Cold Dew (Hanlu, 寒露) begins at solar longitude 195°, when dew turns cold and near frost; it often falls near Double Ninth, a time for chrysanthemums and crab.
Solar longitude
195°
Type
Sectional term (jie)
Season
Autumn
Order
No. 17 of 24
Usual dates
Oct 8
Meaning and Astronomy
Hanlu (寒露) begins when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 195°, usually around 8 October. At White Dew the dew was merely cool; by Cold Dew temperatures have fallen further and the dew is cold enough to be on the verge of turning into frost. It is the first of the 24 solar terms whose name uses the word 'cold'.
Hanlu is the fifth term of autumn and a jie (節) or 'sectional' term, marking the start of the ninth month (the xu month) in the stem-branch calendar. From here the north moves from cool to cold, and the south finally enters true autumn.
The Three Pentads
First pentad: Wild geese arrive as guests (鴻雁來賓) - the last flocks of geese fly south; latecomers were likened to guests.
Second pentad: Sparrows enter the sea and become clams (雀入大水為蛤) - sparrows grew scarce while clams with similar markings appeared on the shore, so ancient observers imagined one turned into the other. This is an old belief, not fact.
Third pentad: Chrysanthemums bloom yellow (菊有黃華) - hua means flowers, and chrysanthemums are at their peak.
Climate and Farming
Around Hanlu, parts of the northeast and northwest may already see snow, and much of northern China has chilly mornings and occasional first frost. The middle and lower Yangtze enjoys settled autumn weather. In Taiwan the northeast monsoon brings cloud and rain to the north and northeast while the centre and south stay sunny and dry. Hong Kong enters its dry season, with clear weather ideal for hiking.
Northern farmers race to finish the autumn harvest and wheat sowing before frost; in the south, late rice ripens for harvest and cotton picking continues. A proverb warns: 'If you don't pick cotton at Cold Dew, don't blame heaven when the frost strikes.'
Customs
Hanlu falls close to the Double Ninth Festival on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, so climbing heights, viewing chrysanthemums, drinking chrysanthemum wine and wearing dogwood sprigs are closely associated with the season. Chrysanthemum shows are held widely, and parks and temples in Taiwan and Hong Kong are decorated with the flowers.
Crab is the great treat of late autumn. Jiangnan has a saying, 'round navels in the ninth month, pointed in the tenth', meaning female crabs (with rounded abdomens) are best in the ninth lunar month and males (with pointed abdomens) in the tenth. Hairy crabs and local crab varieties are in season in Hong Kong and Taiwan too.
As water cools, fish move toward deeper water, and anglers have a rule of thumb that autumn fishing is best along the banks. In Beijing, viewing red maple leaves in the Fragrant Hills is a long-standing late-autumn outing.
Seasonal Food and Wellness
A folk saying pairs two seasonal warnings: 'at White Dew, don't bare your body; at Cold Dew, don't bare your feet'. Keeping the feet warm is the traditional advice from now on. Dryness is thought to dominate, so people are encouraged to drink plenty of water and eat sesame, walnuts, glutinous rice, honey, pears and persimmons, with less spicy or grilled food.
With shorter days, traditional wellness favours early nights, early rising and moderate exercise, while hikers should allow for the wide temperature range between morning and midday. These are traditional ideas, not medical advice.