24 Solar Terms: 9 things you may not know about Start of Autumn

A painting of Start of Autumn from Li Xiaolin. As a popular young Chinese artist, Li combined the customs during a solar term and the associated food and created a series of illustrations named "24 Solar Terms and Chinese Delicacies". [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Autumn, (Chinese: 立秋), the 13th solar term of the year, begins this year on Aug 7 and ends on Aug 22.

Start of Autumn reflects the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The fruitful season is approaching.

In China, the 24 solar terms were created thousands of years ago to guide agricultural production. But solar term culture is still useful today to guide people's lives through special foods, cultural ceremonies and even healthy living tips that correspond with each term.

The following are 9 things you should know about Start of Autumn.