Chushu - literally means the end of the summer - is the 14th solar term.
“End of Heat” happens on August 23 each year. The hot summer passes and heat stops. Although many of the places in China still have a day average temperature of more than 22 degree Celsius, the cold air comes from the north make the weather cool down slowly. It’s usually hot in the day and cold in the morning and in the evening.
Traditional Customs and Seasonal Food
In this season, the eagle starts to hunt birds, many plants and flowers start to wither, and crops like millet, paddy rice all get mature.
Here are some popular customs during “End of Heat”: Welcoming the autumn, Lighting up the lantern, Fishing Festival etc.
As Chinese often say, “It’s sleepy in the spring and tired in the autumn”. This is the period that people often feel tired and difficult to get up in the morning. When autumn comes, it’s better to eat light dishes rather than something like BBQ, or spicy meat. Foods with more vitamins are very good for health, for example, tomatoes, eggplant, potato and pear.
(Note: Some words are selected from Hujiang English and some pictures from internet.)
