Spring · No.4
Spring Equinox
Chun Fen
Day and night balance almost exactly, then the northern half of the world starts gaining light every single day.
At the Spring Equinox the sun stands over the equator and day nearly matches night, twelve hours each. After this the northern half of the world tips toward the light; frozen ground opens completely, the Yangtze delta turns damp and mild, peaches and plums flower, and swallows return to the eaves. Farm work peaks: rice seedbeds, cotton sowing, top dressing for jointing wheat. People balance eggs upright on the table and fly kites until the string runs out. In the south, spring greens are simmered with sliced fish into a light soup. Pollen counts are high, so wash your face after a day outside.
Three pentads
- 1
Swallows fly back from the south to the eaves
- 2
Spring thunder begins to roll through the clouds
- 3
Lightning now comes with the rain and thunder
What people eat now
wild spring greens
In Lingnan, wild spring greens are simmered with fish slices into a soup at the Spring Equinox, drinking the season in.
sun cake
Old Beijing shops sell sun cakes at the Spring Equinox, rice cakes stamped with a red rooster and shared with children.
Chinese toon shoots
Toon shoots sprout around the Spring Equinox, purple-red and tender; blanched and chopped over tofu they carry their strongest fragrance.
What people wear
At the Spring Equinox day and night are equal, warm by day and cool by night, so dress in layers you can move. A light knit under a trench coat works, and at noon the coat can hang over your arm. Keep long trousers, and thin long johns in the morning are not odd. When the wind picks up, close the collar and cover the back of your neck.