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Minor Heat
A warm breeze carries the scent of lotus through the curtain.
Solar term date
Dates follow the Hong Kong Observatory’s calendar. They are civil dates, rather than precise astronomical times.
About this solar term
Minor Heat begins at solar longitude 105°. Its name signals the approach of strong summer heat, although the hottest period varies locally.
Traditional signs describe warm winds, crickets seeking shelter and young hawks learning to hunt.
In many parts of China, heat and summer rain support rapid crop growth while bringing the need to watch for floods and drought. Seasonal routines adapt to the weather rather than the calendar alone.
Seasonal signs
Warm winds blow, crickets shelter by walls, and young hawks learn to hunt.
Traditional seasonal signs combine observation with historical imagination. Weather and wildlife vary by region and year.
A reading of the poem
Warm wind arrives suddenly, bringing Minor Heat. Rustling bamboo foretells rain; thunder sounds as the mountains darken. Blue-green haze deepens around the windows and moss spreads over the steps. Young hawks are still learning—let the crickets not hurry them along.
Tang dynasty · Traditionally attributed to Yuan Zhen
咏廿四气诗·小暑六月节
Poem source