What are the 24 solar terms?

Twenty-four solar terms refer to the special festivals in the dry calendar that indicate the season, phenology, climate change and the establishment of "December construction". Initially determined by the bucket handle direction of the Big Dipper, bucket handle rotates around the east, south, west and north for a period of time, which is called one of the "years old" (photo); Every rotation cycle starts from beginning of spring and ends with the Great Cold. The current "twenty-four solar terms" are divided by "constant gas method", that is, each solar term corresponds to a certain position that the earth reaches every time it runs 15 on the ecliptic; The method of "fixing qi" divides the sun's annual movement track into 24 equal parts, each equal part is 15, and each equal part is a solar term, which starts from beginning of spring and ends with severe cold. "Twenty-four solar terms" express the unique concept of time between human beings and the natural universe, and contain the long-standing cultural connotation and historical accumulation of the Chinese nation.

"Twenty-four solar terms" reflect the influence of the sun on the earth and belong to the solar calendar category. It is a knowledge system formed by observing the movement of the sun in a year and understanding the changing laws of the four seasons, climate and phenology in a year. It not only plays a guiding role in agricultural production, but also affects the food, clothing, housing and transportation of ancient people, and even cultural concepts. The current lunar calendar absorbs the solar terms of the trunk calendar as a supplement to the calendar, and is adjusted to conform to the tropic year through the "leap method" to form a combined calendar of yin and yang.

Twenty-four solar terms are not only the time criterion promulgated by successive governments, but also the compass to guide agricultural production and to predict cold, warm, snow and rainy days in people's daily life. In the field of international meteorology, the 24 solar terms are known as "the fifth invention of China". 2016165438+1October 30th, 24 solar terms were officially listed in UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 2065438+July 2009, the "China Weather 24 Solar Terms Research Institute" jointly sponsored by Huafeng Meteorological Media Group of China Meteorological Bureau and Meteorological Publicity Science Center of China Meteorological Bureau was formally established.