The Beginning of Autumn is the 13th of the 24 solar terms on the lunar Chinese calendar. It falls on August 7 this year, marking the start of autumn when all things begin to converge, and crops enter their maturation phase.

This solar term signifies a turning point of the year, when precipitation and humidity begin to decrease. From this point on, yang qi (active, outward energy) gradually recedes, and all things turn inward. The falling leaves of the phoenix tree serve as a poetic symbol of the seasonal shift.

Autumn is the season of ripening grains and abundant harvests. Traditional customs during the Beginning of Autumn include eating melons to dispel lingering summer heat and "fleshing out in autumn," and eating meat to replenish the body.