Chushu, or the End of Heat, is the 14th solar term, beginning around August 23rd and concluding around September 7th, when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 150°. It marks the final retreat of summer’s scorching dominance and the true turning point toward crisp, clear autumn. Though daytime temperatures may still spike, the nights grow noticeably cooler, and the lingering "autumn tiger" finally loses its teeth as the northern monsoon begins to assert itself.
Agriculturally, Chushu is a season of ripening and reaping. In the Yellow River basin, millet and sorghum turn golden, while cotton bolls burst open in the fields of the North China Plain. In the south, second-crop rice enters its critical heading and flowering stage, demanding precise irrigation against intermittent autumn droughts. The old saying, "At Chushu, hurry the harvest and prepare the fields for winter wheat," underscores the farmer’s dual urgency—gathering the year’s bounty while readying the soil for the next cycle.
Culturally, Chushu carries traditions that honor both nature’s bounty and human well-being. The folk practice of "bathing the sheep" in Inner Mongolia celebrates the season’s plumpest livestock with festive feasts. In coastal regions from Zhejiang to Fujian, the "Fishermen’s Festival" sends out ornate boats to sea, praying for safe voyages and abundant catches as the summer fishing ban lifts. Many households brew herbal teas or stew duck with white fungus, believing such foods clear internal heat and moisturize the lungs against autumn’s growing dryness. The custom of releasing river lanterns—tiny candles set adrift on water—symbolizes sending away misfortune and welcoming ancestral blessings. These age-old rituals, woven into the fabric of daily life, reflect a profound understanding: that the end of heat is not an end at all, but a gentle opening—a invitation to store energy, savor harvest, and prepare in quiet gratitude for the slower, deeper rhythms ahead.
By Yuan Ruichen/ Zhang Yishuo
