Grain in Ear (Mangzhong)

Grain in Ear (Mangzhong, 芒種) falls around 5-7 June at solar longitude 75°, the busiest farm season, when wheat is harvested and rice is planted.

Solar longitude

75°

Type

Sectional term (jie)

Season

Summer

Order

No. 9 of 24

Usual dates

Jun 5–6

Meaning and Astronomy

Mangzhong (芒種) begins when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 75°, usually between 5 and 7 June. It is the ninth solar term, a jie (節) or sectional term that opens the fifth lunar month.

Mang are the fine bristles, or awns, on ears of wheat and rice. The name means that awned wheat is ripe and must be harvested, while awned rice must be sown and transplanted. Because harvesting and planting happen together, the term is often punned as 'busy planting' (忙種). It usually falls close to the Dragon Boat Festival.

The Three Pentads

• First pentad: Mantises hatch (螳螂生) - egg cases laid the previous autumn release young mantises.
• Second pentad: The shrike begins to call (鵙始鳴).
• Third pentad: The mockingbird falls silent (反舌無聲) - a bird known for imitating others, usually identified as a blackbird, stops singing.

Climate and Farming

Soon after Mangzhong the middle and lower Yangtze usually enters the plum rain season (梅雨), with long spells of muggy, overcast weather that makes things go mouldy. Southern China is hot and wet and typhoon season begins; in Taiwan the plum rains generally end around mid-June, giving way to hot summer weather, and Hong Kong sees frequent rainstorms. Northern China is hot and dry - ideal for harvesting wheat.

In the north the 'three summer tasks' of harvesting, sowing and field management peak: wheat must be cut and threshed while the weather holds, then maize and soybeans sown straight after. In the south farmers transplant rice. The saying 'Mangzhong, Mangzhong, harvest and sow together' (芒種芒種，連收帶種) sums up the season.

Customs

People once welcomed the flower deities at the Flower Festival in the second lunar month and bid them farewell at Mangzhong, when most blossoms fade. Chapter 27 of the novel Dream of the Red Chamber depicts the young women of Grand View Garden holding such a farewell, the setting for Lin Daiyu's famous lament on burying flowers.

In Jixi, southern Anhui, families mark the end of transplanting with 'settling the seedlings' (安苗), shaping new wheat flour into animals and fruit as offerings for healthy crops. Green plums ripen now, and in Jiangnan and Guangdong they are boiled with sugar or cured with salt, since raw they are too sour to eat; the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms made 'discussing heroes over green plums and warm wine' famous, though that scene is fiction. In Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, attention at this time turns mostly to the Dragon Boat Festival.

Seasonal Food and Wellness

Muggy weather can leave people drowsy, so tradition suggests a short midday nap, avoiding late nights and keeping homes dry and ventilated, especially as food spoils faster. Light meals, plenty of water and seasonal produce such as mung beans, winter melon, luffa and bitter melon are favoured, and sour plums are enjoyed in moderation to stimulate appetite. These are traditional ideas, not medical advice.

Grain in Ear (Mangzhong): dates and times by year

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