World Heritage in China
The Twenty-Four Solar Terms
Updated: Jul 29, 2018
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Major Heat, the 12th solar term of the year, begins on July 23 and ends August 6 in 2018. [Photo/IC]
The Twenty-Four Solar Terms is the knowledge of time and practice developed through observation in China of the sun's annual motion. They are set according to the earth's position on the ecliptic -- the pathway the Earth takes around the Sun.
It starts from the Beginning of Spring and ends with the Greater Cold, moving in cycles.
The 24 solar terms were established in early Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) and were used in farming in the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220).
Solar terms result from people's life experiences and can be used to predict the climate and other aspects of phenology.
The 24 solar terms were listed among World Intangible Cultural Heritage in November 2016.
