GreatHeat(dashu)fallsonJuly22intheGregoriancalendarthisyear.asitsnamesuggests,itushersinaperiodmuchhotterthantheLesserHeat.Indeed,itheraldsthedogdayscalledfutianinChinese.Tobemorespecific,thehottestperiodsofsummerareusuallydividedintothreeperiods:mid-July,lateJulytoearlyaugust,andmid-august.duringthesethreeperiods,thesunshinereachesitsmaximum,andplantsandcropswhichfavorhightemperaturesthrive.atthesametime,meteorologicaldisasterssuchasdrought,floods,andwindstormsoccurfrequently.asit鈥檚swelteringduringthisperiod,mostChineseprefereatingcoldfoodtostaycoolalthoughinsomepartsofChina,peoplechoosehotfoodtowelcomethissolarterm.afterGreatHeat,autumnwillquietlystepin.
TheweatherisvolatileafterGreatHeat,justasdescribedinapoem:鈥淚tissunnyintheeastwhilerainyinthewest.鈥漈hundershowerscomefrequentlybutonthebrighterside,theycanhelptomakeitlessstuffy.
TheglowwormiscalledfluorescentfirebeetleinChinese.Thereareaquaticonesandterrestrialones.Thelatterpreferinhabitingwarmandmoistplacessuchaslivingundergrass,whichiswhytheancientChinesethoughttheywerebornoutofdecayedgrass.Onacalmsummernight,ifglowwormsareseenflyinghitherandthither,that鈥檚asignthatthecoolautumnisjustaroundthecorner.
Jewelweedenjoyssunlight.Itisafolkremedyknownforitsskinhealingproperties.Theflowersarebutterfly-likeandcolorful.Chinesepeoplehavenicknamedit鈥渇ingernailflower鈥漚sgirlsliketomashthemuptocolortheirfingernails.ItisbelievedintraditionalChinesemedicinethatthisfingernaildyeingmethodcanreducetheinternalheatofthehumanbodyandhelppeopletostaycalmduringhotdays.
Tofarmers,GreatHeatistheperfecttimetoharvestrice.Thoughit鈥檚suffocatingtoundertakefarmworkinthefields,farmersstillneedtoraceagainsttimetoensurethateveryricegrainisreturnedtotheirbarns.
Intheevening,whentheheatintheairdiesdownalittle,coolbreezesbrushpeople鈥檚faces.Afterabusyday,peoplecanrelaxandrecuperatebytheriver,orunderthetree,chattingwitheachothertoenjoythecoolofthenightandalsotogetpreparedforanotherday.
(CompiledbyChinaTodaybasedonTheTwenty-FourSolarTermsPublishedbyDolphinBooks)