中国范儿 100 小暑：温风至将入伏

Xiaoshu (Minor Heat) is the eleventh solar term of the twenty-four solar terms, as well as the fifth one in summer. It signifies the beginning of late summer. The character “shu” means heat. Xiaoshu is minor heat, meaning that it is not very hot. The weather is getting increasingly hot, but not the hottest moment yet. Such features of climate fit most parts of China.

Xiaoshu witnesses the absence of cold wind on the ground. On the contrary, winds usually blow across the land accompanied by heat waves. In South China, average temperature is around 26 degrees Celsius during Xiaoshu, a hallmark of the midsummer season. In some parts of China, Xiaoshu witnesses frequent thunderstorms, which are often accompanied by strong wind, heavy rainfall and sometimes hail. Most parts in South China are prone to be hit by drought and floods during this time. To lessen possible damages, people must take necessary measures in advance.

Farmers plant crops and heap harvests in a rush in the lunar month of May. When Xiaoshu comes, most China’s agricultural areas are blanketed with fast-growing crops, with noticeable exceptions of Northeast and Northwest China, where farmers are still busy in harvesting crops like the winter wheat and the spring wheat. In most parts of China, farmers zero in on the management of crops during Xiaoshu. They increase the amount of fertilizers for crops and find ways to fend of pests.

In the past, people had the custom of “eating fresh” during Xiaoshu. They ground newly-harvested rice and wheat into powder and then make patties and noodles out of it. People shared these foods with their neighbors and fellow villagers, praying for bumper harvests together. Meanwhile, they would spare some of the foods as sacrifices for their ancestors, hoping they would bless them with favorable weathers.

The first phase of dog days will come on the heels of Xiaoshu. In North China, people have the habit of eating porridge on the day of Xiaoshu, for the purposes of fending off heat and soothing the digestive system. They are especially fond of such small dishes like fried green bean sprouts. The custom of eating lotus roots on the day of Xiaoshu is popular in many areas. In China, lotus is a recommended food for the summer season, since the Chinese believe that it can stimulate people’s appetite. Iced watermelon is almost the only solution to the summer heat. Su Dongpo, a famous Chinese poet, once praised the watermelon as a source of the “divine iced juice”, which can dispel the heat from a person’s body in no time.

Not the hottest season though, Xiaoshu heralds the advent of Dashu, the dog days of a year. As a Chinese proverb goes, the heat during Xiaoshu and Dashu is so overwhelming that it is like going out of the frying pan into the fire. The weather is becoming increasingly muggy and moist and there's no escaping the heat waves. Xiaoshu heralds the start of people’s efforts to brace themselves for the upcoming blistering heat.

来源：中国网

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