Pure Brightness

「清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。」

Solar Term Begins: 2027-04-04 – 2027-04-06

Pure Brightness is both a solar term and a festival. At this time, temperatures grow milder, vegetation flourishes, and Heaven and Earth become clear, pure, and bright. People sweep ancestral graves and honor their forebears in remembrance, while…

Temperature Trends

Clear Air, Bright Scenery

Temperatures continue to rise steadily across most of China. Except in northern Northeast China and the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, average temperatures in many areas have climbed above 15°C. North China reaches around 15–20°C, while Jiangnan and South China generally exceed 20°C. The weather becomes distinctly warmer and the atmosphere of spring grows intense.

Precipitation Patterns

Fine drizzle falling

Precipitation increases significantly across China. Jiangnan enters the characteristic rainy period evoked by “清明时节雨纷纷”, while the early flood season formally begins in South China. Rainfall also increases in northern regions, bringing some relief from spring drought.

一

Paulownia Begins to Bloom

White paulownia blossoms begin to open, and pale purple flowers fill the branches, becoming one of the most distinctive phenological signs of Pure Brightness and marking the deepening of spring from its height toward a fuller maturity.

二

Field mice turn into quails

Ancient observers noticed that field mice seemed to become fewer while small quail-like birds appeared in greater numbers, giving rise to this saying. In reality, it poetically reflects the seasonal shift in which shade-loving field mice retreat as yang qi strengthens, while sun-loving birds become increasingly active.

三

Rainbows begin to appear

After spring rain gives way to clearing skies, sunlight passes through the moist air and rainbows begin to appear more frequently between Heaven and Earth, becoming one of the most brilliant natural sights of the Pure Brightness season.

Temperature Trends

Deep autumn, heavy cold

The transition from late autumn toward early winter accelerates, and temperatures fall more rapidly. Mornings and evenings become piercingly cold, while nighttime temperatures in high-latitude regions commonly approach freezing and frost occurs frequently. Daylight hours continue to shorten, the warming effect of sunlight weakens, and the chill gradually spreads from morning and evening across the whole day. Winter now stands close at hand.

Precipitation Patterns

Clear and dry

Rainfall is scarce, and the weather becomes clear, cold, and dry, with atmospheric moisture falling toward its annual low. The mild dryness of autumn gives way to the dry chill of early winter. Humidity in the wind decreases further, dew and frost alternate, and the ground is often covered with a thin white layer of frost at dawn, marking the formal establishment of a dry and cold winter climate pattern.

一

Wild Geese Arrive as Guests

The final flocks of wild geese migrating south arrive at their wintering grounds, and formations of geese crossing the southern sky become one of the most characteristic aerial signs of late autumn.

二

Sparrows dive into the water and become clams

Ancient people believed that sparrows entered the water and transformed into clams. This was a poetic explanation for the disappearance of sparrows and the increased presence of shellfish along the shore in late autumn, reflecting a distinctive ancient way of observing nature.

三

Chrysanthemums show yellow blooms

During the Cold Dew season in the Southern Hemisphere, late autumn is at its height. Cold-resistant chrysanthemums bloom before the arrival of frost, their brilliant golden flowers becoming one of the brightest colors of the year’s closing autumn.

Temperature Trends

Sultry heat and humidity

In tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere—such as Southeast Asia, India, and northern Africa—the southwest monsoon becomes fully established, the wet season formally begins, heavy rain occurs frequently, and atmospheric humidity rises sharply. In tropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere—such as central Africa and northern South America—the dry season becomes firmly established, rainfall is scarce, sunlight is intense, vegetation enters a phase of drought adaptation, and some trees begin to shed their leaves. Across the tropical world, the annual reversal between dry and wet seasonal regimes is now complete.

Precipitation Patterns

Dry season sets in

Tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere—including Southeast Asia, India, and northern Africa—enter the wet season fully, with frequent heavy rain and thunderstorms. Tropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere—including central Africa and northern South America—enter the dry season completely, with extremely little rainfall.

一

Rainy season erupts

The southwest monsoon becomes fully established across tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and the rainy season formally begins. Days of heavy rain wash away the dust accumulated during the dry season, and the land turns green with remarkable speed.

二

Animals breed

Abundant rainfall and plentiful food bring tropical animals into a peak breeding period. Mammals give birth, birds incubate their eggs, and ecological vitality reaches its annual height.

三

Adapting to the dry season

Plants in tropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere enter a phase of adaptation to drought, shedding leaves and reducing transpiration to withstand water scarcity, while animals concentrate their activity around available water sources.

Solar-Term Farming

Farm with the Seasons · Work with Nature

Hover to Explore Farming Regions

Middle and Lower Yangtze

Northeast China

Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Eastern Inner Mongolia

Maize Rice Soybean

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

The land has fully thawed, spring wheat sowing reaches its peak, and …

Farming Advice

Complete autumn tillage pro…
Service farm machinery and …

Northwest China

Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang

Wheat Maize Cotton

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

Spring wheat sowing in Xinjiang and the Hexi Corridor enters its clos…

Farming Advice

Roll winter wheat fields to…
Apply winter irrigation in …

North China

Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan

Wheat Maize Peanut

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

Winter wheat on the Huang–Huai–Hai Plain enters the heading and flowe…

Farming Advice

Control excessive winter-wh…
Clear drainage ditches in r…

Middle and Lower Yangtze

Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan

Rice Rapeseed Tea

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

“清明前后，种瓜点豆。” Early-rice transplanting enters its peak period, rapesee…

Farming Advice

Plough promptly after the l…
Clear drainage ditches in r…

Southwest China

Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet

Rice Maize Tea Flue-Cured Tobacco

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

Wheat in the Sichuan Basin enters the grain-filling stage. Rice seedl…

Farming Advice

Check winter-wheat emergenc…
Top-dress rapeseed seedling…

South China & Taiwan (China)

Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Fujian, Taiwan (China)

Rice Sugarcane Tropical Fruit

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

Early rice enters the tillering stage, lychee and longan enter the yo…

Farming Advice

Harvest late rice during cl…
Fertilise and earth up suga…

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Seasonal Delicacies

Eat with the Seasons · Nothing Out of Season

Seasonal Delicacies

Pure Brightness · Flavors of the Season

Seasonal Tastes · A Guide to Eating with the Seasons

Qingtuan

Sanzi

Zitui Bun (Zitui Yan)

Qingming Egg

Jujube Cake

Runbing Cai

Explore Seasonal Foods →

Traditional Customs

When Rites Fade, Seek Them Among the People · Old Ways Still Endure

Traditional Customs

Pure Brightness · Everyday Traditions

Seasonal Rites · Everyday Traditions

Sacrificial rite

Sweeping Graves and Honoring Ancestors

Sweepinggravesandhonoringancestorsis…

Outdoor activity

Spring Outings

踏青,literally“treadingthegreen,”isani…

Decorative bless

Displaying and Wearing Willow

Displayingandwearingwillowbranchesis…

Outdoor activity

Flying Kites

KiteflyingisoneofthemostbelovedQingm…

View All Customs →

Solar-Term Poetry

Poetry · The Heart of Heaven and Earth

「清明」

[Tang Dynasty] · Du Mu

清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。

借问酒家何处有？牧童遥指杏花村。

Modern Translation

During Qingming, fine rain falls without end. Travelers far from home move along the road in low spirits, as though their souls were about to break. Asking a shepherd boy where an inn or wine shop might be found, they see him point far into the distance, toward a village hidden among apricot blossoms.

In-Depth Commentary

This quatrain is the crowning work of Qingming poetry. In the opening line, “雨纷纷” is both a realistic description of the season and the source of the poem’s misty, sorrowful tone. The second line, “欲断魂”, is the poem’s poetic eye. Qingming is a day for tending ancestral graves; a traveler stranded far from home cannot return to honor the dead, and is caught at the same time in cold rain. His desolation is easy to imagine. In the final two lines, the poem turns. The traveler seeks relief by asking the shepherd boy for directions, and the word “遥指” pushes the scene outward into the distance. The warmth and fragrance of wine from Apricot Blossom Village seem to reach through the curtain of rain, offering comfort to the despairing traveler. The poem moves from grief toward consolation, from the concrete toward suggestion, leaving a long aftertaste.

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Pure Brightness

Solar-Term Farming

Northeast China

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

Farming Advice

Northwest China

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

Farming Advice

North China

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

Farming Advice

Middle and Lower Yangtze

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

Farming Advice

Southwest China

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

Farming Advice

South China & Taiwan (China)

Farming Focus for This Solar Term

Farming Advice

Seasonal Delicacies

Seasonal Tastes · A Guide to Eating with the Seasons

Traditional Customs

Seasonal Rites · Everyday Traditions

Solar-Term Poetry

「清明」

Modern Translation

In-Depth Commentary

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