Audio/Xinhua
Grain in Ear, or Mangzhong in Chinese, the 9th solar term of the year, begins on June 5 and ends on June 20.
Signifying the beginning of midsummer when temperature and precipitation increase, Mangzhong is the busiest time for farmers when crops such as barley and wheat are ripe and rice paddies are planted.
This transitioning term is half a month away from Summer Solstice, during which the north pole gradually tilts toward the sun until it reaches the point where daylight hours in the northern hemisphere are the longest in a year.
Three phases of Grain in Ear
Firstly, mantises take in the Yin energy and emerge from their cocoons.
Next, shrikes appear on tree branches calling to the Yin energy. Finally, mockingbirds stop chirping as the Yin energy wanes and flowers diminish.
Traditional customs to celebrate the day
Some of the folk customs during Mangzhong include praying ceremonies where wheat cakes are made into animal shapes and colored with fruit and vegetable juices after rice paddies are planted for a good harvest in autumn.
In ancient China, animism inspired farewell ceremonies for flower gods as flowers faded away in summer for a luscious full-blown spring the next year.
In May and June, plums are ripe in southern China, and people have the custom of "boiling plums" on this day, boiling fresh ripe plums to wash away the harsh “green” taste.
Agricultural activities
As temperatures rise and rainfalls increase, weather during "Grain in Ear" becomes more suitable for agricultural activities. In some parts of China, it's time not only to harvest cereal crop, but also plant spring crops and transplant rice.
Therefore, Mangzhong is also understood as "busy planting" in Chinese, meaning the busiest season for agriculture.
Healthy living
As it gets significantly hotter, especially for those living in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, heatstroke prevention measures such as drinking more water and having more heat-clearing food are highly advised.
Watch the English version of the video by Weather China, an online weather service of the China Meteorological Administration, to find out more!
Video/CGTN
Sources: Xinhua, CGTN
Editor: Lv Yun