Start of Summer (Lixia)

Start of Summer (Lixia, 立夏) falls around 5-7 May at solar longitude 45°, opening summer on the calendar as crops enter their fastest growth.

Solar longitude

45°

Type

Sectional term (jie)

Season

Summer

Order

No. 7 of 24

Usual dates

May 5–6

Meaning and Astronomy

Lixia (立夏) begins when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 45°, usually between 5 and 7 May. It is the seventh solar term, a jie (節) or sectional term that opens the fourth lunar month, and one of the 'four beginnings' that mark the start of each season.

Calendar summer does not always match the weather. Meteorologists in China define the onset of summer as five consecutive days with a mean temperature of 22°C or above. By that measure southern China, Taiwan and Hong Kong are already in summer at Lixia, the lower Yangtze is close, and northern and northeastern China wait until late May or June.

The Three Pentads

• First pentad: The mole cricket calls (螻蟈鳴) - interpreted either as mole crickets or as frogs, which start calling in the fields.
• Second pentad: Earthworms emerge (蚯蚓出) - warmer soil brings earthworms to the surface.
• Third pentad: The king melon grows (王瓜生) - this climbing gourd vine begins to spread quickly.

Climate and Farming

Temperatures rise noticeably and thunderstorms increase. Southern China enters a period of concentrated rainfall, Taiwan's plum rain season usually begins in mid-May, and Hong Kong often sees rainstorms. Northern China warms quickly but stays fairly dry, sometimes with hot, dry spells.

Winter wheat in the north is flowering and filling its grain, vulnerable to hot dry winds and pests; in the south early rice is tillering while later crops are raised as seedlings, and tea growers pick summer tea. The proverb 'if no rain at Lixia, hang up the plough and harrow' (立夏不下，犁耙高掛) reflects how much farming now depends on rain.

Customs

According to the Book of Rites, the Zhou king led his officials to the southern outskirts to welcome summer. Folk customs are richest in Jiangnan. 'Weighing people' (稱人) is the signature activity: family members take turns hanging from a large steelyard to see whether they gained or lost weight over spring. It is linked to a story from the Three Kingdoms period, though this is generally regarded as later legend.

In Jiangsu and Zhejiang children are given Lixia eggs, boiled and carried in a coloured net bag around the neck, and play 'egg battles' by knocking shells together. The eggs are traditionally believed to ward off 'summer sickness' (疰夏), the listlessness and poor appetite of hot weather. Jiangnan families also 'taste the three fresh things' (嘗三鮮), seasonal produce that varies by locality, and Ming-dynasty writings describe Hangzhou households brewing 'seven-family tea' from leaves gathered from neighbours. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau have few rituals specific to Lixia.

Seasonal Food and Wellness

Traditional thinking links summer with the heart and advises a calm mood, a short midday rest and plenty of fluids as sweating increases. Meals lean toward light seasonal produce such as peas, broad beans, amaranth, bamboo shoots and melons, without overdoing iced food. These are traditional ideas, not medical advice.

Start of Summer (Lixia): dates and times by year

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