June 6 marks the ninth solar term of the year, Mangzhong, or "Grain in Ear" , a time when rice is planted in the south and wheat harvested in the north. The word “zhong” in Mangzhong means planting, while "mang" has two meanings in Chinese: the awns of crops, and farming. During the awn season, temperatures rise significantly, rainfall is abundant, and everything grows. As a crucial marker for the farming period, the arrival of Mangzhong suggests it is time to plant crops before the window for the best crop-growing environment closes. Watch the video to see the different ways the Chinese characters "芒种" (Mangzhong) are written.