Awakening of Insects (Jingzhe)

Awakening of Insects (Jingzhe, 驚蟄) falls around 5-7 March at solar longitude 345°, when spring thunder starts and ploughing gets fully under way.

Solar longitude

345°

Type

Sectional term (jie)

Season

Spring

Order

No. 3 of 24

Usual dates

Mar 5–6

Meaning and Astronomy

Jingzhe (驚蟄) begins when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 345°, usually between 5 and 7 March. It is the third solar term, a jie (節) or sectional term that opens the second lunar month. Zhe refers to animals sheltering underground through winter, and the name means they are 'startled awake'; the old belief was that spring thunder roused them. In reality rising air and soil temperatures do the waking - thunder simply tends to appear at the same time of year.

The term was originally called Qizhe (啟蟄), 'opening of hibernation', but was renamed in the Han dynasty to avoid the personal name of Emperor Jing, Liu Qi. Japan still uses the older form, keichitsu. In early calendars this term also came before Rain Water.

The Three Pentads

• First pentad: Peach trees begin to blossom (桃始華).
• Second pentad: The oriole sings (倉庚鳴) - the black-naped oriole begins its courtship song.
• Third pentad: The hawk turns into a dove (鷹化為鳩) - ancient observers saw hawks disappear as doves and cuckoos appeared and took it as a transformation; it is really a seasonal change in which birds are active.

Climate and Farming

Temperatures rise noticeably in southern China and the lower Yangtze, where the first thunderstorms arrive. The north stays windy and dry, with occasional dust and large day-night differences. Taiwan hears more spring thunder amid changeable weather, while Hong Kong is humid, often foggy and drizzly.

Spring ploughing begins in earnest: harrowing to conserve soil moisture and sowing spring wheat in the north, preparing paddies, raising seedlings and tending tea gardens in the south, and watching blossoming orchards for pests. A farming saying puts it simply: 'once Jingzhe arrives, the hoe never rests' (到了驚蟄節，鋤頭不停歇).

Customs

Because insects were believed to emerge now, many customs aim to drive pests away: sprinkling lime in corners or smoking rooms with mugwort. Some Hakka communities 'fry the insects' (炒蟲), stir-frying beans or grain as a symbolic way of getting rid of pests. In parts of northern China people eat pears, since li (pear) sounds like 'parting', symbolising separation from pests and illness, and pears are also eaten to ease spring dryness.

In Guangdong and Taiwan some people make offerings to the White Tiger (祭白虎), a folk deity associated with gossip and quarrels, smearing pork fat or pig's blood on a paper tiger's mouth to keep trouble away. Hong Kong is famous for 'villain hitting' (打小人): around Jingzhe, practitioners under the Canal Road Flyover in Wan Chai beat paper figures with a shoe to drive off ill-wishers. These are folk practices that vary widely by place.

Seasonal Food and Wellness

Traditional thinking encourages rising early, walking and stretching as nature becomes active. In the dry north people favour moistening foods such as pear, lotus root and white fungus, while the humid south keeps meals light.

Changeable temperatures make regular routines and adequate layers the most practical precautions. These are traditional ideas, not medical advice.

Awakening of Insects (Jingzhe): dates and times by year

Times are in UTC+8 (China Standard Time). Select a date to open that day in the calendar.