Start of Autumn (Liqiu, 立秋) begins the autumn quarter at solar longitude 135°, though summer heat often lingers as the so-called autumn tiger.
Solar longitude
135°
Type
Sectional term (jie)
Season
Autumn
Order
No. 13 of 24
Usual dates
Aug 7–8
Meaning and Astronomy
Liqiu (立秋) occurs when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 135°, usually around 7 or 8 August. Li means 'to begin', and the character for autumn combines the elements for grain and fire, traditionally read as the time when grain ripens. It is the thirteenth of the 24 solar terms and a jie (節) or 'sectional' term, marking the start of the seventh month (the shen month) in the stem-branch calendar.
Autumn begins on the calendar, but the weather usually takes longer to agree. Meteorologists in China define the onset of autumn as five consecutive days with a mean temperature below 22°C; by that measure northern China turns autumnal in late August or September, while southern China, Taiwan and Hong Kong may wait until October or later.
The Three Pentads
First pentad: Cool winds arrive (涼風至) - breezes with a hint of coolness begin to replace the humid summer winds, especially in the morning and evening.
Second pentad: White dew descends (白露降) - cooler dawns let moisture condense as dew on grass and leaves.
Third pentad: The cold cicada sings (寒蟬鳴) - an autumn cicada known as the 'cold cicada' starts calling, its song thinner than that of summer cicadas.
Climate and Farming
Around Liqiu the Yangtze valley and southern China are often still under the subtropical high, bringing spells of hot weather known as the 'autumn tiger' (秋老虎). Taiwan and Hong Kong are in the middle of typhoon season, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, while nights in the north become noticeably more comfortable.
This is a critical stage for autumn crops. In the north, maize, sorghum and soybeans are filling their grain and need steady moisture; in the south, late rice has recently been transplanted and needs careful field management. A northern proverb says 'once autumn starts, hang up the hoe' (立了秋，掛鋤鉤), meaning the season's weeding work is done. Another folk saying holds that if the term begins in the morning the autumn will be cool, but if it begins late in the day the heat will be fierce - a piece of folk weather lore rather than a forecast.
Customs
In the Zhou dynasty the king led his officials to the western outskirts to 'welcome autumn'. Song-dynasty accounts describe potted parasol trees (wutong) being carried into the palace on Liqiu; when the exact moment arrived an official announced it aloud, and a leaf or two was said to fall in response - a legendary echo of the idiom 'one falling leaf announces autumn'.
In northern China people 'add autumn fat' (貼秋膘), eating braised pork, stewed meat or dumplings to regain weight lost to summer heat. In Tianjin and Hebei, 'biting autumn' (啃秋) means eating watermelon on the day, traditionally believed to prevent stomach upsets later in the season. Some families weigh themselves on Liqiu to compare with the start of summer. Taiwan and Hong Kong have few customs tied specifically to Liqiu, but it usually falls near the Qixi Festival and the Ghost Festival, which dominate the season's observances.
Seasonal Food and Wellness
Traditional thinking links autumn with dryness, so after Liqiu people are encouraged to eat fewer hot, spicy foods and more moistening ones such as pears, lotus root, white fungus, lily bulb and honey. Because the heat has not really left, rich tonics are usually introduced gradually, and 'adding autumn fat' is best tempered to one's own constitution.
Classical texts also suggest going to bed and rising early in autumn to match the shortening days, and avoiding a chill at night. These are traditional ideas rather than medical advice.