The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. White Dew, (Chinese: 白露), the 15th solar term of the year, begins this year on Sept 7.
中国传统农历将一年分为24节气。白露，是一年的第15个节气，今年从9月7日开始。White Dew indicates the real beginning of cool autumn. The temperature declines gradually and the vapors in the air often condense into white dew on the grass and trees at night.
白露意味着凉爽秋天真正到来了。气温开始逐渐下降，夜晚，水汽在草木上凝结而成为白色的露珠。
Here are 10 things you should know about White Dew.
Touring during Sept-旅游正当时
Varying by geographical location, autumn comes earlier in the west and northeast of China. Right now Kanas in Xinjiang, Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan and the Greater Hinggan Mountains in Northeastern China are entering the most beautiful season of the year.由于地理位置差异，中国西部和东北的秋天要来得更早一些。目前，新疆的喀纳斯湖、四川的九寨沟、东北的大兴安岭正进入了一年中最美的时节。
Forests in gorgeous colors and minority groups with their diversity of cultural styles have attracted a huge number of visitors.秋天的树林绚丽的色彩，以及那儿的少数民族迥异的风土人情，吸引着大量的游客纷至沓来。
From the first day of the White Dew on, there are more and more dews.
从进入白露节气的第一天开始，露水一天比一天多起来。Although sunshine in the day is still hot, after sunset, temperatures decrease rapidly. At night, water vapors in the air turn into small water-drops when it encounters cold temperatures. These white water-drops adhere to flowers, grass and trees. When the morning comes, sunshine makes them look crystal clear, spotless white and adorable.
尽管白天阳光尚热，然而太阳一归山，气温便很快下降，至夜间空气中的水汽便遇冷凝结成细小的水滴，非常密集地附着在花草树木上，尤其是经早晨的太阳光照射，看上去更加晶莹剔透、洁白无瑕，煞是惹人喜爱。
The White Dew season is just the time when grapes become widely available for sale. Eating grapes in autumn can help dispel one’s internal heat and expel toxins.
白露时节，正是葡萄大量上市时。秋天多吃葡萄能帮助驱除体内热气，还有排毒的功效。
Longan around White Dew is big, sweet and tastes great.
There is a tradition in Fuzhou, Fujian province, that eating longan on the first day of White Dew can help nourish the human body. It is said that one longan is as nutritious as an egg. Although this sounds exaggerated, Longan does reinforce the spleen, nourish the blood, calm the nerves and improve one’s looks
在福建省福州有白露吃龙眼的传统，民间认为在这天吃龙眼大补。据说吃一颗龙眼相当于吃一个鸡蛋，虽然听起来夸张了一点，但龙眼确实有益气补脾、养血安神、润肤美容等多种功效。Many regular tea drinkers in Nanjing favor White Dew Tea.
Tea during White Dew has gone through the hot summer and is in its best state of growth. White Dew Tea is different from spring tea, which is usually too tender and doesn’t last long. It is also different from summer tea, which is dry and has a bitter flavor. White Dew Tea instead tastes sweet with its sweet fragrance.
此时的茶树经过夏季的酷热，白露前后正是它生长的极好时期。白露茶既不像春茶那样鲜嫩，不经泡，也不像夏茶那样干涩味苦，而是有一种独特甘醇清香味。For some people in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, whose hometowns are in Zhejiang province or the southern part of Jiangsu province, it is traditional to make White Dew Wine during this season.
The wine is made of cereals such as polished glutinous rice and kaoliang (a specific type of sorghum) and tastes a little sweet. In the past, country people in those regions all made the wine and served it to guests when entertaining.
白露酒用糯米、高粱（一种特殊的黍）等五谷酿成，略带甜味。旧时苏浙一带乡下人每年白露都会酿酒，用以待客。
Eating sweet potatoes-红薯香又甜
Many Chinese believe that the best food during White Dew is sweet potatoes. In the old days, the peasants had the custom of eating sweet potato on the first day of White Dew.
很多中国人认为，白露时节最好的食物是红薯。旧时农家在白露节以吃番薯为习。Besides being the No.1 vegetable against cancer, according to Chinese medicine, sweet potato can nourish the spleen. It can prolong life and reduce the risks of disease.除了是抗癌的第一蔬菜外，据中医称，红薯还具健脾的功效。它可以延年益寿，提高免疫力。
Ten ‘White’herbal medicines-采‘十样白’
People in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province have a tradition of gathering 10 herbal medicines on the first day of White Dew.
The names of these herbal medicines all contain the Chinese word "bai" which means white, such as baimujin (white hibiscus). People believe that stewing these herbal medicines with black-bone chicken or duck can nourish the human body and cure arthritis.这“十样白”乃是十种带“白”字的草药，如白木槿等。据说用这些草药煨乌骨白毛鸡（或鸭子），食后可滋补身体，治疗关节炎。
Playing with swallow carts-耍‘燕子车’
In Tancheng county, Shandong province, children play with swallow handcarts, a sharpened wooden cart in the shape of a swallow, on the first day of White Dew.在山东省郯城乡下，小孩子们在白露这天都会小燕车，它是一种像燕子形状的小木车。
People of every household there can make this kind of wooden toy, which can even make pleasing sounds. Pushing the swallow cars while running can help the children resist coldness and improve their bodily constitutions.各家各户都会制作这种玩具小木车，它甚至还能发出轻快的声音。推着玩具小车跑起来，可以抵御寒冷，还能增强体质。
Offer sacrifices to Da Yu-祭禹王
White Dew is a time for people in the Taihu Lake area of East China to offer sacrifices to Da Yu, a hero who tamed floods by regulating rivers and watercourses.白露时节也是太湖人祭禹王的日子。禹王是传说中的治水英雄大禹。
Besides on the first day of White Dew, people also hold sacrificial rites for Da Yu on the eighth day of the first lunar month, on Tomb-sweeping Day, and on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
除了白露节，每年正月初八、清明、七月初七，人们也都会举办祭祀活动。
文章来源自China Daily，图片来自视觉中国。1. indicate [ˈɪndɪkeɪt] v.表明;显示;象征;暗示;间接提及;示意in 否定 + dic 说；断言 + ate 动词后缀 → 不说出 → 暗示Record profits in the retail market indicate a boom in the economy.零售市场上有史以来的最高利润显示出经济的突飞猛进。2. vapor [ˈveɪpər] n.蒸汽，水气 v.蒸发The two principal combustion products are water vapor and carbon dioxide.3. condense [kənˈdens] v.(由气体)冷凝;(使气体)凝结;(使)浓缩，变浓，变稠;简缩，压缩(文字、信息等)con 表加强 + dense 密集的 → 使变密集 → 凝结；浓缩Steam condenses into water when it cools.dense [dens] adj.密集的;稠密的;浓密的;浓重的;愚笨的;迟钝的;笨拙的4. adorable [əˈdɔːrəbl] adj.可爱的;讨人喜爱的5. toxin [ˈtɑːksɪn] n.毒素(尤指生物体自然产生的毒物)Experts have linked this condition to a build-up of toxins in the body6. exaggerate [ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪt] v.夸张;夸大;言过其实ex 向外 + ag 来，临近 ger 携带 + ate 动词后缀 → 夸张The hotel was really filthy and I'm not exaggerating.7. spleen[spliːn] n.脾;愤怒;怒气He vented his spleen (= shouted in an angry way) on the assembled crowd.8. sorghum [ˈsɔːrɡəm] n.高粱;高粱米The sorghum is in the ear.9. arthritis [ɑːrˈθraɪtɪs] n.关节炎I have a touch of arthritis in the wrist.10. sacrifice [ˈsækrɪfaɪs] n.牺牲;舍弃;祭献;祭祀;祭献的牲畜;祭品 v.牺牲;献出;以(人或动物)作祭献sacr神圣 + i + fic 做，制作 + e →〔甘愿〕做神圣的事 → 牺牲They offered sacrifices to the gods.