Pingyao Old Town
Remembering Pingyao’s glorious past, the local people have protected and preserved the old town. On December 3, 1997, at the 21st session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, Pingyao was put on Read More
experience Chinese customs
Remembering Pingyao’s glorious past, the local people have protected and preserved the old town. On December 3, 1997, at the 21st session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, Pingyao was put on Read More
Han (206 BC – 220 AD) The powerful Qin Dynasty was pulled down due to its tyrannical rule and Liu Bang (Emperor Hangaozu) founded the Western Han Dynasty in 206 BC. The Western Han Read More
In July, 2006, Yin Ruins was listed as World Heritage at the 30th World Heritage Conference. It is universally recognized by international experts in relics of ancient cities as the chief representative of Read More
Primitive bronze weapons and drinking vessels excavated from Erlitou Site indicate that bronze culture in China was extremely mature in the Xia Dynasty. Among the unearthed bronze wares, smaller articles such as knife, Read More
在日本,从大暑到处暑的一个月时间内,日本各地有组织泼水降温的习俗。 处暑,是二十四节气之中的第14个节气,在8月23日前后,太阳到达黄经150°。《月令七十二候集解》:“七月中,处,止也,暑气至此而止矣。”此后中国长江以北地区气温逐渐下降。此时太阳正运行到了狮子座的轩辕十四星近旁。夜晚观北斗七星,弯弯的斗柄还是指向“申”(西南方向)。处暑的“处”是指“终止”,处暑的意义是“夏天暑热正式终止”。所以有俗语说:争秋夺暑,是指立秋和处暑之间的时间,虽然秋季在意义上已经来临,但夏天的暑气仍然未减。尽管早晚已有些浓重的凉意,北京地区白昼的时间也减少到了13小时25分钟。 天气特点 秋高气爽开始影响我国的冷高压,在它的控制下,形成的下沉的、干燥的冷空气,先是宣告了中国东北、华北、西北雨季的结束,率先开始了一年之中最美好的天气–秋高气爽。处暑期间,真正进入秋季的只是东北和西北地区。但每当冷空气影响我国时,若空气干燥,往往带来刮风天气,若大气中有暖湿气流输送,往往形成一场像样的秋雨。每每风雨过后,特别是下雨过后,人们会感到较明显的降温。故有:“一场秋雨(风)一场寒”之说。北方南部的江淮地区,还有可能出现较大的降水过程。气温下降明显,昼夜温差加大,雨后艳阳当空,人们往往对夏秋之交的冷热变化不很适应,一不小心就容易引发呼吸道、肠胃炎、感冒等疾病,故有“多事之秋”之说。秋老虎夏季称雄的副热带高压,虽说大步南撤,但绝不肯轻易让出主导权、轻易退到西太平洋的海上。在它控制的南方地区,刚刚感受一丝秋凉的人们,往往在处暑尾声,再次感受高温天气,这就是名副其实的”秋老虎”。对于刚刚走出三伏(2006年三伏在7月20日到8月20日),并且遭遇严重伏旱的地区,如果继续受副热带高压的控制,往往容易形成夏秋连旱,使秋季防火期大大提前,需要警惕。需要说的是,长江中下游地区往往在秋老虎天气结束后,才会迎来秋高气爽的小阳春,不过要到10月以后了。在此期间,全国各地的暴雨总趋势是减弱的。 进入9月,雷暴活动不及炎夏那般活跃,但华南、西南和华西地区 雷暴雷暴活动仍较多。在华南,由于低纬度的暖湿气流还比较活跃,因而产生的雷暴比其它地方多;而西南和华西地区,由于处在副热带高压边缘,加之山地的作用,雷暴的活动也比较多。进入9月,我国大部开始进入少雨期,而华西地区秋雨偏多。它是我国西部地区秋季的一种特殊的天气现象。华西秋雨的范围,除渭水和汉水流域外,还包括四川、贵州大部、云南东部、湖南西部、湖北西部一带发生的秋雨。因秋雨早的年份8月下旬就可以出现。最早出现日期有时可从8月下旬开始,最晚在11月下旬结束。但主要降雨时段是出现在9、10两个月。“华西秋雨”的主要特点是雨日多,而另一个特点是以绵绵细雨为主,所以雨日虽多,但雨量却不很大,一般要比夏季少,强度也弱。 习俗活动 出游迎秋祭祖、迎秋处暑节气前后的民俗多与祭祖及迎秋有关。处暑前后民间会有庆赞中元的民俗活动,俗称“作七月半”或“中元节”。旧时民间从七月初一起,就有开鬼门的仪式,直到月底关鬼门止,都会举行普渡布施活动。据说普度活动由开鬼门开始,然后竖灯篙,放河灯招致孤魂;而主体则在搭建普度坛,架设孤棚,穿插抢孤等行事,最后以关鬼门结束。时至今日,已成为祭祖的重大活动时段。此外,处暑之后,秋意渐浓,正是人们畅游郊野迎秋赏景的好时节。处暑过,暑气止,就连天上的那些云彩也显得疏散而自如,而不像夏天大暑之时浓云成块。民间向来就有“七月八月看巧云”之说,其间就有“出游迎秋”之意。 放河灯河灯也叫“荷花灯”,一般是在底座上放灯盏或蜡烛,中元夜放在江河湖海之中,任其漂泛。放河灯是为了普渡水中的落水鬼和其他孤魂野鬼。肖红《呼兰河传》中的一段文字,是这种习俗的最好注脚:“七月十五是个鬼节;死了的冤魂怨鬼,不得托生,缠绵在地狱里非常苦,想托生,又找不着路。这一天若是有个死鬼托着一盏河灯,就得托生。” 开渔节对于沿海渔民来说,处暑以后渔业收获的时节,每年处暑期间;在浙江省沿海都要举行一年一度的隆重的开渔节,决定在东海休渔结束的那一天,举行盛大的开渔仪式,欢送渔民开船出海。2006年第九届中国开渔节,在9月6日浙江省象山县举行。因为;这时海域水温依然偏高,鱼群还是会停留在海域周围,鱼虾贝类发育成熟。因此,从这一时间开始,人们往往可以享受到种类繁多的海鲜。 泼水习俗
Qiqiao Festival (Chinese:乞巧节), or Double Seventh Festival (Chinese:七夕节), is known as Chinese Valentine’s Day nowadays, which is a most romantic festival in China particularly popular among young girls. Qiqiao Festival is related to Read More
Apart from racing dragon boat and eating Zongzi, other customs also popular among people during Dragon Boat Festival, like hanging calamus and Folium Artemisiae argyi on doors, smoking herb and angelica dahurica, and Read More
Qingming is a festival as well as one of the Chinese 24 solar terms (Chinese:二十四节气), which objectively mirror the alteration of air temperatures, rainfall and biotemperature, and farmers arrange their farming activities accordingly. Read More
The night on this day is the longest during a year, so “Winter Solstice rice ball” are made at this night. Children are happy on this day and usually make the rice balls Read More
Another custom is to prepare Laba vinegar for Jiaozi on the New Year Eve. People will skin garlic and put them in the vinegar. It will have a distinctive flavor with time passing Read More