendar year, however, begins in January with Minor Cold and Major Cold—so the yearly lookup tool presents terms in date order.
spring
315°–30°- 1
Start of Spring
立春Lìchūn315°The traditional calendrical opening of spring; it is not the same event as Lunar New Year.
- 2
Rain Water
雨水Yǔshuǐ330°A name associated with the return of rain and thawing conditions in the system’s formative climate.
- 3
Awakening of Insects
惊蛰Jīngzhé345°Traditionally links early-spring warmth and thunder with renewed insect activity.
- 4
Spring Equinox
春分Chūnfēn0°Marks the Sun at 0° longitude and an equinox, when day and night are approximately equal.
- 5
Clear and Bright
清明Qīngmíng15°The solar term associated with Qingming; remembrance practices are related but are not identical everywhere.
- 6
Grain Rain
谷雨Gǔyǔ30°Traditionally evokes late-spring rain that supports grain growth.
summer
45°–120°- 7
Start of Summer
立夏Lìxià45°The calendrical opening of summer in this system, earlier than the June solstice.
- 8
Grain Buds
小满Xiǎomǎn60°Refers to grain beginning to fill, before full ripeness.
- 9
Grain in Ear
芒种Mángzhòng75°Historically signals a busy period for harvesting and sowing certain awned grains.
- 10
Summer Solstice
夏至Xiàzhì90°Marks 90° longitude and the northern hemisphere’s longest period of daylight.
- 11
Minor Heat
小暑Xiǎoshǔ105°Introduces a hotter phase of summer without claiming one uniform temperature across China.
- 12
Major Heat
大暑Dàshǔ120°Names the height of summer heat in the inherited seasonal sequence.
autumn
135°–210°- 13
Start of Autumn
立秋Lìqiū135°The calendrical opening of autumn, even while hot weather may continue in many places.
- 14
End of Heat
处暑Chǔshǔ150°Traditionally marks heat beginning to recede, with local weather varying widely.
- 15
White Dew
白露Báilù165°A poetic seasonal name connected with cooler nights and visible dew.
- 16
Autumn Equinox
秋分Qiūfēn180°Marks 180° longitude and the second equinox of the annual cycle.
- 17
Cold Dew
寒露Hánlù195°Signals a cooler autumn stage in the traditional vocabulary.
- 18
Frost Descent
霜降Shuāngjiàng210°The last autumn term, named for the approach or appearance of frost in colder regions.
winter
225°–300°- 19
Start of Winter
立冬Lìdōng225°The calendrical opening of winter, distinct from the December solstice.
- 20
Minor Snow
小雪Xiǎoxuě240°Names an early-winter stage when snow may begin in colder places, not a nationwide forecast.
- 21
Major Snow
大雪Dàxuě255°Continues the winter sequence as snow becomes more likely in the system’s source region.
- 22
Winter Solstice
冬至Dōngzhì270°Marks 270° longitude and the northern hemisphere’s shortest period of daylight.
- 23
Minor Cold
小寒Xiǎohán285°A winter marker whose name describes increasing cold in the historical climate vocabulary of the system.
- 24
Major Cold
大寒Dàhán300°The final term in the traditional cycle, near the coldest part of winter in many northern settings.
How the terms remain part of modern life
The solar terms still appear in printed and digital calendars, education, media, agricultural discussion, festivals and family speech. UNESCO’s 2016 inscription recognizes not just a list of names but knowledge and practices transmitted through communities.
Modern use is neither frozen nor uniform. A person may notice a term through a phone calendar, a seasonal food, a school lesson, a local ceremony or not at all. Responsible explanation keeps the astronomical framework distinct from claims about what every Chinese person does.
Find the terms in a year
The dates stay near the same place in the Gregorian calendar, but their exact instants shift. Choose any year from 1900 through 2100 and return here through the linked term names.
Open the solar terms calendarSources
- Hong Kong Observatory, “The 24 Solar Terms” — solar longitude, major and minor terms, seasonal limits and leap-month context.
- Hong Kong Observatory, “Date and Time of the 24 Solar Terms” — published astronomical instants in Hong Kong Time (UTC+8).
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — origin, transmission, community practice and the 2016 inscription.
Reviewed September 26, 2026