When the Sun reaches 0° of ecliptic longitude, day and night are equally long, and cold and heat are evenly balanced—we welcome the Spring Equinox, the fourth of the twenty-four solar terms. The Spring Equinox is the balancer of seasons and the halftime whistle of spring. On this day, almost everywhere around the globe, day and night are of equal length. In this beautiful moment brimming with vitality and harmony, let us follow the perspective of international students to explore this ancient and intriguing Chinese solar term.
The beauty of the Spring Equinox is also captured in timeless classical poems. Xu Xuan, a poet of the Song Dynasty, wrote in his Seven-Character Quatrain:
Spring rain on the equinox falls with scarcely a sound,
Slanting winds by the willowed shore bring travelers home.
Though in the north the season comes a little late,
Know that elsewhere tender greens have long grown plump and round.
According to historical records, the tradition of standing eggs upright on the Spring Equinox is meant to celebrate the arrival of spring. Choose a smooth, well-proportioned fresh egg and try to stand it upright on a table. It is said that on this day, the Earth's axis and its orbital plane are in a relative state of gravitational balance, making it easier for eggs to stand.
"Spring vegetables" are a type of wild amaranth, locally called "spring green herb." The gathered spring vegetables are cooked into a soup with fish slices, known as "spring soup." As the saying goes: "Spring soup cleanses your innards, washing liver and bowels; may the whole family, young and old, be safe and healthy."
Around the Spring Equinox, people go from door to door delivering pictures of the spring ox, reciting rhymed blessings about spring plowing and good fortune, which delight the hosts so much that they gladly give money. This custom is called "Speaking Spring."
During the Spring Equinox, the climate is mild, but the temperature difference between morning and evening can be large, and "spring fatigue" is common.
Clothing: Practice proper "spring layering"—keep your lower body and feet warm, and adjust your clothing in time according to temperature changes.
Diet: Eat light foods and more seasonal vegetables, such as Chinese toon, spring bamboo shoots, and spinach. Maintain a balance of cold and warm properties—for example, when cooking cold-natured foods like fish, shrimp, or crab, season them with warm ingredients like spring onion and ginger.
Exercise: It is advisable to "sleep late at night and rise early in the morning," and to spend more time outdoors walking or enjoying nature. Let your body bask in the spring sunlight, which helps promote the rising of vital energy.
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