二十四節氣之白露和秋分The 24 Solar Terms

何芷翌 He Zhiyi

白露Bailu

白露是二十四節氣中的第15個節氣，也是秋季六個節氣中的第三個節氣，發生在9月7日～ 9日之間，表示仲秋開始。白露，意為露凝為白?！对娊洝酚性疲骸?蒹葭蒼蒼，白露為霜?！边@是一年中溫差最大的時節，夏季風和冬季風在此時激烈交鋒。夜晚空氣中的水汽凝結成的露珠晶瑩剔透，在晨光的照射下發出耀眼潔白的光芒，所以被稱為“白露”。

Bailu， or White Dew， is the 15th solarterm in the 24 solar terms， and the 3rdsolar term in the six solar terms of autumn，occurring between September 7th and 9th，marking the start of mid-autumn. Bailu refersto dew condensing into white frost. A poem inthe Book of Songs goes： “The reeds so lush andgreen， the white dew becomes frost.” This seasonwitnesses the greatest temperature differentialall year as summer winds clash intenselywith winter winds. Moisture in the night aircondenses into translucent dewdrops that shinedazzlingly bright white under the morning light，hence the name Bailu （White Dew）.

白露時節也是收獲的季節——秋收作物成熟，瓜果豐實。俗話說：“ 白露秋分夜，一夜冷一夜?！边@個時節多吹偏北風，冷空氣南下逐漸頻繁，加上太陽直射地面的位置南移，使得北半球日照時間變短，日照強度減弱，夜間常晴朗少云，地面輻射散熱快，因此氣溫下降也逐漸加速。

The season of Bailu is also harvestingtime — autumn crops ripen， and fruitsand melons grow abundant. A saying goes：“The nights after White Dew and AutumnEquinox grow colder and colder.” Coolnortherly winds begin blowing frequently atthis time as cold air moves south. Coupledwith the sun shifting to shine directly furthersouth of the Northern Hemisphere， daylighthours grow shorter， and sunlight intensityweakens. Night skies are often clear with fewclouds， and the ground quickly radiates anddissipates heat. Hence temperatures drop atan accelerating pace.

白露既是收獲的季節，也是播種的季節。東北平原開始收獲谷子、大豆和高粱，華北地區秋季農作物成熟，大江南北的棉花正在吐絮，全國進入全面分批采收的農忙時期。西北、東北地區的冬小麥開始播種，華北的秋種也即將開始。黃淮地區、江淮及以南地區的單季晚稻已揚花灌漿，雙季雙晚稻即將抽穗。

Bailu is both a harvest season and a sowingseason. In Northeast Chinas plains， millet， soybeans，and sorghum harvesting has commenced， whileautumn crops in North China are maturing. Cottonbolls across the country are bursting as full-fledgedgraded picking enters its busy season. Winter wheatsowing begins in Northwest and Northeast China，while North Chinas autumn sowing will start soontoo. Single-season late rice in the Huang-HuaiRegion （ranging from the south of the Yellow Riverthrough the north of the Huai River）， along withareas around and south of the Jiang-Huai Region（spanning from the south of Huai River to the northof the Yangtze River）， has already flowered andripened， while double cropping late rice is soon tohead.

一提到白露，愛喝茶的人定會想到“白露茶”。白露時節，是酷熱夏季之后茶樹生長的極好時期。白露茶不像春茶那樣鮮嫩，也不像夏茶那樣干苦，而獨有一種甘醇的清香，備受品茶愛好者的青睞。此外，中國南方一些地區還會用糯米、高粱等谷物釀米酒，其酒味甘醇、營養豐富，是秋季招待客人的佳釀。

When Bailu arrives， tea enthusiasts undoubtedlyassociate it with “Bailu tea.” This season marks theprime growth period for tea trees after the scorchingsummer. Unlike the tenderness of spring tea orthe dry bitterness of summer tea， Bailu tea boastsa uniquely mellow and fresh fragrance， cherishedby connoisseurs. In certain regions of South China，glutinous rice， sorghum， and other grainsare utilized to craft sweet and nourishingautumnal rice wine， a delightful beveragefor hosting guests.

除了喝白露茶，白露還是吃龍眼的最佳時節。有俗話說：“ 白露吃龍眼，一顆頂只雞?！庇绕涫窃谥袊鴸|南地區，吃龍眼的習俗由來已久。因龍眼有益氣補脾、養血安神等多種功效，可以治療貧血、失眠、神經衰弱等多種疾病，福州人便喜愛在白露這一天買龍眼吃。老福州人喜歡將剝了皮的龍眼泡在稀飯里，龍眼晶瑩剔透，孩子們可以為此多吃一碗飯。

In addition to indulging in Bailu tea，the season of Bailu is the prime time forsavoring longan fruit. A popular sayingemphasizes the significance of consuminglongans during this period： “Eatinglongans on White Dew， one piece equals awhole chicken.” This tradition， particularlyprevalent in Southeast China， has deeproots. Longans are not only delicious butalso rich in nutrients that nourish thespleen， blood， and spirit. They offer varioushealth benefits， including alleviatinganemia， relieving insomnia， and treatingneurosis. In Fuzhou， locals have a specialaffinity for purchasing longans to enjoyon this day. Older Fuzhou residents， inparticular， have a delightful practice ofsoaking peeled longans in rice porridge，enhancing the dishs appeal for childrenwho would enjoy an extra bowl because of them.

二十四節氣秋分The 24 Solar Terms

秋分Qiufen

秋分是二十四節氣中的第16個節氣，恰好處于秋天的中段。顧名思義，“秋分”就是秋天的一半，“平分秋色”一詞也由此得來。秋分發生在每年9月22日～ 24日之間。此時，太陽直射點回到赤道，又一次把光線和熱量平分給南北半球，所以在這一天，南北半球的白天和夜晚都一樣長。過了這一天，北半球的夜晚就開始慢慢變得比白天長。秋分時節，長江流域及其以北地區先后進入秋季，日平均氣溫降到22℃以下。而大部分地區雨季已經結束，涼風習習，碧空萬里，秋高氣爽，丹桂飄香，蟹肥橘黃，美好宜人?？慈f山紅遍，層林盡染，帶走初秋的淡雅，迎來深秋的斑斕。

Qiufen， or the Autumnal Equinox， the16th solar term in the 24 solar term， occurs inmid-autumn， specifically between September22nd and 24th each year. True to its name，Qiufen signifies the midpoint of autumn，leading to the poetic notion of “evenly splitautumn hues.” During this period， the sunreturns to the celestial equator， distributingsunlight and heat evenly between the Northernand Southern Hemispheres. Consequently，both hemispheres experience equal day andnight length on this day. Following Qiufen，the Northern Hemisphere witnesses nightsgradually lengthening compared to the days.In regions along the Yangtze River and farthernorth， autumn takes hold during the equinoxseasons， characterized by average temperaturesbelow 22°C. The conclusion of most regionsrainy seasons ushers in refreshing cool breezes?and expansive blue skies， creating an invigoratingearly autumn. The sweet fragrance of osmanthuspermeates the air while crabs plump up andoranges transition to a vibrant yellow — a delightfulprelude to the visually stunning mid-autumn. Thelandscape transforms into a spectacle of reddeningmountains and forests， exhibiting the exquisitetransition from early autumns gentle elegance tomid-autumns vibrant splendor.

由于秋分后降溫加快，“三秋”（即秋收、秋耕、秋種）大忙顯得格外緊張。秋分時節，棉花吐絮，煙葉也由綠變黃，正是收獲的黃金時機。華北地區已經開始播種冬小麥，長江流域及南部廣大地區正忙著收割晚稻，搶晴耕，翻土地，準備耕種油菜。秋分時節的干旱少雨或連綿陰雨是影響三秋正常進行的主要不利因素，特別是連綿陰雨會使即將成熟的農作物倒伏、霉爛或發芽，造成嚴重損失。三秋大忙，貴在“早”字——及時搶收農作物可使其免受早霜凍、連陰雨的危害，適時早播冬季農作物可爭取利用冬前的熱量資源，培育壯苗安全越冬，為來年收獲奠定豐產的基礎。

Following Qiufen， the intensification of postequinoxcooling adds urgency to the bustlingagricultural activities called “the three autumns” —autumn harvest， autumn plowing， and autumnsowing. This juncture marks the golden period forharvesting as cotton bolls burst open， and tobaccoleaves transition from green to yellow. North Chinahas initiated winter wheat planting， while regionsalong the Yangtze River and further south raceagainst time to reap late rice while simultaneouslyplowing and preparing for oilseed rape sowing.However， the precarious balance of weather duringthis season， featuring droughts or prolonged rain，poses challenges to the routine farm work of the?three autumns. Extended rainfall， inparticular， risks flattening， molding， orprematurely sprouting crops that areon the verge of ripening. Successfullymanaging these critical farming taskspivots on timing — timely harvests preventdamage from early frost and rain， whileearly sowing of winter crops allowsthem to make use of pre-winter warmth，fostering robust seedlings and ensuringabundant harvests in the coming year.

到了秋分，中秋節便不遠了。農歷八月十五是中國傳統的中秋佳節，也被稱為“團圓節”，是家人團圓的日子。中秋夜，圓月當空，與家人一起品餅賞月；即便家人不能團聚，皎皎明月也寄托著人們的思鄉之情。月餅是古代中秋祭拜月神的供品，圓圓的月亮象征著闔家團圓，月餅自然就成為這一節日必備的美食。

The arrival of Qiufen signals the onsetof the Mid-Autumn Festival. Celebratedon the 15th day of the eighth lunarmonth， this traditional Chinese festival，also known as the “Reunion Festival，” isa time dedicated to family gatherings.Against the backdrop of the full harvestmoon， families come together to sharemooncakes， fostering a sense of unity.Even when they are separated， the samemoon connects individuals yearning forhome. Mooncakes， originally offered tothe lunar deity in ancient mid-autumnrituals， feature a round shape symbolizingfamily togetherness， making them anemblematic delicacy for this festiveoccasion.