Which is the real spring, beginning of spring or the vernal equinox?

Beginning of spring is the real spring. Beginning of spring, also known as Li, means "beginning", and China takes beginning of spring as the beginning of spring. The ancients defined beginning of spring as the first of the 24 solar terms. The vernal equinox, also called "Japan-China", "Day and Night Equinox" and "Midspring Moon" in ancient times, is the fourth of the 24 solar terms. Traditionally, spring begins in beginning of spring and is divided into the midpoint and the long summer as the node. This is the beginning and end of spring.

Beginning of spring, as a festival, existed as early as the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, there were eight festivals in a year, namely beginning of spring, Changxia, beginning of autumn, beginning of winter, Vernal Equinox, Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice. Only the Book of Rites and Annals of Huainanzi by Liu An in the Western Han Dynasty recorded 24 solar terms. The vernal equinox has two meanings; One is that the day and night of the vernal equinox are equal, and the other is that the vernal equinox is half of the 90 days in spring (from beginning of spring to Grain Rain).