Summer · Solar term
Major Heat
大暑
Do not push through heat symptoms
Illustration & cultural context · 图画说明
The story inside the image
Southern early-rice summer harvest
Farmers harvest mature early rice while lotus and green surroundings keep the setting in summer. In some southern double-cropping areas, early rice harvest falls around this part of the year. Golden grain does not automatically mean autumn; schedules vary locally.
中文 · 为什么这样画
大暑，南方早稻的夏收
农人收割的是成熟早稻，荷塘和仍然翠绿的环境保留盛夏特征。中国部分双季稻地区在这一时段附近抢收早稻、准备后续稻作，所以这里的金黄并不等于秋天。实际农期依品种、地区和当年天气而变。
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 · 夏 · 长
Allow activity while protecting rest and fluids
This term’s practical focus · Editorial application
Do not push through heat symptoms
In very hot conditions, choose a suitable cooler setting and lower the workload. Stop exertion if you feel dizzy, faint, or unusually weak, and move to a cooler place. See the heat section in our health-guidance page for help-seeking steps.
Classical reasoning. The summer chapter describes flourishing, emotional openness, and activity within a longer day. The spring–summer emphasis on nourishing yang does not mean deliberately overheating the body.
Sleep & rhythm
Maintain sufficient sleep even when daylight lasts longer. Keep the sleeping space comfortable and avoid using late evenings to accumulate sleep debt.
Movement & recovery
In hot weather, choose cooler hours or a suitable indoor space, reduce intensity when necessary, and pause rather than push through heat-related dizziness.
Food & fluids
Keep meals regular and varied, and have drinking water available. Follow any prescribed fluid restriction; do not replace meals with juices or herbal drinks.
Mind & emotions
Enjoy company if it suits you, with quiet intervals. A busy social calendar is optional, not an obligation to match the season.
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 120°. It is one of the six traditional terms associated with summer. 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.
夏三月，此谓蕃秀。
Editorial translation: “The three months of summer are called flourishing and abundance.”
This is a passage about the broader season, not a prescription specific to Major Heat. 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.
Feeling unwell? Find the right kind of help →
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.