Grain in Ear, or Mang Zhong, is the ninth solar term, typically falling between June 5th and 7th. At this time, the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 75°, temperatures rise sharply, and rainfall increases. It marks the urgent harvest of awned summer crops like wheat and the deadline for sowing awned autumn crops such as millet. The term literally means "awned grain sowing"—harvesting one awned crop while planting another. An old proverb warns, "If you don't sow during Grain in Ear, sowing later will be useless," highlighting the term's critical role in both reaping and planting.
In folklore, Mang Zhong features customs such as "seeing off the flower goddess" and "boiling green plums." By this time, spring blossoms have completely withered, and people hold ceremonies to bid farewell to the flower goddess and welcome summer—a tradition vividly described in Dream of the Red Chamber. Meanwhile, plums ripen but are too sour to eat raw; they are boiled with sugar or salt to make drinks or preserves, linked to the legendary tale of "boiling plums over wine." In southern China, the plum rain season begins, and families dry clothes and grain on any sunny day to prevent mold. These customs blend agricultural wisdom, seasonal diet, and folk beliefs, reflecting the deep connection between nature's cycles and human resilience.
By Yuan Ruichen/ Zhang Yishuo
