Solar term
| Solar term | |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | |
| Traditional Chinese: | 節氣 |
| Simplified Chinese: | |
| Hanyu Pinyin: | jié qì |
| Wade-Giles: | |
| Japanese name | |
| Kana: | |
| Kanji: | 節気 |
| Hepburn: | seki |
| Nihon-shiki: | seki |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul: | 절기 |
| Hanja: | 節氣 |
| Revised Romanization: | jeolgi |
| McCune-Reischauer: | jǒlki |
Jiéqì is 24 days that most of Asian calendars have.
In the past, lunar calendars had been widely used in Asia. Calendars did not accord with the climate, so 24 jieqis were devised to indicate seasons of the year. 24 jieqis divide a solar year into 24 equal periods.
Jieqis are thought to be initially introduced in Beijing, and spread to China, Korea, and Japan.
| M | Long. | Chinese name | Japanese name | Korean name | Date | Usual Translation | Remark | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 315° | 立春 | lìchūn | risshun | 입춘 ipchun | February 4 | start of spring | ||
| 1 | 330° | 雨水 | yǔshuǐ | usui | 우수 usu | February 19 | rain water | more rain than snow |
| 345° | 驚蟄 | jīngzhé | keichitsu | 경칩 gyeongchip | March 5 | awakening of insects | lit. surprise (insects) from hibernation | |
| 2 | 0° | 春分 | chūnfēn | shunbun | 춘분 chunbun | March 21 | vernal equinox | lit. spring division (or center) |
| 15° | 清明 | qīngmíng | seimei | 청명 cheongmyeong | April 5 | clear and bright | time for tending graves | |
| 3 | 30° | 穀雨 | gǔyǔ | kokuu | 곡우 gogu | April 20 | grain rain | lit. millet rain: rain helps millet grow |
| 45° | 立夏 lìxià | rikka | 입하 ipa | May 6 | start of summer | |||
| 4 | 60° | 小滿 | xiǎmǎn | shōman | 소만 soman | May 21 | grain full | grains are plump |
| 75° | 芒種 | mángzhòng | bōshu | 망종 mangjong | June 6 | grain in ear | lit. awns (beard of grain) grow | |
| 5 | 90° | 夏至 | xiàzhì | gesshi | 하지 haji | June 21 | summer solstice | lit. summer extreme (of sun's height) |
| 105° | 小暑 | xiǎoshǔ | shōsho | 소서 soseo | July 7 | minor heat | ||
| 6 | 120° | 大暑 | dàshǔ | taisho | 대서 daeseo | July 23 | major heat | |
| 135° | 立秋 | lìqiū | risshū | 입추 ipchu | August 7 | start of autumn | ||
| 7 | 150° | 處暑 | chùshǔ | shosho | 처서 cheoseo | August 23 | limit of heat | lit. dwell in heat |
| 165° | 白露 | báilù | hakuro | 백로 baekro | September 8 | white dew | condensed moisture makes dew white | |
| 8 | 180° | 秋分 | qiūfēn | shūbun | 추분 chubun | September 23 | autumnal equinox | lit. autumn division (or center) |
| 195° | 寒露 | hánlù | kannro | 한로 hallo | October 8 | cold dew | ||
| 9 | 210° | 霜降 | shuāngjiàng | sōkō | 상강 sang-gang | October 23 | frost descent | appearance of frost and descent of temperature |
| 225° | 立冬 | lìdōng | rittō | 입동 ipdong | November 7 | start of winter | ||
| 10 | 240° | 小雪 | xiǎoxuě | shōsetsu | 소설 soseol | November 22 | minor snow | |
| 255° | 大雪 | dàxuě | taisetsu | 대설 daeseol | December 7 | major snow | ||
| 11 | 270° | 冬至 | dōngzhì | tōji | 동지 dong-ji | December 22 | winter solstice | lit. winter extreme (of sun's height) |
| 285° | 小寒 | xiǎohán | shōkan | 소한 sohan | January 6 | minor cold | ||
| 12 | 300° | 大寒 | dàhán | daikan | 대한 daehan | January 20 | major cold |