中国范儿 87 小满：盛夏将至小麦渐满

Xiaoman or Small Grain, the eighth solar term in the 24 solar terms, usually occurs on May 20-22 when the sun’s elliptical longitude reaches 60 degrees. It is time that summer crops already bear fruits, and their seeds are full though not ripe yet.

Climatically, summer begins to reach all parts of the country during Xiaoman. The temperature difference between the north and the south shrinks, and a greater amount of rainfall is usually on the way. Xiaoman heralds the busiest season for agricultural production, albeit with some regional variations. In the middle and lower reach of the Yellow River, wheat is prone to be hit by dry and hot wind, resulting in poor harvest. In contrast, south China is often plagued by heavy rainfall or powerful storms during this period. So, flood prevention facilities are always under high strains during the late part of Xiaoman. If the middle and lower reach of the Yangze River see less rainfall during the time of Xiaoman, then it will probably embrace further dwindling rainfall during the upcoming rainy season. As a proverb popular in the Jiangnan Region goes, the three “wheels”, namely the water wheel, the oil wheel and the spinning wheel, gather pace as Xiaoman gets closer. Farmers pedal the water wheel to divert water for the water-thirsty crops in the field. They use the oil wheel to extract oil from the freshly-reaped rape seeds. They use the spinning wheel to reel silk threads from cocoons.

Silkworms were important embodiments of the agricultural civilization during the ancient era, but they were very hard to breed. The Xiaoman day is said to be the birthday of the Silkworm God and people of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces celebrate it to pray for a good silk harvest. Although Xiaoman heralds the advent of the harvest season, it is actually an interval between two harvests. In the past, many people had to collect wild vegetables to survive these tough days. This created idiosyncratic eating customs during Xiaoman.

As an agriculture proverb in South China goes, less rainfall during Xiaoman will bring headache for planting during Manzhong (Grain in Ear). It refers to a scenario in which a field not filled with water during Xiaoman will become uncultivable during Manzhong, the next solar term. “Xiaoman comes, wheat ripens”, another saying about Xiaoman, indicates that wheat is becoming ripe around the time of Xiaoman. Such proverbs have guided the agricultural production and daily life of the Chinese people in thousands of years. The meteorological community dubbed the 24 solar terms “the fifth great invention of China”, which is undoubtedly a testament to the wit and wisdom of the ancient Chinese.

来源：中国网

长按识别二维码可关注该微信公众平台