Greater Cold signals end of solar cycle

Greater Cold is divided into three subterms according to phenomena recorded by folk observations. In the first five days, hens start to hatch chickens; during the middle term, falcons and eagles are in a state of extreme predation; and the last five days see ice in a lake freeze from the edge to the center, where it is strongest and thickest.

Although the wind is blowing outside, Yang Xiaobo, a Beijing resident, who sits comfortably, binge-watching TV soap operas in his warm home, expresses his satisfaction. "It's just in time for the cold.The temperature dropped suddenly a week ago before dahan," says Yang. "I come from a rural family. Back in my hometown, we all know that if it is particularly cold during dahan, the crops will grow extremely well in the coming year."

Ye Chunsheng, a doctoral supervisor of the Chinese Department at Sun Yatsen University, explains the folk wisdom, saying the severe cold at this time of the year is a good sign, which means that pests and disease will not be able to survive the winter, and there will be a good harvest next year.

In Guangzhou, Guangdong province, the downtown market is buzzing with people who are looking to buy glutinous rice, as it is the local custom to eat it on dahan. Although this custom sounds simplistic, it contains the life experience accumulated by the ancients. Glutinous rice is a type of food with relatively high calories, which is good at keeping out the cold.

The customers, mainly middle-aged and elderly people, bring three or four catties (a catty is a Chinese measure equal to 500 grams) to eat with the whole family. Many neighbors chat with the stall owners, discussing how to cook glutinous rice on the morning of the dahan day to make it tastier. An owner of a grain store in Longjin Market, surnamed Liang, says the supply in his small shop has fallen short of demand since Minor Cold, so for dahan, he deliberately stocked more than 200 catties. All have been sold.