The Origin of Lixia
One month after Qingming comes Lixia. At this time, spring gives way to summer, the weather gradually warms, and the overwintered wheat is ripe for harvest. The vegetable gardens are a vibrant green, and in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, there is a custom of "tasting the new" at Lixia. This is also the season for aquatic products, and fresh seafood and river fish are naturally included in the "new" tasting. Suzhou has a proverb, "Lixia sees three new things." The "three new things" refer to newly ripened cherries, green plums, and wheat. People first offer these "three new things" as sacrifices to their ancestors, and then the living get to taste them. In Suzhou, people also eat sea snails, gluten, white bamboo shoots, shepherd's purse, salted duck eggs, and green broad beans during Lixia. On this day, local hotels offer free rice wine and spirits to their regular patrons without charge, calling Lixia the "gift festival."
During Lixia, all things flourish. A book from the Ming Dynasty, "Liansheng Baqiang," writes: "On the day of Mengxia, heaven and earth begin to interact, and all things flourish together." At this time, the summer-harvest crops enter their later growth stage; winter wheat is flowering and filling its grains, and rapeseed is nearly mature. The outlook for the summer harvest is largely determined, which is why there is a farming proverb, "Lixia sees the summer."
The transplanting of rice and the management of other spring-sown crops also enter a busy season. Therefore, ancient China attached great importance to the Lixia solar term. According to records, during the Zhou Dynasty, on the day of Lixia, the emperor would personally lead his civil and military officials to the outskirts to "welcome the summer," and order officials like Situ to go to various regions to encourage farmers to hasten their farming.
This season was established as early as the late Warring States period (239 BC), marking the transition of seasons and the beginning of summer according to the ancient lunar calendar. For example, the "Yizhoushu - Shixun Jie" says: "On the day of Lixia, the mole cricket chirps. Five days later, the earthworm emerges. Five days after that, the king melon sprouts." This describes the phenological phenomena at the beginning of Mengxia. The "Yueling Qishier Hou Jijie" explains: "'Li' means to begin, and 'Xia' (summer) means 'greatness.' At this time, all things have grown greatly." The "greatness" here means "large," indicating that the plants sown in spring have grown tall and large. In reality, according to climatic standards, summer begins when the daily average temperature stably reaches 22°C or above. Around Lixia, only the area from Fuzhou to the Nanling Mountains in the south of China experiences a true "long summer with lush green trees and reflections like ponds in the lakes," while some parts of the northeast and northwest are just entering spring. The average temperature in most parts of the country is around 18-20°C, which is the mid to late spring season, a time when "a hundred reds and purples compete in beauty."
Entering May, the locust trees are in full bloom in many places. During Lixia, all things flourish. A book from the Ming Dynasty, "Liansheng Baqiang," writes: "On the day of Mengxia, heaven and earth begin to interact, and all things flourish together." At this time, the summer-harvest crops enter their later growth stage; winter wheat is flowering and filling its grains, and rapeseed is nearly mature. The outlook for the summer harvest is largely determined, which is why there is a farming proverb, "Lixia sees the summer." The transplanting of rice and the management of other spring-sown crops also enter a busy season. Therefore, ancient China attached great importance to the Lixia solar term. According to records, during the Zhou Dynasty, on the day of Lixia, the emperor would personally lead his civil and military officials to the outskirts to "welcome the summer," and order officials like Situ to go to various regions to encourage farmers to hasten their farming.
After Lixia, the Jiangnan region officially enters the rainy season, with a significant increase in both rainfall and rainy days. Continuous overcast and rainy weather not only causes moisture damage to crops but also leads to the prevalence of various diseases. The period when wheat heads and flowers is most susceptible to head blight. If warm but rainy weather is forecast, it is crucial to apply pesticides for prevention and control from the initial flowering to the peak flowering stage. In the south, continuous rain or alternating warm and cool conditions can trigger outbreaks of diseases like anthracnose and damping-off in cotton, causing widespread seedling death and gaps. It is necessary to promptly take measures to increase temperature and reduce humidity, combined with chemical control, to protect and strengthen the seedlings. "More seedlings planted at Lixia, a full granary of grain." Around Lixia is the peak season for transplanting early rice across the country. "Seedlings that can be planted for a full moon are better than weeds that can be pulled for a full moon." As the temperature is still relatively low, immediate management after planting is essential, including early fertilization, early weeding, and early pest and disease control to promote early vigorous growth. The sowing of medium-season rice should be completed promptly. At this time, the spring shoots of tea trees develop the fastest; a moment of neglect can cause the tea leaves to age. As the saying goes, "Little tea is picked during Guyu, but at Lixia, picking is non-stop." It requires full effort to carry out batch突击 (tūjī -突击, meaning a concentrated effort) picking and processing. Around Lixia, temperatures in North and Northwest China rise quickly, but precipitation remains scarce. Coupled with strong spring winds and high evaporation, dry air and soil drought often severely affect the normal growth of crops. Especially, the dry-hot wind before and during the grain-filling and milk-ripening stage of wheat is a major disastrous weather condition that leads to reduced yields. Timely irrigation is a key measure for drought prevention and disaster relief. "Three days after Lixia, weeds are everywhere to be hoed." Weeds grow very fast at this time; "one day of not weeding, and it takes three days to catch up." Hoeing not only removes weeds but also helps with drought and waterlogging prevention, increases soil temperature, and accelerates the decomposition of soil nutrients, which is of great significance for promoting the robust growth of seedlings for crops like cotton, corn, sorghum, and peanuts.