Culture
2025.07.07 16:12 GMT+8

Minor Heat: A glimpse into ancient ways to stay cool in China

Updated 2025.07.07 16:12 GMT+8
CGTN

A Qing Dynasty folding fan is on display at the Beijing Folk Custom Museum. /CGTN

A series of sachets are on display at the Beijing Folk Custom Museum. /CGTN

A pair of bronze cups used by cold drinks vendors as a ringing device to attract customers in Qing Dynasty is on display at the Beijing Folk Custom Museum. /CGTN

Exhibits related to the solar term of Minor Heat are on display at the Beijing Folk Custom Museum. /CGTN

July 7 marks the start of Minor Heat, the fifth solar term of summer in the traditional Chinese calendar, which signifies the start of the hottest and most humid period of the year. So, how did ancient Chinese people stay cool without electricity and air conditioners?

Several of the exhibits at the Beijing Folk Custom Museum offer some clues. In addition to folding fans, ancient Chinese also loved to bear sachets which contain ingredients such as mint and sandalwood to refresh themselves on hot days. Ice had become affordable to ordinary people during the Qing Dynasty, when cold drink vendors would use bronze cups as a ringing device to attract customers. Xuehualao, a snack made from crushed ice, bean paste, and raisins, was popular at that time.

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