🍂 立秋 Lìqiū – When Autumn Knocks on the Door

As the heat of summer slowly fades, a quiet shift begins. You may not notice it right away — a cooler breeze, a softer sun, a sudden craving for pears or lotus root soup.

That’s Lìqiū (立秋) arriving.

🍁 What Does It Mean?

立 (lì) means “to begin”

秋 (qiū) means “autumn”

Together, 立秋 Lìqiū marks the official start of autumn in the Chinese solar term system — usually around August 7 or 8.

Even though it’s still hot, the signs of change begin to appear.

🌾 How People Celebrate

To stay in balance during 立秋 Lìqiū, Chinese people focus on easing the transition from heat to cool.

Here’s what they do:

• Eat nourishing foods like stewed duck, lotus root soup, pears to protect the stomach and prepare for drier air.

• Drink cooling teas like chrysanthemum or lotus leaf tea

• In some regions:

  • Farmers start preparing for autumn harvest.

  • It’s time for 贴秋膘 (tiē qiū biāo) — a tradition of eating meat to “stick on fat” and regain energy after the summer.

🗣 Key Vocabulary & Expressions

• 立秋 (Lìqiū) – Start of Autumn

• 降温 (jiàng wēn) – Cooling down

• 贴秋膘 (tiē qiū biāo) – Eat well to regain energy in autumn

• 润燥 (rùn zào) – Moisten dryness

• 秋老虎 (qiū lǎo hǔ) – “Autumn tiger,” a heatwave after autumn begins

💬 Try This!

Translate and read aloud:

我们要防秋老虎，多喝茶，注意润燥。

(Wǒmen yào fáng qiūlǎohǔ, duō hē chá, zhùyì rùnzào.)

→ We should watch out for the autumn heat, drink more tea, and stay moisturized.

🇨🇳 Cultural Insight

Even though autumn has started, the “autumn tiger” often brings another round of hot weather. So people must be extra careful.

In Chinese medicine and culture:

• Autumn is linked to the lungs and dryness

• It’s a time to moisten, rest, and adjust

• You begin to shift inward, just as nature starts to quiet down

🌟 Final Thoughts

立秋 Lìqiū doesn’t mean cool winds right away — but it reminds us:

Seasons are always shifting, even when we can’t feel it yet.

🌙 Slow down, nourish yourself, and welcome the turning point.

That’s the quiet wisdom behind seasonal living in Chinese culture.

🇨🇳 Curious about more Chinese traditions?

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