Beginning of Summer

Beginning of Summer (Lixia) is the seventh of the twenty-four solar terms and the first solar term of summer, occurring annually between May 5 and 7 in the Gregorian calendar. At this time, the handle of the Big Dipper points toward the southeast and the sun reaches the ecliptic longitude of 45°. “Li” means to establish, to begin. “Xia,” in the ancient language, means “great” or “large.” All things having grown large by this point is what gives the term Lixia its name.

The twenty-four solar terms are a product of ancient agrarian civilization. Lixia was already established by the late Warring States period (circa 239 BCE). It heralds the transition of seasons and marked the beginning of summer according to the ancient lunar calendar division of the four seasons. According to the Hou Han Shu·Ji Si Zhi (Book of the Later Han, Monograph on Sacrifices): “On the day of Lixia, they welcomed summer in the southern suburbs, sacrificed to the Red Emperor Zhurong. Carriages, banners, clothing, and adornments were all red. They sang the song ‘Zhu Ming’ (Bright Red), and performed the dance ‘Yun Qiao’ (Cloud-Peak) with eight rows of dancers.” By the Song dynasty, the rites had become even more elaborate. Apart from welcoming summer, sacrifices were also offered to the Southern Marchmount Hengshan at Hengzhou, to the Southern Stabilizing Mount Kuaiji at Yuezhou, to the Southern Sea at Guangzhou, and to the River Du at Chengdu. The custom of “tasting the new” first appeared in the Ming dynasty. By the Qing dynasty, the customs had become even richer in content.

By the time of Lixia, all things flourish. After Lixia, sunshine increases, temperatures gradually rise, and thunderstorms become more frequent. Lixia is an important solar term signifying the entry of all living things into a peak season of growth. Lixia has three pentads: in the first pentad, mole crickets begin to chirp; in the second pentad, earthworms emerge; in the third pentad, the royal melon (wang gua) sprouts. Because China has a vast territory spanning a great latitudinal range, natural rhythms differ across regions. During Lixia, only the areas south of a line from Fuzhou to the Nanling Mountains present a summer scene of “thick green shade with long summer days, terraces and towers reflected in the pond.” In some parts of the northeast and northwest, the breath of spring has only just arrived at this time. Around Lixia is precisely the season for transplanting early rice seedlings across the north and south. On the day of Lixia, many places observe customs such as eating “Lixia rice,” eating eggs, weighing people, and tasting the “three new” seasonal delicacies. Entering the Lixia period, the body's metabolism accelerates, yet the heart and brain may receive insufficient blood supply, often making people irritable, restless, tired, and listless. One should arrange work and rest reasonably, supplement with nutrients, and adopt correct methods of health preservation and care.