Autumn · Solar term
Frost Descent
霜降
Keep food varied as it gets colder
Illustration & cultural context · 图画说明
The story inside the image
Regional late-autumn harvest and frost
Radish harvesting, ripe persimmons, and thin frost convey late autumn. Frost consists of ice crystals formed under suitable cold conditions; it is not frost-rain falling from the sky. First-frost timing differs widely across China.
中文 · 为什么这样画
霜降，薄霜、收萝卜与柿熟
农人拔萝卜，成熟柿子与草叶上的薄霜共同描绘深秋收获。霜是低温条件下形成的冰晶，不是“从天上降下来的霜雨”。“霜降”提示寒意加深，但中国各地初霜日期差异很大，画面不代表全国同期。
An editorial interpretation of regional farming, traditional phenology, or local custom. This is a generated illustration, not a documentary photograph or a forecast for every place.
Daily seasonal care · 秋 · 收
Gather a sustainable rhythm rather than withdraw completely
This term’s practical focus · Editorial application
Keep food varied as it gets colder
If temperatures fall, warm cooked meals may be comfortable. Keep vegetables and suitable protein in the meal rather than replacing variety with rich food or alcohol.
Classical reasoning. The autumn chapter describes earlier retiring, earlier rising, and collecting the spirit. Its association with lung and metal belongs to traditional correspondences, not a diagnosis that autumn symptoms must be lung disease.
Sleep & rhythm
Return to a stable evening routine as your schedule changes. Give yourself enough rest; a seasonal rule should not override shift work or individual sleep needs.
Movement & recovery
Keep familiar moderate activity and adapt clothing to temperature. Gathering does not mean stopping movement or confining yourself indoors.
Food & fluids
Use ordinary balanced meals and regular drinking water. Soup can be a convenient meal format; pears or other fruit are foods, not guaranteed treatments for cough or dryness.
Mind & emotions
Reduce one unnecessary commitment and keep a supportive connection. Reflection should not become isolation or a requirement to feel melancholy.
Contemporary daily-care applications, not a prescription unique to this solar term. Adjust to actual conditions and any existing care plan.
Read the complete seasonal guide →01 · Nature & astronomy
A turning point in the year.
This term corresponds to an apparent solar ecliptic longitude of 210°. It is one of the six traditional terms associated with autumn. The illustration explores a seasonal cultural scene; it does not determine the astronomical date. Calendar day labels are available for 1901–2099 in UTC+8; exact local transition times are not displayed.
02 · Classical reading
Begin with the season.
秋三月，此谓容平。
Editorial translation: “The three months of autumn are called gathering and balance.”
This is a passage about the broader season, not a prescription specific to Frost Descent. Read our short four-season guide for the main ideas, and adapt daily care to your actual conditions.
Read the seasonal source cardThe reasoning behind a choice.
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Connect this season with yang qi, dampness and digestion, food, and tool suitability. A calendar label alone does not establish a pattern or justify a treatment.