Xinhua marks Start of Autumn with cultural explainer on the solar term
今日立秋：夏色犹未尽 清风递秋音
A feature by Xinhua marks the solar term Liqiu, or Start of Autumn, which fell on August 7, 2026. The piece explains the term's traditional meaning, clarifies it does not signify the immediate onset of meteorological autumn, and describes persistent summer heat known as 'autumn tiger'. It also details folk customs like eating watermelon to 'bite off the summer' and consuming meat to 'put on autumn fat', framing the day as both a natural turning point and a harvest festival.
The view from inside
The article uses a cultural-education frame under Xinhua's 'Show Me China' (秀我中国) banner. It treats the traditional lunisolar calendar as a source of shared national identity.
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