Culture insider: 7 things you might not know about Summer Solstice

2014-06-20 07:10

By (chinadaily.com.cn)

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Summer Solstice, (Chinese: 夏至), the 10th solar term of the year, begins on June 21 this year and ends July 7.

At this time, much of the northern hemisphere receives the longest daylight, but it does not bring the hottest temperatures which will come only 20 to 30 days later.

In China, the 24 solar terms were created thousands of years ago to guide agricultural production. But the 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 solar term.

The following are 7 things you might not know about Summer Solstice.

The longest day of the year

On the day of Summer Solstice, daylight lasts the longest for the whole year in the northern hemisphere. After this day, daylight hours get shorter and shorter and temperatures become higher in the northern hemisphere.

How long is the longest day of Summer Solstice in China? According to the expert Yan Jiarong, the entire day in Mohe in Helongjiang province, located in the most northern tip of China, lasts nearly 17 hours when you include morning twilight and its afterglow. Summer Solstice is the best season for viewing the aurora in Mohe, "the sleepless town of China".