The Great Heat: Hottest days of year

The Great Heat: Hottest days of year

03:55

The Great Heat, the last Chinese solar term in summer, starts from July 22 this year. It’s a period when temperature tops all year, rain pours most frequently, and crops grow fastest.

Through the observation of sun motion, ancient Chinese people divided each season into 6 periods. Each period, or a solar term, consists of around 15 days. The solar terms reflect the changes of the seasons, climate and phenology.

These solar terms from ancient wisdom still help Chinese people decipher the turning points of weather, and guide them on agricultural production as well as many other activities.

Three 5-day phases

There are three 5-day phases during the Great Heat, each named after its signature view.

In the first phase, fireflies rise from the ground, embellishing the night of countryside. Ancient Chinese imagined that rotten grass turned into fireflies, and children may still believe this fantasy.

In the second phase, weather becomes sweltering and the earth gets damp. Most Chinese believe it's a good time to stay indoors and cultivate our minds.

In the third phase, rain pours every now and then. And Chinese people prefer spending this time at home with their family in a calm mood.

M

uch to do to quell the heat

In response to the extreme heat, the Chinese have developed many traditions to gain some coolness.

There is a ceremony of sending the Great Heat Boat in Taizhou, a coastal city in east China's Zhejiang. The wooden boat, filled with food and daily necessities, is carried by robust fishermen to the port in blessing drumbeats. The boat is sent to the sea and set on fire thereat, in the hope of relieving the heat and bringing health and harvest.

Certainly, there are more realistic options, most of which have something to do with food and drinks that eliminate summer heat and dampness.

Residents in east China's Shandong would like to have mutton soup seasoned with spices, vinegar and garlic, while Cantonese people usually go for grass jelly made from herbs with a chilled and bittersweet taste.

Pineapples, watermelons and litchis are perfect choices for fruit lovers.

Also, during the depressingly hot and rainy season, it's advisable to exercise properly and keep joyful. And of course, don’t forget to always stay hydrated.

Fight against floods

in

summer

Natural disasters like floods and droughts, however, are common during this period.

China has entered its rainy season. Since June, incessant downpours have lashed large parts of southern China, and the waters of many rivers in the affected regions have exceeded warning levels.

Tremendous rescue work has been carried out. As of July 20, the country's firefighting and rescue teams have participated in 7,961 rescue and flood-relief missions, with about 122,000 people stranded in floods rescued or evacuated.

The rescuers at frontlines fight for the safety of people's lives and property. They batter torrents, hold sandbags and tread on debris under the scorching sun.

As an old saying in Chinese philosophy goes, "When things get to their extreme, they turn into their opposite."

Above them is the scorching sun, beneath them is our beloved land. We hope that when summer heat tapers off and floods ebb, they will return safe and sound!

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Producers: Yang Guoqiang, Yu Weiya

Supervisors: Liu Hongde, Zhang Jianhua

Reporters: Hang Zebo, Wang Jingyun, Li Yongxi, Lei Wenwen

Interns: Chen Xiangmo, Zhang Qiudi, Zhang Mingming

Designers: Zhao Danyang, Wang Jingyun

Sub-Editors: Tao Yiping, Chen Zixia, Xu Xiangda