Today marks Qiufen, or the Autumn Equinox, the 16th of the 24 solar terms according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Qiufen divides the autumn into halves, and also divides the day into halves. On this day, night and day are almost equal in length.

From the day of Qiufen, the nights grow longer and the days turn shorter, while the flora begin to change color and then wither away. It is also the time when harvesting, plowing and planting are underway at the same time in farmlands. Qiufen is considered the best time to harvest cotton and plant winter wheat. Qiufen is also the period of the Harvest Festival in China.

The representative animals for the solar term are insects. According to the three pentads that were summarized by ancient Chinese people based on their observation of the period, Qiufen is the time for insects to make nests in the soil. As the temperature drops gradually, insects that need to hibernate tend to dig holes and keep themselves in the soil to avoid the harsh cold temperatures.

For more:

Animals in solar terms: Guyu

Animals in solar terms: Xiaoman

Animals in solar terms: Mangzhong

Animals in solar terms: Xiaoshu

Animals in solar terms: Liqiu

Animals in solar terms: Chushu

Animals in solar terms: Bailu

(Video provided by the Zhongshan Broadcasting and Television Station. Artwork and inscription by Liang Jingwen, a member of the China Artists Association, Council Member of Guangdong Artists Association.)

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