Wang Xuetao's' Peach Blossoms in Spring'

Waking of Insects / 3.5

Waking of Insects，also known as Qizhe, is the third solar term among the 24 solar terms. At this season, the yang energy rises, the temperature warms up, spring thunder strikes, and rainfall increases, making all things full of vitality.

The spring thunder begins to move, sounding to awaken the sting. In the "Da Dai Li Ji · Xia Xiaozheng", it is recorded: "In the first month of the lunar new year, the sound of the sound of the sound of the sound of the sound of the sound is heard. All things are shaken, and the sound is thunder, so it is called the awakening of the sound.

Waking of Insects · San Hou

Yihou, the peach blossoms begin to bloom

'Hua' means' flower ', which means peach blossoms are beginning to bloom. At this time, as the temperature warms up and the yang energy rises, peach trees sense the spring atmosphere and bloom first. The pink and white flowers adorn the branches, symbolizing the vitality of spring. Otters start fishing and place the caught fish on the shore, as if in a ritual.

Er Hou, Cang Gengming

Canggeng, also known as the oriole, is renowned for its crisp and pleasant chirping. With the arrival of the Awakening of Insects, the oriole sensed the rising yang energy and began to sing actively, as if announcing the arrival of spring.

San Hou, the eagle transforms into a dove

The term 'dove' refers to the cuckoo bird. There is an ancient saying that goes: "In the middle of spring, the trees are lush and the pecking is gentle. They cannot catch birds and stare at hunger, like a madman, so it is called a dove." This means that in the middle of spring, eagles begin to hide and breed offspring, and the originally dormant doves gradually increase, chirping and seeking mates, which was mistakenly thought by ancient people to be eagles turning into doves.

Waking of Insects·Customs

/Eating spring bamboo shoots, knowing the taste of spring/

People from Jiangnan often say, 'Only after eating bamboo shoots can one understand the taste of spring.'. Bamboo shoots are the newly born tender shoots of bamboo, referred to as "bamboo sprouts" in "Er Ya · Shi Cao". With a spring thunder, the tips of the bamboo shoots burst out of the soil. Under the nourishment of the rain, those bamboo shoots that have absorbed the sweet spring rain are the most delicious. The secret to eating spring bamboo shoots lies in the word 'fresh'. During the Southern Song Dynasty, poet Lin Hong would choose a lush bamboo forest to eat spring bamboo shoots. He would light a fire with falling bamboo leaves and sit by the edge of the forest to cook fresh bamboo shoots. Due to its delicious taste, it was specially named "Banlin Fresh".

/ Eating pears to moisten the lungs and prevent dryness/

Since ancient times, there has been a custom among the people to awaken insects and eat pears. The ancients called pears the "Fruit Sect", meaning "the sect of a hundred fruits". The temperature rises sharply during the Awakening of Insects season, and people often feel dry mouth and tongue. Pear clear, sweet, and lung moistening is a health product suitable for all ages. It can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, juiced, etc. There are various legends about Jingzhe eating pears. One way is to say 'spring thunder startles a hundred insects', eating pears is to hope that pests and diseases can stay away from oneself and one's family; Another way is that "pear" sounds the same as "plow", symbolizing that the busy spring plowing is about to begin.

/ Menggupi, Respectful Thunder God/

The ancients believed that the sound of the awakening of insects and thunder was caused by the thunder god beating the drum. At this time, a new drum skin was made to symbolize "responding to the heavens". In some areas, drum making and thunder god worship ceremonies are preserved.

/ Spring plowing and plowing, praying for a bountiful harvest/

Waking of Insects is a critical period for spring plowing. Farmers hold ceremonies to worship the God of Land, plow the soil, sow seeds, and sing the agricultural proverb "Awakening of Insects does not plow the fields, but only takes three to five days". In accordance with the timing, I pray for a bountiful harvest of five grains throughout the year.

Waking of Insects and Health Preservation

Spring is the season when natural yang energy emerges and rises, and at this time, the body's yang energy also has the characteristic of upward and outward rising. So, for spring health and wellness, it is necessary to follow the timing and physiology, so that the limbs can stretch and the qi and blood can be regulated smoothly.

/ Nourish yin and moisten dryness, reduce acidity and increase sweetness/

Eat more pears, which are cool in nature and sweet in taste. They can produce fluids, moisten dryness, clear heat and phlegm (such as rock sugar stewed pears or lily pear soup). However, for those with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, it is recommended to boil them before consumption. It is recommended to eat spinach, shepherd's purse, celery (to clear liver fire), yam, lotus seeds (to strengthen the spleen), and honey (to moisten the intestines) in terms of diet. Eat less greasy, spicy (prone to internal heat), and overly acidic foods (acidic and astringent, not conducive to the development of yang qi)

/'Spring Cover' to Prevent Fall and Spring Cold/

After the Awakening of Insects, the temperature fluctuates greatly. Do not reduce your clothing too early, especially take care of your head, neck, waist, abdomen, and ankles to avoid joint pain or colds caused by catching a cold.

/Exercise for health and promote the development of yang energy/

The recommended exercise should be gentle, such as Tai Chi, Baduanjin, jogging, walking, etc., to avoid intense exercise that consumes energy and harms yin.

At the beginning of the year, the interpretation of language by the warbler is the greatest benefit of spring. The awakening of the sting is not only a time point, but also a turning point in life, symbolizing hope and rebirth. In the poem "Water Dragon Song: Shouzu Father Ruitang Awakens the Insects on the Sun" by the Yuan Dynasty poet Wu Cun, it is said: "At the beginning of this morning, the stinging household opens, and a thunder calls for the rise of the Azure Dragon... Outside the door of the Love Green Gate, there are thousands of willow trees twisted together, creating threads of eternal life." At this time, we may as well go to bed early and wake up early, exercise our bodies, work hard, get close to nature, adjust our mentality and mood, and welcome the fresh and bright spring scenery, cherishing the spring days that we cannot bear to let go of.

24 Solar Terms

It is a specific festival in the Chinese lunar calendar that represents changes in natural rhythms and establishes the concept of "building in December". It was originally formulated based on the rotation of the Big Dipper and the movement of the stars. The Big Dipper rotates in a circular motion, with the handle rotating one circle to the east, south, west, and north, forming a cycle known as a "year". Each rotation cycle begins at the beginning of spring and ends at the end of the Great Cold. The "24 solar terms" is an important part of the long history and culture of the Chinese nation, which embodies the essence of the history and culture of Chinese civilization. Through historical development, the lunar calendar has incorporated the solar terms of the dry branch calendar as a supplement to the calendar, and adjusted it to conform to the tropical year through the "leap method", forming a yin-yang combined calendar. The "24 solar terms" have become an important part of the lunar calendar. In the international meteorological community, the 24 solar terms are known as "China's fifth great invention". On November 30, 2016, the 24 solar terms were officially included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.