One autumn rain brings one measure of cold, ten autumn rains make it time to wear cotton.

Starting from the Autumn Equinox, the weather gets colder day by day.

In this clear and spacious season, enjoy the Autumn Equinox, and don't forget to add more clothes.

The autumn air, often lamented as sad, is not necessarily so; the slight chill is just the pleasant weather.

Autumn Equinox

Around September 23rd each year, when the sun reaches 180 degrees of celestial longitude, the "Autumn Equinox" solar term begins. Like the "Spring Equinox," the "Autumn Equinox" is one of the earliest solar terms established by the ancients.

The ancient text "Chun Qiu Fan Lu" states: "The Autumn Equinox is when yin and yang are balanced, hence day and night are equal, and cold and heat are moderate."

The meaning of Autumn Equinox:

First, according to the ancient Chinese division of the four seasons starting with Beginning of Spring, Beginning of Summer, Beginning of Autumn, and Beginning of Winter, the Autumn Equinox day falls in the middle of the 90-day autumn, dividing the season equally.

Second, on this day, the 24 hours are equally divided between day and night, 12 hours each. On this day, like the "Spring Equinox" day, sunlight shines almost directly on the equator. After this day, the direct point of sunlight moves southward, resulting in shorter days and longer nights in the Northern Hemisphere.

Three Pentads

The Autumn Equinox is divided into three pentads: "First pentad: Thunder begins to cease; Second pentad: Hibernating insects seal their burrows; Third pentad: Water begins to dry up."

"Thunder begins to cease." The ancients believed that thunder occurred due to abundant yang energy. After the Autumn Equinox, yin energy begins to dominate, so thunder no longer occurs.

"Hibernating insects seal their burrows." After the Autumn Equinox, the weather turns cold, and hibernating insects begin to hide in their burrows, sealing the entrance with fine soil to prevent the intrusion of cold air.

"Water begins to dry up." After the Autumn Equinox, rainfall begins to decrease. Due to the dry weather, water evaporates quickly, and some marshes and puddles begin to dry up.

Health Preservation

During the Autumn Equinox, special attention should be paid to the diet to prevent autumn dryness. The "dryness" of the Autumn Equinox is different from that of White Dew; White Dew is "warm dryness," while Autumn Equinox is "cool dryness."

In terms of diet, focus on eating foods that are moistening and warming, such as sesame, walnuts, and glutinous rice. The variety of fruits and vegetables available in autumn is diverse, including lotus root, sugarcane, autumn pears, citrus, hawthorn, apples, lily bulbs, white fungus, and persimmons, all of which are excellent for nourishment.

In addition to diet, remember to take care of your skin to prevent dryness and cracking.

Tea Matters

The clear autumn is most pleasant—neither too hot nor too cold, with a cool breeze—it's the perfect time for tea affairs!

Yu Dafu in "Autumn in the Old Capital" said: "In the morning, brew a strong bowl of tea, sit in the courtyard, and you can also see the very high,碧绿 blue sky, hear the sound of homing pigeons under the clear sky. From under the pagoda tree leaves, carefully count the rays of sunlight leaking through from the east."

Suitable teas: Oolong is in season; white tea aged over three years is best; black tea warms the stomach and calms the mind; ripe Pu-erh tea aged over five years and other mild teas are all excellent choices.