Seasonal Life & Customs
The Essence of White Dew: The Art of Tea and Rice Wine
When and Why White Dew (Bailu, 白露) marks the fifteenth of the twenty-four solar terms, typically falling on or around September 7th or 8th of the Gregorian c...
Grain in Ear: The Ancient Ritual of Bidding Farewell to the Flower Goddess
When and Why Grain in Ear (Mang Zhong, 芒种), the ninth of the twenty-four solar terms in the Chinese almanac, typically arrives around June 5th or 6th. The na...
Celebrating the Double Ninth Festival: Honoring Our Elders and Climbing High Pea
When and Why The Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang Jie, 重阳节) falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, a date steeped in the significance of the number...
The Ancient Art of Counting the Nines Through the Long Winter Days
When and Why The practice of Counting the Nines, or Shujiu (数九), begins on the day of the Winter Solstice, which typically falls between December 21 and 22 i...
Celebrating the Summer Solstice Through the Traditional Custom of Eating Refresh
When and Why The Summer Solstice, known as Xia Zhi (夏至) in the Chinese almanac, marks the pinnacle of the sun’s power in the northern hemisphere. Falling ann...
The Warming Comfort of Laba Porridge During Minor Cold and Major Cold
When and Why As the Chinese almanac shifts toward the final stretch of the year, we encounter the two coldest solar terms: Minor Cold (Xiao Han) and Major Co...
A Romantic Celestial Reunion: Celebrating the Qixi Festival and Its Timeless Leg
When and Why The Qixi Festival (Qi Xi Jie, 七夕节), often celebrated as the Chinese Valentine’s Day, falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. In the...
The Courier’s Ledger: Navigating Gift Exchange Customs during the New Moon
Explore the intricate world of gift-giving in ancient China through the eyes of a postal courier during the Shuo Ri phase of the lunar calendar.
The Rhythms of the Forge: Blacksmithing During the Silkworm Raising Month
Experience the intense heat of a Tang Dynasty forge during the Silkworm Raising Month, where iron meets the seasonal pulse of ancient rural life.
Ink and Emerald Leaves: A Tea Farmer’s Correspondence during Qingming
Explore the art of correspondence in ancient China through the eyes of a tea farmer during the bustling Qingming tea-picking season.
Scrubbing the Threshold: Midwives and Ritual Cleansing on the Double Seventh Fes
Discover how a midwife in Song Dynasty China prepared households for the Double Seventh Festival, balancing deep cleaning traditions with daily duties.
The Dyer’s Palette and the Dragon Boat: Rhythms of the Fifth Lunar Month
Experience the vibrant intersection of ancient textile craft and the dragon boat festival during the height of the silkworm harvest in imperial China.
The Temple Keeper's Harvest: Tax Payment on the Dark Moon
On the Dark Moon (Hui Ri), a temple keeper prepares for the crucial tax collection, a ritual woven into the fabric of agricultural life, connecting the harvest to the divine and the state.
The Plum Rain Season: An Inn Servant's Medicinal Brews
During the humid Plum Rain season in ancient China, an inn servant meticulously prepared herbal remedies, vital for travelers facing damp ailments.
The Fisherman's Offering: Kitchen God Festival on the Yangtze
A Yangtze fisherman's annual pilgrimage to honor the Kitchen God, a festival deeply tied to the lunar calendar, offering a glimpse into ancient Chinese rural traditions.
The New Moon's Whisper: A Tea Merchant's Matchmaking Rounds
On the dark New Moon, a humble tea merchant navigates ancient China's arranged marriage landscape, observing customs and the subtle art of finding a good match.
The Blacksmith's Forge and the Autumn Community Festival: Medicine Preparation
Witness autumn's bounty transformed into healing remedies at the Qiu She festival, as a blacksmith prepares vital medicines, blending ancient knowledge with everyday life.
The air hung thick and humid, a palpable presence tinged with the sweet, smoky s
A calligrapher's journey during the Ghost Festival reveals ancient Chinese travel, commerce, and the profound respect for the spiritual realm.
A Boatman's Pilgrimage: Temple Worship in Silkworm Raising Month
Amidst the humid air heavy with the scent of mulberry leaves and the distant murmur of chanting, the riverboat felt a world apart. The boatman, his skin weat...
The Needle's Whisper: A Martial Master's Winter Solstice in the Jade City
Seeking solace from winter's grip, a seasoned martial artist entrusts his aches to the healer's art, finding restoration in ancient techniques. The Needle's...