Today, how can we protect the twenty-four solar terms
"The beginning of the twenty-four solar terms is the winter solstice, not the beginning of spring. This is because the core of the first solar term is the'Suodan Winter Solstice' of the sun and the moon. That is to say, at this moment, the sun and the moon have the same yellow longitude. The other 23 solar terms do not have the conditions for'Suodan', and the first place should be borne by the winter solstice without dispute.” Standing in the 24 solar terms garden of Bagongshan Geopark in Huainan City, Anhui Province, Chen Guangzhong, a professor at the Faculty of Letters of Anhui University who has been "realistic" with the twenty-four solar terms for more than 40 years, introduced to visitors.
Why should it be "more real"?
"Because, when we talk about protecting the twenty-four solar terms, the first thing we should consider is the scientific nature of protecting itself." Recently, at a seminar on the protection of the twenty-four solar terms in Shou County, Anhui, Chen Guangzhong put forward this point of view.
Wang Fuzhou, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Arts and director of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, also believes that "leading the demonstration from a scientific level is the primary task of protecting the 24 solar terms."
Meteorological science is booming, and modern agriculture is in the ascendant. In the rapidly surging new era, we seem to have "decoupled" from the twenty-four solar terms to some extent.
We shuttled among the city’s neon, perhaps it’s been a long time since we noticed the push of the solar terms in our mobile calendar. Perhaps we had to rely on the “reminders” from the circle of friends to remember to cook a bowl of dumplings for ourselves on the winter solstice day.
So today, do we still need twenty-four solar terms?
And when we talk about protecting the twenty-four solar terms, what are we protecting?
How to protect?
Where does the twenty-four solar terms come from
"Spring rains start the spring and clear the valley, the summer is full of awns and the summer heats together. In autumn, there is cold and frost in the autumn, and the winter is snowy and snowy."
"According to the weather, local advantages and prosperity, the essence of the twenty-four solar terms is a time system." said Cao Xingsui, a research librarian at the China Agricultural Museum and a professor at Nanjing Agricultural University.
Cheng Jincang, Commissioner of Culture and History of the Huainan CPPCC, further explained: "The ancient Chinese divided the trajectory into 24 equal parts by observing the sun's anniversary movement. Each equal part is a solar term, that is, the twenty-four solar terms. The scientific time knowledge system created in the practice of cognition of nature is a life system for the Chinese farming society to adapt to the times and to guide practice. It is also the basic follow for arranging agricultural production and coordinating agricultural activities."
Turning to the historical annals, there are records of "Japanese and Chinese", "Riyong", "Xiaozhong" and "Dian-short" in the pre-Qin "Shangshu·Yaodian", which are equivalent to the four solar terms of spring equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox and winter solstice.
In "Zhou Li", there are expressions of "winter and summer to the sun, spring and autumn to the moon, to distinguish the narrative of the four o'clock" "Winter solstice, the hill on the earth plays it...Summer comes, the square hill in Zezhong plays it" , Clearly put forward the winter solstice and summer solstice.
In "Lu Shi Chunqiu", the titles of "day and night", "summer solstice", "winter solstice", "lichun", "lixia", "liqiu", "lidong" and "beginning rain" appeared.
The most complete expression, calculation, and record of the twenty-four solar terms was in the "Huainanzi", which was hailed by Hu Shi as a "peerless book".
"Huainan King Liu An advocated natural science, measuring the celestial planets, and dividing solar terms. It has been 2159 years since the completion and release of the twenty-four solar terms system." Chen Guangzhong said.
In Cao Xingsui’s view, "Huainan has extremely important and special significance for the twenty-four solar terms. Huainan Wang Liu An put forward the twenty-four solar terms for the first time, and Huainan is located at the midpoint of the geographical boundary between my country’s north and south. Online, the four seasons are distinct, which just reflects the characteristics of the twenty-four solar terms that are divided into two to two to two, which has a fairly universal representative meaning."
In 2006, Twenty-Four Solar Terms was selected as the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects.
In 2016, Twenty-Four Solar Terms was selected as the UNESCO “Masterpiece of Human Intangible Cultural Heritage” project.
In the international meteorological circle, the twenty-four solar terms are hailed as "China's fifth greatest invention."
Why protect the twenty-four solar terms
"There are no rules for farming, and it depends on the solar terms." The twenty-four solar terms, which are deeply rooted in traditional farming culture, have gone through thousands of years and perfectly "overlapped" with modern meteorological science.
"Not only that, the twenty-four solar terms are still deeply affecting the Chinese time system arrangements. This is one of the reasons why we need to protect the twenty-four solar terms." Cao Xingsui said.
From the Ching Ming Festival and the Winter Solstice Festival to the Harvest Festival established in recent years, the twenty-four solar terms provide a basis for the Chinese to arrange time and related practices, and inspire the Chinese to continue to inherit the tradition while continuously giving them new connotations of the times.
In 2016, the twenty-four solar terms moved from "Chinese Intangible Heritage" to "World Intangible Heritage", becoming one of the most vivid and vivid cultural symbols that strengthen the cultural confidence of the Chinese nation and enhance the cultural cohesion of the Chinese nation.
At the same time, protecting inheritance, developing and making good use of the twenty-four solar terms has also become a solemn commitment of the Chinese to all mankind.
"The Twenty-Four Solar Terms is a typical representative of the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation. It condenses the high wisdom of traditional civilization. As an intangible cultural heritage, it is worthwhile and must be protected." Cao Xingsui said, "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms is the Chinese nation. Unique cultural symbols are one of the important symbols that distinguish it from other national cultures. The economy can be globalized, but culture must be individual, and the more globalized the economy, the more attention must be paid to the protection of cultural individuality."
The process of protecting the twenty-four solar terms is not only a process of further cultivating and strengthening national self-confidence, but also a process of further strengthening and enhancing cultural communication with other nations.
Through two-way interaction, we seek the common ground of human civilization and make the torch of the community of human destiny brighter.
"Hundreds of miles have different styles, and thousands of miles have different customs." In the long history, the twenty-four solar terms have formed many folk customs. Although they have their own regional colors, the Chinese nation's hardworking, courageous, and self-improving spirit is consistent.
To protect the twenty-four solar terms is to protect the national spirit.
"The value orientation represented by the twenty-four solar terms and their practical activities is a symbol of the Chinese nation's continuous pursuit of a better life." Cao Xingsui said.
In this regard, Professor Ying Kerong of the School of Literature and Communication at Huainan Normal University appealed to re-pick up the folk customs of the 24 solar terms in light of actual conditions.
She divided the folk customs of the twenty-four solar terms into three aspects: festival folk customs, life customs, and food customs. Festival customs such as "whipping the spring cow" at the beginning of spring and "tail tooth sacrifice" in the cold solar terms; life customs such as "spring split egg". Make summer solstice" and so on; eating customs such as "winter solstice dumplings and summer solstice noodles".
"I have to admit that the ritual sense of the twenty-four solar terms is rapidly fading. The search for a'new folklore' that adapts to modern society requires government guidance, public participation, and new means to intervene. This will be a difficult and long process. Innovation is an eternal theme, but the national spirit represented by the twenty-four solar terms will never change." Ying Kerong said.
What is protecting solar terms?
"To protect the twenty-four solar terms, the first thing we should consider is to protect its own scientific nature." Chen Guangzhong believes that "tracing the source" from the academic guidance level is the primary task of protecting the twenty-four solar terms, and it is the most urgent task. Clearly, it will not be possible to'enter the wrong temple and worship the wrong ancestor'."
"Only by looking at the high level of intangible cultural heritage and taking the lead from the perspective of experts and scholars scientifically leading, can we drive the whole society to form a correct and profound understanding of the twenty-four solar terms." Wang Fuzhou said, today Although the agricultural production methods have undergone earth-shaking changes, the excellent traditional Chinese culture represented by the twenty-four solar terms has always been the “root and soul” of the country’s prosperity and development, and it can still play the “yeast” that “activates the whole”. The role and protection of the scientific nature of its ideas are vital to the overall protection work.
"The protection of the twenty-four solar terms is also the protection of the concept of harmony between man and nature behind the twenty-four solar terms. This will help us correctly understand and handle the relationship between man and nature." Chen Guangzhong believes that the twenty-four solar terms are not only It perfectly "overlaps" with modern meteorological science, and it also "coincides with" the construction of ecological civilization today: it does not oppose the "God", touches the laws of nature while following the laws of nature, and realizes the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.
The ideological basis and cognitive system of the ancient "laws of agriculture" will provide a steady stream of nutrients for the construction of ecological civilization today.
On this point, Xiao Kezhi, a research librarian at the China Agricultural Museum, also felt that “the rules, confidence, and hope behind the twenty-four solar terms are our inexhaustible spiritual treasure”.
"Rules", only in accordance with solar terms, can continue life and civilization; "confidence", through the understanding and application of natural laws, firmly believe that hard work will lead to food; "hope", the ability to create for oneself and others Hope of life.
"To protect the twenty-four solar terms is to protect the extension of the twenty-four solar terms to life, that is, the part that combines the twenty-four solar terms with natural science, literature and art, health preservation, and diet culture." Chen Guangzhong said.
The thought and spirit of the twenty-four solar terms is the lifeblood of farming culture with a long history, but the protection of its material carrier should also be given considerable attention.
The material carrier of the twenty-four solar terms itself is closely related to life, has fresh vitality, and plays an important role in the inheritance of the twenty-four solar terms.
How to protect the twenty-four solar terms
"Cultural heritage is intangible, but to protect it and pass it on requires the participation of physical space." Yang Xiaohui, director of the Planning Division of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, believes that it is an extremely urgent task to let "intangible cultural heritage have a hand" , It is necessary to establish a heritage exhibition venue system including heritage pavilions (places), heritage experience centers, etc., to give full play to its role in preservation, research, publicity, display, and heritage.
"At present, most of the various venues that have been built are performing arts and less folklore." Yang Xiaohui said frankly.
Moreover, in the process of advancing the construction of venues, how to correctly handle the relationship between various participating capitals and how to balance the academic and social aspects of the venues are all difficult propositions.
“It’s impossible to have no physical space, but physical space alone is far from enough. We look forward to seeing exhibitions in the museum that are neither too academic nor vulgar. We hope to see a dedicated A team of experts in social education." Cao Xingsui pointed out.
Wang Bin, a research librarian at the China Agricultural Museum, said, “Exhibitions must be detailed and individualized, and the most beneficial and interesting content must be selected, and objective conditions and subjective forms must be unified.”
Jin Yu, chairman of the Huainan Writers Association, believes that the protection of the twenty-four solar terms must "start with the baby."
In 2013, she created the fairy tale "The Story of the Twenty-four Solar Terms".
In 2017, the book was adapted into a cartoon of the same name, and the mysterious culture of solar terms became playful and cute in front of the children.
"Let the children use the twenty-four solar terms as a reference and develop a rational understanding of life, so that the twenty-four solar terms can be better passed on."
Rao Li, deputy curator of Shiqian County Cultural Center in Guizhou Province, also believes that “we need to further increase publicity, continue to promote traditional solar terms to a new generation, and achieve true public participation.”
In the local area, the traditional solar term "speaking of spring" is entering the campus, and more and more children are beginning to understand and participate. They are bound to become a new force to protect the traditional solar terms.
At the same time, "Speaking Spring" also "speaking" to the scenic area. Through the development of cultural and creative products, this traditional solar term custom can be remembered and taken away by tourists.
Affected by the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Suichang County, Zhejiang Province, this year "moved" the traditional solar term "banchun persuading farmers" to the Internet.
"Before and after the spring equinox, we used WeChat mini programs, H5, short videos and other forms of "online class spring", innovated methods, demonstrated results, and attracted more young people to participate in the interaction." Suichang County Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection The center staff Yin Ping introduced.
"At present, we are guiding more places to declare traditional solar terms and customs, inheritors, etc., in order to achieve better protection. As long as the sun does not go out, the twenty-four solar terms will always exist." Wang Fuzhou said.
(Our reporter Ding Yiming Changhe)