The Beginning of Autumn  立秋

The Beginning of Autumn is one of the twenty-four solar terms in traditional Chinese calendar - a traditional Chinese supplementary calendar used to guide agricultural activities. Each year, the seventh, eighth or ninth day of August is the day of Beginning of Autumn in the Chinese lunar calendar. Beginning of Autumn,an ordinary seasonal dividion point, is the turning point from warm weather to coldness.It predicts that the hot summer shall pass away and autumn is drawing near.

The Beginning of Autumn also marks the approach of a busy farming season.

It is a popular practice to "get autumn fat" on the day of Beginning of Autumn. People have little appetite and light diets in summer, so they usually lose some weight. However a cooler weather after the day of Beginning of Autumn stimulates their appetite and they usually have oily and meat dishes for the lost in summer.

In Hangzhou, people eat peaches at the beginning of autumn, but save the seeds and later burn them on Spring Festival Eve. It is said to prevent plague for the entire year.