Chushu is the fourteenth of the twenty-four solar terms, which falls between August 22nd and 24th in the Gregorian calendar. Chu (get out of) Shu (heat) literally means "to go out of the heat", namely the heat will leave upon this time point. Although the weather is still hot during this period, the temperature is showing a downward trend.

Folk Customs

CHU SHU

Worship the ancestors and welcome the autumn

Folk customs before and after Chushu are mostly related to worshiping ancestors and welcoming the autumn, such as the folk activities to celebrate Zhongyuan, commonly known as "The 15th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar" or "Zhongyuan Festival/Ghost Festival".In the old days, the folks had this ceremony to open the door of ghosts from the beginning of July(lunar calendar), until the month end when the door would be closed, during which there would be events for spirit salvation and almsgiving. Today, this period has become a major time span for ancestor worshiping.

Zhongyuan: Taoism has the "Three Yuan Theory", from which the name "Zhong Yuan" comes from. In the Tang Dynasty, when the rulers admired Taoism, the Taoist Zhongyuan Festival began to flourish, and the "Zhongyuan" was gradually fixed as the name of the festival. The festival was set on July 15 of the lunar calendar and has continued to the present day.     

Float River Lanterns

The River Lantern is usually a lamp or candle placed on a base. Before and after Chushu, folk will celebrate "Zhongyuan", during which river lanterns will be released in the water, people mourn the dead and pray for peace.

Fishing Festival

As Chushu ends, here comes the fishing harvest period, during which various forms of activities will be held in China's coastal areas, to send farewell for the fishermen out to sea and expect the harvest of fisheries. Since the first China Fishing Festival held in Xiangshan County, Zhejiang Province in 1998, the event has become an annual festival. The fishing festival is not only a solemn ceremony, but also an event carrying out culture, tourism, economy and trade related activities, attracting countless domestic and foreign merchants, tourists. They not only enjoy the local fishing culture, but also get to taste the delicious seafood.

Enjoy the Duck

Chinese ancients considered that ducks in mid-July (lunar calendar) were the fattest and most nutritious.

           

Have a "duck tour" with us to see various duck-eating custom in different regions of China

      

Peking Duck

       

Shanghai Eight Treasure Duck

       

Nanjing Saltwater Duck

       

Hangzhou Roasted Duck

       

Guilin Lotus Leaf Duck

Take care of your health

During Chushu, though the daytime temperature will still be high, the morning and evening temperature is relatively low, and the temperature difference is major. Therefore, try to be prepared and prevent yourselves from catching the cold.

What is Qiufa (autumn weariness) exactly?

There is a saying that goes, "People tend to feel sleepy in spring, doze in summer and feel tired in autumn." As the weather becomes cooler during Chushu, many people will feel languid and weary, which is called "autumn weariness". 

Upon the end of Chushu, our body tends to sweat a lot less, and the water salt metabolic function gradually comes into a balanced state, leading us to a rest stage. We feel extremely tired, resulting in this "autumn  weariness". To alleviate this state, we have to take adequate sleep, go to bed early and get up early, also to have a light diet.