🍁 秋分 Qiūfēn – When Day Meets Night

🍂 What Is 秋分?

秋分 (Qiūfēn), meaning Autumn Equinox, is the 16th of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese calendar.

It usually falls around September 22nd or 23rd each year, when the day and night are equal in length — a perfect balance of yin and yang.

☀️ After this day, the nights start getting longer, and temperatures gradually drop. It’s a peaceful moment between summer heat and winter chill.

🍃 Farmers prepare for the harvest. People enjoy the cooler breeze. In many parts of China, it’s a time for reflection, thankfulness, and harmony.

🧐 What Does It Mean?

秋分 (Qiūfēn) literally means “Autumn Division.”

• 秋 (qiū) means autumn

• 分 (fēn) means division or equal parts

This name tells us exactly what’s happening: the autumn season is divided in half, and day and night are in perfect balance.

In Chinese philosophy, this balance is also about yin (阴) and yang (阳) — the hot and cold, light and dark, energy and rest. 

秋分 marks a turning point where yin (cool, calm) begins to grow, and yang (warm, active) slowly fades.

🎉 How People Celebrate

秋分 (Qiūfēn) is not a major holiday, but it has deep meaning in traditional life — especially in farming culture and seasonal rituals.

Here’s how people in China celebrate this special time:

• 🌾 Worshiping the Moon & Sun: In ancient times, people held ceremonies to honor the moon goddess and the sun god, praying for balance and good harvest.

• 🌰 Harvest Celebrations: Autumn is a season of abundance! Farmers give thanks for grain, fruits, and vegetables. It’s common to eat seasonal foods like sweet potatoes, taro, and pears.

• 🌽 Offering Food to Ancestors: In some areas, people offer freshly harvested crops to their ancestors as a sign of gratitude.

• 🧧 Autumn Equinox Festival (modern): Since 2018, China has named 秋分 as the official “Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival” (中国农民丰收节) — to celebrate rural culture and support farming communities.

🗣 Key Vocabulary & Expressions

• 秋分 (qiūfēn) – Autumn Equinox

• 昼夜平分 (zhòu yè píng fēn) – Equal day and night

• 阴阳平衡 (yīn yáng píng héng) – Balance of yin and yang

• 丰收 (fēng shōu) – Harvest

• 感恩 (gǎn ēn) – Gratitude

• 秋高气爽 (qiū gāo qì shuǎng) – Clear autumn sky and refreshing air

• 贴秋膘 (tiē qiū biāo) – “Stick autumn fat” (eating more as weather cools)

💬 Try This!

Translate and read aloud:

📘 昼夜平分，寒意渐浓。

(Zhòu yè píng fēn, hán yì jiàn nóng.)

→ Day and night are equal, and the chill slowly grows.

🌟 Use 秋分 (qiūfēn) as a way to:

• Reflect on balance — in your routine, health, and emotions

• Enjoy seasonal fruits: pears, persimmons, chestnuts

• Practice a calm moment: a walk at sunrise or sunset

🇨🇳 Cultural Insight

In Chinese tradition, each solar term has emotional and poetic meaning.

🍂 秋分 is not just a seasonal marker, but a reminder to find balance in your life:

• Work vs rest

• Warm vs cool

• Movement vs stillness

Many Chinese poems mention 秋分 as a quiet, beautiful time — full of autumn wind, yellow leaves, and gentle sadness (秋意).

Even though the harvest season brings joy, there’s also a feeling of letting go — watching things fade and preparing for change.

🌟 Final Thoughts

秋分 (Qiūfēn) is more than science or tradition — it’s a moment to pause and appreciate harmony.

☯️ When the day meets night, and hot meets cold, we’re reminded that balance is not staying still — it’s learning how to move with the seasons.

So this 秋分, take a breath. Feel the shift. And enjoy a sweet pear or two 🍐

🇨🇳 Curious about more Chinese traditions?

📚 Step into the blog series: Chinese Culture!