NOTESon the Neijing

Four seasons · Twenty-four solar terms

The year, in
twenty-four moments.

The solar terms divide the Sun’s apparent annual path into twenty-four steps of 15 degrees. Their traditional imagery reflects Chinese seasonal experience; local weather and southern-hemisphere seasons may differ.

Pink spring blossoms and tender green leaves beside a white courtyard moon gate under a clear blue sky.

Emerge

Spring

Notice what is beginning. Leave room for a slower start.

A farmer prepares the soil while buds and early blossom suggest renewal. AI-generated illustration.立春

Beginning of Spring

Restart gradually

Explore →Rain, a wet channel, and a farmer clearing its banks show the role of water in spring farming. AI-generated illustration.雨水

Rain Water

Keep meals steady

Explore →Beetles, ants, and an earthworm connect soil life with spring fieldwork; blossom recalls traditional phenology. AI-generated illustration.惊蛰

Awakening of Insects

Build activity, not intensity

Explore →Hand-sowing, furrows, swallows, and spring flowers tell a planting story. AI-generated illustration.春分

Spring Equinox

Balance the workload

Explore →Villagers plant a vegetable plot in gentle spring rain. AI-generated illustration.清明

Clear and Bright

Care for emotion as well as routine

Explore →Tender leaves and a tea picker bring late spring into focus. AI-generated illustration.谷雨

Grain Rain

Make meals practical

Explore →
Emerald lotus leaves and pink flowers on a turquoise courtyard pond, framed by a white moon gate.

Develop

Summer

Let activity be generous, not relentless.

Young rice seedlings and ripening cherries suggest early summer. AI-generated illustration.立夏

Beginning of Summer

Protect sleep as evenings extend

Explore →A farmer examines wheat whose grains are filling while the ears remain largely green. AI-generated illustration.小满

Grain Buds

Keep food moderate and varied

Explore →Rice transplanting and wheat harvesting illustrate the busy transition between crops. AI-generated illustration.芒种

Grain in Ear

Plan recovery around a busy day

Explore →An irrigation channel, growing rice, and lotus connect long summer days with water management. AI-generated illustration.夏至

Summer Solstice

A long day still needs rest

Explore →A cicada, leafy shade, lotus, and a resting farm worker express the growing heat of summer. AI-generated illustration.小暑

Minor Heat

Reduce unnecessary heat load

Explore →Farmers harvest mature early rice while lotus and green surroundings keep the setting in summer. AI-generated illustration.大暑

Major Heat

Do not push through heat symptoms

Explore →
Ripe orange persimmons and golden leaves in a sunlit courtyard, with a harvest bowl on a wooden table.

Gather

Autumn

Edit the noise. Keep what matters close.

A villager sorts late-summer vegetables while the landscape remains mostly green. AI-generated illustration.立秋

Beginning of Autumn

Do not change care by the name alone

Explore →Ripe sorghum and fieldwork suggest the passage from late summer toward autumn. AI-generated illustration.处暑

End of Heat

Adjust effort with actual conditions

Explore →Clear droplets on rice leaves, morning light, and waterbirds highlight dew associated with surface cooling. AI-generated illustration.白露

White Dew

Prepare for changing temperatures

Explore →Rice harvesting, gathered sheaves, and gleaning birds show autumn work in some rice-growing regions. AI-generated illustration.秋分

Autumn Equinox

Restore a dependable evening routine

Explore →Sowing prepared ground beside chrysanthemums shows that autumn includes planting as well as harvest. AI-generated illustration.寒露

Cold Dew

Warm up before exertion

Explore →Radish harvesting, ripe persimmons, and thin frost convey late autumn. AI-generated illustration.霜降

Frost Descent

Keep food varied as it gets colder

Explore →
Red plum blossoms in a snow-covered white courtyard, with cool blue-gray mountains beyond a moon gate.

Conserve

Winter

Rest is part of a rhythm, not a reward.

Villagers carry cabbage and radishes into storage, shifting attention from harvest to winter preparation. AI-generated illustration.立冬

Beginning of Winter

Conserve with a workable routine

Explore →Preparing vegetables in a crock recalls winter food-preservation traditions found in some localities. AI-generated illustration.小雪

Minor Snow

Choose a suitable place to move

Explore →A farmer clears snow from a small plant shelter, showing that winter can still require crop care. AI-generated illustration.大雪

Major Snow

Rest without becoming inactive

Explore →A low winter sun outside and a family shaping dumplings connect the solstice with home life. AI-generated illustration.冬至

Winter Solstice

Protect rhythm during busy occasions

Explore →Magpies carrying twigs recall the traditional phenology image of nest building, while firewood connects the scene with winter life. AI-generated illustration.小寒

Minor Cold

Use ordinary warmth first

Explore →Repairing tools, sorting saved seeds, and sweeping a courtyard connect winter preparation with the next farming cycle and approaching New Year traditions. AI-generated illustration.大寒

Major Cold

Prepare a gradual transition

Explore →

Astronomy reference: Hong Kong Observatory · The 24 Solar Terms

Prototype bag

Your gathered things.