Jing Zhe: Spring Thunder sprouting Vientiane New (decoding the twenty-four solar terms)

　　"A light rain brings forth new flowers, and a thunderous sting begins." Jing zhe is the third solar term in the twenty-four solar terms.

In ancient times, Jingzhe was called the "February Festival", that is, the solar term of February, which marked the beginning of mid-spring in February.

Jingzhe usually occurs on March 5-6. This year, Jingzhe Jiaotong Festival is at 22:43:34 on March 5th. At this moment, the sun just runs to 345° ecliptic longitude.

　　The name "Jing Zhe" expresses a phenological phenomenon of creatures' response to seasonal changes: in the Jing Zhe season, the spring air sprouted, and the spring thunder began to shake, awakening small animals hibernating underground or in caves for winter.

"The Seventy-two Hours of the Moon Order" said: "The February Festival... all things are out of shock, and the shock is like thunder, so it is called stinging, because the stinging insects are startled and run away." In fact, small insects can't listen to them. To the thunder, the warmer weather is the reason why they end their hibernation.

　　The earliest name of this solar term was "Qi Zhe". In the Han Dynasty, it was changed to "Jing Zhe" in order to avoid the taboo of Liu Qi, Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty.

In today's Chinese cultural circle, Japan still uses the expression "Kai Zhe".

In the early years of the Han Dynasty, Qi Zhe was placed in front of the rainwater, but after it was changed to Jing Zhe, people exchanged its position with the rainwater.

Perhaps the ancients discovered that it was too rare for thunder to strike in the first month, so they moved Jingzhe to February.

　　The ancients divided Jingzhe into three stages: "One waits for peach blossoms, the second waits for Cang Geng to ming, and the third waits for eagles to turn into doves." "Peach Shihua" means the peach blossoms open; "Cang Geng" means the oriole, and the oriole birds begin to chirping. As for "the eagle turns into a dove", the ancients believed that some animals would "make a facelift". People saw that the number of eagles decreased and the number of doves (here may refer to cuckoos) increased, thinking that these doves were transformed from eagles.

Corresponding to the three waiting times of Jingzhe, among the twenty-four flower trade winds, the flower trade winds of the Jingzhe period are the first waiting peach blossom, the second waiting Tangdi, and the third waiting rose.

　　Chinese peasants have attached great importance to the zhejing solar term since ancient times, and regard it as the beginning of spring ploughing.

An agricultural proverb says: "On the Jingzhe Festival, the hoe does not stop."

This year, the day before Jing Zhe is the "Spring Dragon Festival", that is, "the second day of the second month, the dragon raises its head".

On the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, after dusk, the stars are beginning to rise. If you look east on the wilderness, you will see the dragon horn of the Eastern Canglong constellation - the bright Spica is rising, so it is called "Dragon Heads Up".

There is a folk saying in northern China: "On the second day of the second month, the dragon raises its head, the big warehouse is full, and the small warehouse flows." The ancients believed that the dragon was in charge of the clouds and rain in the sky. Sow seeds, and then "Okura is full and Ogura is flowing" in the post-autumn season.

　　On the day of Jing Zhe, there are some unique folk activities in various places.

In some places, deworming ceremonies are held to remove pests as soon as they emerge to ensure a good harvest.

In some areas, the whole family will get together to eat "fried worms", which means the elimination of pests and the well-being of people and animals.

In other places, people hold burning incense sticks and mugwort on this day, and smoke the four corners of the house and the cracks in the walls to drive away the resurrected snakes, insects, rats, ants, and remove the musty smell.

　　In the old days, Jingzhe also had the custom of eating pears. "Pear" is homophonic with "li". Eating pears symbolizes keeping away from pests.

In the solar term of Jingzhe, it is warm and cold at first, the air is relatively dry, people are prone to dry mouth, and pears are full of water, which helps to eliminate fire, moisten the lungs, and relieve cough. Therefore, eating pears is also in line with the way of health.

　　(Author: Wang Yumin is a researcher at the Ancient Observatory of the Beijing Planetarium)