Rain Water (Yushui)

Rain Water (Yushui, 雨水) arrives around 18-20 February at solar longitude 330°, when snow turns to rain and farmers prepare fields for spring.

Solar longitude

330°

Type

Principal term (zhongqi)

Season

Spring

Order

No. 2 of 24

Usual dates

Feb 18–19

Meaning and Astronomy

Yushui (雨水) begins when the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 330°, usually between 18 and 20 February. It is the second of the 24 solar terms and a zhongqi (中氣) or principal term, the midpoint of the first lunar month. The name describes the season plainly: as temperatures rise, snow and ice melt, northern precipitation shifts from snow to rain, and rainfall in the south increases.

For a period in early history Rain Water was placed after Awakening of Insects; the present order became standard from the Han dynasty onward. Because Yushui often falls close to the Lantern Festival, many local customs blend into the end of the New Year season.

The Three Pentads

• First pentad: The otter offers fish (獺祭魚) - otters catch fish in quantity and often lay them out on the bank, which ancient observers likened to a sacrificial display.
• Second pentad: Wild geese fly north (候雁北) - geese that wintered in the south head back to their breeding grounds.
• Third pentad: Plants begin to sprout (草木萌動) - warming soil coaxes the first buds and shoots.

Climate and Farming

In southern China and the lower Yangtze, rainy days become more frequent and drizzle is common. The north remains cold, snow is not quite over, and temperature swings can bring late cold spells. Taiwan sees spring rain and fog with marked changes as fronts pass, while Hong Kong enters its humid season, when walls and floors sweat during 'returning south' weather.

Winter wheat is greening up and needs water and fertiliser; northern farmers guard against spring drought, while southern farmers clear drainage ditches to prevent waterlogging and prepare early rice seedbeds. The proverb 'spring rain is as precious as oil' (春雨貴如油) captures how valuable rain is now, and northerners say 'rain at Yushui means good crops' as a hopeful rule of thumb.

Customs

Yushui has no nationwide festival, but some regional customs stand out. In western Sichuan, parents traditionally take a child to the roadside or a temple on this day to find a godfather (拉保保), hoping for the child's safe upbringing. Married daughters there may also return to visit their parents with gifts, while sons-in-law bring slow-cooked meat as a wish for their in-laws' long life.

Some Hakka areas are said to practise 'reading the rice colour' (占稻色), popping glutinous rice and judging the year's harvest by how much puffs up - a form of folk divination. In Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, Yushui usually overlaps with Lantern Festival observances and is seldom marked on its own, though farmers watch the rainfall closely when planning spring work.

Seasonal Food and Wellness

As humidity rises, traditional thinking holds that dampness burdens the digestion, so light, less oily meals are favoured, along with ingredients customarily regarded as drying, such as Chinese yam, Job's tears, red beans and hyacinth beans, and fewer raw or chilled foods.

With the weather swinging between warm and cold, carrying an extra layer is sensible, and good ventilation helps keep clothes and food from going mouldy in damp homes. These are general traditions, not medical advice.

Rain Water (Yushui): dates and times by year

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