This is the picture for the Chinese 24 Solar Terms system. It is actually a system that shows the relationship between the location of our planet earth and the sun which cause the climate to change. This system started long time ago but historical records shows in the Han dynasty (about 220 BC) there are already a clear record that shows the 24 solar terms and their measurements. In 104 BC, the Chinese officially put this system into the calendar system and set the exact locations for the 24 solar terms.

Names and Meaning of the 24 Solar Terms

Now let's take a look at the names and the meanings of each solar terms first, look at the above diagram and we will go from 0 degree at the top (center-top), the red one - 春分 (chun fun) and we will move counter-clockwise to the left and around. Follow along:

春分 (Chun Fun) - Spring Equinox - Day and night are equally long

清明 (Ching Ming) - Pure Brightness - It's warm and bright

穀雨 (Guk Yue) - Grain Rain - Rain is helping to the grains

立夏 (Laap Ha) - Beginning of Summer - summer begins

小滿 (Siu Moon) - Lesser Fullness of Grains - Kernels plump

芒種 (Mong Jung) - Grain in Beard - Wheat grows ripe

夏至 (Ha Jee) - Summer Solstice - Longest daytime and shortest night in the year

小暑 (Siu Sue) - Lesser Heat - Torridity comes

大暑 (Daai Sue) - Greater Heat - The hottest moment of the year

立秋 (Laap Chau) - Beginning of Autumn - Autumn begins

處暑 (Chue Sue) - End of Heat - Heat hides

白露 (Baak Low) - White Dew - Dew curdles

秋分 (Chau Fun) - Autumn Equinox - The end of autumn

寒露 (Hon Low) - Cold Dew - Dew is very cold

霜降 (Sheung Gong) - Frost's Descent - Frosts descends

立冬 (Laap Dung) - Beginning of Winter - Winter begins

小雪 (Siu Suet) - Lesser Snow - Begins to snow

大雪 (Daai Suet) - Greater Snow - Snowing heavily

冬至 (Dung Jee) - Winter Solstice - Shortest daytime and longest night

小寒 (Siu Hon) - Lesser Cold - It is rather cold

大寒 (Daai Hon) - Greater Cold - Coldest moment of the year

立春 (Laap Chun) - Beginning of Spring - Spring Begins

雨水 (Yue Sui) - Rain Water - It begins to rain

驚蟄 (Ging Jit) - Waking of Insects - Hibernating animals come to sense

Common Misunderstanding

Many people misunderstood that these 24 solar terms means ONE DAY, but it is not. This is only a "point of time" during a specific day that the solar terms changed. So for example, you would say the 冬至 (Dung Jee) Winter Solstice is at Dec 23 at 子時 (Jee-Si) meaning time period of 11pm-1am, then that is the only time period that means the winter solstice and not the whole day.

These names were created by 4 methods:

A group is named according to the seasons - such as

立春 (Beginning of Spring), 春分(Spring Equinox), 立夏 (Beginning of Summer), 夏至 (Summer Solstice), 立秋 (Beginning of Autumn), 秋分 (Autumn Equinox), 立冬 (Beginning of Winter), 冬至 (Winter Solstice).

A group is named according to the temperature changes - such as:

小暑 (Lesser Heat), 大暑 (Greater Heat), 處暑 (Heat hides), 小寒 (Lesser Cold), 大寒 (Greater Cold)

A group is named according to the precipitation level changes

雨水 (Rain Water), 谷雨 (Grain Rain), 白露 (White Dew), 寒露 (Cold Dew), 霜降 (Frost's Descent), 小雪 (Lesser Snow), 大雪 (Greater Snow)

A group is named according to the agricultural related issues

驚蟄 (Waking of Insects), 清明 (Pure Brightness), 小滿 (Lesser Fullness of Grains), 芒種 (Grain in Beard)

The Chinese Calendar

This is the traditional "Red Book" which is the Chinese Traditional Calendar 通勝 Tung Sing. This name really comes from some superstitious belief as well. First the name is called 通書 Tung-Sue meaning "Tung" as in everything, all around, and the word "sue" means book. The problem is the word "sue" sounds like "Losing"as in gambling. So later on they change it to "Sing" which means winning in gambling. Now the book is called "Tung-Sing" - always win, haha!

Inside the book, you will then find a lot of interesting stuff in the first half of the book which are basically simple folks fun stuff like fortune telling, some common everyday tips, face reading, palm reading, some folks fortune telling, signs from the body, talking about pregnancy, what to do and what not to do.

There are also a few pages on some Taoism FU and usually a picture of the first Tin Si (Celestial Master) from the East Han Dynasty as well. You can see how much people love his Taoism FU even up to today!

The first page is usually like this and you see a funny picture there with a kid and a cow and some other stuff. What is this? This is not a decoration picture, this is a picture for farmers to know how the year is like and it basically tells you how to look out for farming tips! For example, if the cow's mouth is closed and the tail is to the right, it means the year's Tin-Gon and Dei-Jee is a "Yin" cycle. If the cow's mouth is open and the tail to the left, it means the year's Tin Gon and Dei-Jee is a "Yang" cycle. The kid there is also called a "Mong Sun" meaning the wheat deity. This little kid stand at the cow's middle, it means the "spring begins" that year starts in 5 days before and after new year day. If he stand at the back of the cow, it means the day comes 5 days before new year. If he stand in front of the cow, it means that day will come 5 days after new year. This is only a few tips on how to read the diagram, there is a whole big book on teaching you how to read this as well. Crazy art work, lots of info told in a picture! "A picture worth a thousand words" - this is real deal!

tungsingpage

The second half of the book is the calender which looks like this, crazy intense looking. This is the only part that change every year (and a few minor parts at the first few pages). So people start to buy the smaller book instead later on because they only need this part of the book to update. The bigger ones are too bulky. So we have to explain here.

1. Western calender

2. Lucky star of the day (astronomy), stars that goes well with today's data

3. The "Dei Jee" earthling branches showing 12 time periods and their "good / bad" energy flow.

4. What not good to do according to the astronomy calculations

5. Lunar calendar

6. The Tin-Gon and Dei Jee 天干, 地支 combo for the "day"

7. The 28 constellations of the day

8. The month's calculation (beware)

9. 24 Solar Terms

10. What is good and okay to do according to the astronomy calculation

11. Bad luck stars - stars that conflicts with today's data

Now you can see how the Chinese actually combines their calendar all together with astronomy and agricultural issues. Nowadays, we Taoist are the specialist who help people to "pick a date" for certain things like weddings, opening a business, parties and so on. The main reason is to get the best date to do the important things so that it will go smooth and flowing, preventing what we call bad luck which is conflicts and bumps according to the astronomy data. This is of course just a bonus, you must also work hard and do things good with your own hands as well.

In Chinese, we say things have to done with 3 factors. The sky, the ground and the human. The sky is what we see in the calender, astronomy stuff that flows well. The ground is the fengshui, which you apply the astronomy stuff into landscaping and interior design. The human factor is how you do things and the way you carry out the task with wisdom. With all three together, you get good luck and everything will flow well and smooth. That is what we call "good luck". It's not like sit there and wait for money to pop into your pockets. It's all wisdom combined together to a big picture.

Reading the Tung-Sing (The red book) is now a specialized subject in Taoism as well. We do teach students how to read the calendar from basic baby steps to being able to even know how to calculate the data yourself and know how to read it in the professional way. This is ancient Chinese wisdom, of course we learn it all. Some people think it is superstitious, but it is not. It's just that if you don't know how to read it right, you will not think it is accurate. Wisdom is for those who are willing to spend time to learn and study, and so this is no-short-cut stuff. People can spend years to learn the book!

We are in Canada!