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Our grandparents seem to have magic powers sometimes. Give them a Chinese lunar calendar they will know what the weather will be like days or even months later.
What's the ? They are following the 24 Solar Terms (节气), which are an important part of Chinese culture. Last year the United Nations it to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (人类非物质文化遗产).
The 24 Solar Terms began during the ancient periods. At that time, most Chinese people made living on farms. So weather changes were important for them. But of course, they had weather report or Internet to help them.
But people found a way. They studied the sun's movement and also attention to other natural changes such as air temperature, water and plant growth. In the , they worked out the 24 Solar Terms to mark the changes.
The terms became their guide to farming work. For example, the solar term jingzhe(惊蛰) is when insects wake up a long sleep in the cold winter. Farmers take it as a sign of warm weather and get busy working.
The 24 Solar Terms is considered as China's great invention, after paper-making, printing, compass and gunpowder. Now, it is still widely used in life even in the age of modem farming.
