There are 24 solar terms (节气) in China. They are important in guiding our everyday life.
Lixia means the coming of summer, but the real hot time comes from Xiaoshu. Xiaoshu, the 11th solar term before Dashu, starts this year on July 6th and finishes after 15 days. The weather gets hot but not very hot in Xiaoshu. The following are some things you must know about Xiaoshu.
Chinese people in old times enjoyed playing the game of Go (围棋) indoors to spend these hot summer months. Outdoor activities like fishing and keeping fireflies were popular for children in ancient China. There was a student in Jin Dynasty (朝代). He was so poor that he couldn't buy any oil lamps (油灯), so he had the idea to store fireflies in a bag for his nighttime study. People also used jasmine flowers (茉莉) to make their rooms smell (闻) good.
To cool down the body, people usually drink green bean (绿豆) soup or lotus roots (莲藕) soup. The eel (黄鳝) is a must-have food too. Eating eels around Xiaoshu is helpful to the health.
Are you ready to welcome Xiaoshu?
a. They played the game of Chess.
b. They went fishing and kept fireflies.
c. They flew kites and had picnics.
d. They used jasmines flowers to make their rooms smell good.