On China's lunar calendar, the Start of Spring, or Lichun, falls on Saturday. As the first solar term, it starts the cycle of an ancient practice to mark typical seasonal changes – China's 24 Solar Terms.
From this day on, Chinese people will embrace warmer temperatures and greener scenery, and CGTN will also present a fresh series of posters with the theme of 24 Solar Terms.
By observing astronomy and the sun's annual motion in the zodiac, ancient Chinese divided a year into 24 segments, each of which spans 15 days. Calling each segment a solar term, they used the system to schedule their agricultural activities and daily routines.
With a history of over 2,000 years, the knowledge of 24 Solar Terms is still widely featured in the daily lives of modern Chinese, who are amazed by its precision in telling changes of seasons, growth of crops, animal activities and other natural phenomena.
Following traditional concepts of respecting nature and sustainable development in Chinese culture, CGTN's design team created a series of illustrations of 24 Solar Terms in 2022.
The series starts with the Start of Spring and ends with the Greater Cold. Each season includes six solar terms. /CGTN
Key elements of the 24 illustrations, such as plants, animals and weather conditions, come from introductions or descriptions of the 24 Solar Terms in traditional Chinese literature or ballads. As seasons change, theme colors and natural elements vary.
This series of posters received lots of likes on multiple social media platforms last year as CGTN posted them punctually according to the ancient practice of dividing time.
With the help of animation effects, this year's series will be presented with a new look, bringing the beauty of seasonal changes to life.
Start of Spring, or Lichun, the first solar term of the year, lifts the curtain of spring. Stay tuned for more about this series as CGTN offers new content on Chinese culture and nature. /CGTN
Transmitted from generation to generation, the 24 Solar Terms remain important for guiding farmers' production practices and work as a timeframe of traditional rituals or festivals. For example, people still observe the tradition of paying respect to their lost ones on the day of "Qingming," also known as Tomb-sweeping Day.
In 2016, the knowledge of China's 24 Solar Terms was included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.