Season Guide
The Start of Spring is the first of the 24 solar terms, regarded as the beginning of spring. All things quietly awaken from this point on.
The Three Pentads of Phenology
The ancients divided each solar term into three pentads of five days each, recording the subtle changes of heaven and earth through plants, insects, and birds:
The Poetry of the Season
At the Start of Spring, poets can always render the season’s subtlety with touching grace. “Spring day, spring plate with fine raw greens, suddenly I recall the plum blossoms blooming in the two capitals.” One line captures the light and mood of this moment.
“Spring day, spring plate with fine raw greens, suddenly I recall the plum blossoms blooming in the two capitals.”
— Start of Spring · Du Fu
Between Things and Self
As we observe along the Start of Spring’s three pentads, we find that the seasons are never abstract numbers, but living events we can touch and feel — peach blossoms, thunder, the breaking of ice.
Keywords: Start of Spring · solar term · three pentads · beginning of spring · phenology · season beauty
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