Autumn Equinox lies at the midpoint of autumn, dividing autumn into two equal parts. In Chinese, the Autumn Equinox is written as “Qiu Fen” (秋分). “Qiu” means autumn and “Fen” means division. This article talks about the customs of Autumn Equinox. 

 

 Out of all the 24 solar terms, the ancient Chinese first created the Autumn Equinox, because it is a golden harvest time for farmers. The season, however, carries a trace of sadness in other people’s eyes: it is not only a harvest time of the year, but also a time when nature turns to decay after thriving.

Around the Autumn Equinox, the breeze is cool, the sky is blue, and the weather is very pleasant. In this season, crab is delicious and the chrysanthemums blossom. The Autumn Equinox also is the time for the Osmanthus. The season of smelling the fragrance of Osmanthus is coming. At this time, it is hot in the day and cool in the night in South China, so people have to wear a single layer when it is hot, and a lined dress when it is cool. This period is named Guihua Zheng (Osmanthus mugginess).