OnNovember30,2016,China鈥檚24SolarTerms,aknowledgesystemtomeasuretimedevelopedbyChineseancestorsuponobservationsofsolarmovement,wasincludedonthe2016RepresentativeListoftheIntangibleCulturalHeritageofHumanity,becomingthe39thitemofChineseheritagetomakethelist.
TheancientChinesedividedthesun鈥檚annualmovementinto24equalparts,withthespringequinox,theautumnequinox,thewintersolstice,andthesummersolsticeeachdividingsolarterms.TheearliestcompleterecordofthesystemwasfoundintheWritingsofPrinceHuainanpublishedduringtheHanDynasty(202-220B.C.).ThesystemstillinfluencesChinesethinkingandbehavior.
YuShicun鈥檚BookofTimeisacomprehensiveguidetoChina鈥檚cultureofsolarterms,illuminatingitfromuniqueangles.Yuappliesthe24SolarTermstofieldsincludingastronomy,climate,agriculture,healthcare,aestheticsandphilosophyaswellasfromperspectivesofChinesehistory,customs,andsurvivalmethods.
TheauthorinterpretstheChinesephilosophyoftime:Notonlydosolartermsrelatetoagricultureandhealth,buttheyinspirefeelingsandtransmitknowledgeonlife,nature,andtheuniverse.Byfocusingontherelationshipbetweennatureandmanacrosstheseterms,theauthorarguesthattheseancientschemesarestillatworktoday.
YuShicun,anoutstandingChinesewriterandpoet,isconsidered鈥渙neofthegreatestthinkersofmodernChina鈥漺ithhighlyinfluentialphilosophies,astrongsenseofhistoricalmission,andthetemperamentofanintellectual.HismajorworksincludeTrilogyofMan,UncommonSense:DiscourseofChina1840-1999,andBigTime:RediscoveryoftheBookofChanges.
ThebookfeaturesillustrationsbyLaoShu,alsoknownasLiuShuyong,aneminentChinesescholarandpainterwhoservesasaprofessorattheSchoolofCultureandCommunicationundertheCentralUniversityofFinanceandEconomicsaswellasacriticofvisualculture.
TheSlightCold,the23rdofChina鈥檚24SolarTerms,fallsonJanuary5or6everyyearandmarksthecoldestdaysoftheyear.
TheSpringEquinox,thefourthofChina鈥檚24SolarTerms,fallsaroundMarch20everyyear.Itisthecentralpointofdivisionofthe90daysofthespring,whendayandnightareequallylonginthenorthernandsouthernhemispheres.
TheGreatSnow,the21stofChina鈥檚24SolarTerms,fallsaroundDecember7everyyear.Itbecomescolderduringtheperiod,withanincreasedpossibilityofsnow.
TheWinterSolstice,the22ndofChina鈥檚24SolarTerms,fallsbetweenDecember21and23everyyear.Astronomically,itmarksthestartofwinterinthenorthernhemisphere.
TheGreatCold,thelastofChina鈥檚24SolarTerms,fallsaroundJanuary20everyyear,thelastfinalstretchofthelunarcalendar,readytoheraldspring鈥檚arrival.