02:42

The beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere marks a critical time in the growth of crops. In northern China, grains of winter wheat start to fill but are still not ripen and full. Hence the name "Grain Buds," or "Xiaoman" in Chinese. Grain Buds is the eighth solar term of a year and the second of the summer. It falls on May 21 this year. After Grain Buds, the differences in temperature between north and south China gradually decrease, while rainfall increases.