Sign-In
Cart
The 24 Solar Terms: Mythology, Folkways, and Poetry of the Chinese Nature Almanac
Paperback
Mythology & FolkloreChinese History
Publisher Price: $39.95
ISBN13: 9781963613100
Publisher: Cavern Bird Press
Published: Jun 21 2025
Pages: 516
Weight: 1.50
Height: 1.15 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Learn everything there is to know about the 24 solar terms and the lessons this ancient calendar offers us today.
China's lunar calendar or the animals of the twelve-year cycle are fairly well-known in West. Less understood is the major calendar system of the 24 solar terms. Because the calendar is so closely interwoven with the seasons, festivals, folkways, literature, and mythology of China, it serves as a central spoke in a great wheel of cultural knowledge. Getting to know the events and symbolism behind this centuries-old almanac gives rich understanding of ancient wisdom that applies to modern life.
This book introduces this calendrical system and details each of the 24 solar terms, covering a wide range of practices and knowledge, including:
- Over 50 folktales and myths
- More than 200 deities and historical and mythological figures
- Philosophical concepts which reverberate throughout the culture
- Nature symbolism of the 72 pentad almanac
- Ancient imperial traditions and their teachings
- Festivals and foodways with over one hundred seasonal customs
- Classical Chinese poetry, with 35 original translations
- Over 30 original paper cuttings
- Health considerations for each time of year
- Agricultural practices in line with the rhythms of the seasons
The solar terms light the way toward deeper cultural literacy for those inside and outside the culture. And the richness of this calendar extends far beyond its status as a cultural asset of a specific place and people. The calendar's march through the seasons invites us engage with time and place in many ways. It calls on us to observe more closely the changes in the natural world. It inspires with its frequent and balanced observance of time. And it demonstrates methods for enjoying our connection to the world around us.
Also from
Murphy, James W.
Also in
Chinese History
Hostage on the Yangtze: Britain, China, and the Amethyst Crisis of 1949
Murfett, Malcolm H.
Hardcover
China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power
Kristof, Nicholas D.
Wudunn, Sheryl
Paperback
The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth
Niarchos, Nicolas
Hardcover
The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet
Liu, Yi-Ling
Hardcover
The Next China Is Still China: An Insider's Playbook for Winning in the New Era
Leung, Nick
Ngai, Joe
Hardcover
When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail
Dolin, Eric Jay
Paperback
The Shortest History of China: From the Ancient Dynasties to a Modern Superpower - A Retelling for Our Times
Jaivin, Linda
Paperback
The Last Kings of Shanghai: The Rival Jewish Dynasties That Helped Create Modern China
Kaufman, Jonathan
Paperback
A Brief History of China: Dynasty, Revolution and Transformation: From the Middle Kingdom to the People's Republic
Clements, Jonathan
Paperback
Why Ancient Chinese Political Thought Matters: Four Dialogues on China's Past, Present, and Future
Bell, Daniel a.
Hardcover
The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of XI Zhongxun, Father of XI Jinping
Torigian, Joseph
Hardcover
China Whisperers: The Voices That Have Shaped America's Views of Its Chief Geopolitical Rival
Kaplan, Robert D.
Hardcover
Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War
Platt, Stephen R.
Paperback
Mao's Great Famine: The History of China's Most Devastating Catastrophe, 1958-62
Dikötter, Frank
Paperback
Beyond the Pass: Economy, Ethnicity, and Empire in Qing Central Asia, 1759-1864
Millward, James A.
Paperback
From Frontier Policy to Foreign Policy: The Question of India and the Transformation of Geopolitics in Qing China
Mosca, Matthew
Paperback
Collected Writings of Chairman Mao: Volume 3 - On Policy, Practice and Contradiction
Tse-Tung, Mao
Zedong, Mao
Paperback
Kingdom of Characters (Pulitzer Prize Finalist): The Language Revolution That Made China Modern
Tsu, Jing
Paperback
The Story of China: The Epic History of a World Power from the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream
Wood, Michael
Paperback
Red Star Over the Pacific, Third Edition: China's Rise and the Challenge to U.S. Maritime Strategy
Yoshihara, Toshi
Holmes, James R.
Paperback
Breaking the Chains: Gender, Context, and the Politics of Writing in Modern China
Limin, Dong
Paperback
The Struggle for Taiwan: A History of America, China, and the Island Caught Between
Khan, Sulmaan Wasif
Hardcover
21 Claves Para Entender China En El Siglo XXI / 21 Keys to Understanding China in the 21st Century
Díaz Marro, Adrián
Paperback
The Man Awakened from Dreams: One Man's Life in a North China Village, 1857-1942
Harrison, Henrietta
Paperback
A Dragon's Head and a Serpent's Tail: Ming China and the First Great East Asian War, 1592-1598 Volume 20
Swope, Kenneth M.
Paperback
Why Taiwan Matters: A Short History of a Small Island That Will Dictate Our Future
Brown, Kerry
Hardcover
Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution
Zia, Helen
Paperback
Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE - 220 CE)
Liu, Jing
Paperback
The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu: The Secrets of Kung Fu for Self-Defense, Health, and Enlightenment
Kit, Wong Kiew
Paperback
This World in a Teacup: Credit, Taste, and Power in the U.S.-China Tea Trade, 1784-1911
Du, Dan
Hardcover
The Scythian Empire: Central Eurasia and the Birth of the Classical Age from Persia to China
Beckwith, Christopher I.
Paperback
Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China's Push for Global Power
French, Howard W.
Paperback
我所认识的顾准（吴敬琏作序）
徐方
Paperback
激流者: 陆海空抗战老兵口述历史合集
赖恩典
Paperback
The Art of War for Language Learners: A Bilingual Chinese-English Modern Edition of China's Greatest Classic: Sun Tzu's The Art of War (孙ड
Robson, Huw
Ling, Ling
Tzu, Sun
Paperback
Storming the Heavens - Peasants and Revolution in China, 1925-1949 - Viewed through a Marxist Lens
Clegg, Jenny
Paperback
China's Military Modernization: Assessing China's Weapons and Strategic Reach in the Early 21st Century
Boufesis, Alexandros
Paperback
The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China
Sommer, Matthew H.
Paperback
Silk Roads, Steppe Roads: History Unearthed from the Tombs of Medieval China
Skaff, Jonathan Karam
Hardcover
For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink and Changed History
Rose, Sarah
Paperback
The Transpacific Chinese Diaspora: Migration Networks from China to Canada and Beyond, 1788-1898
Chen, Zhongping
Hardcover
A Geek in China: Discovering the Land of Bullet Trains, Alibaba and Dim Sum
Christensen, Matthew B.
Paperback
The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom
Winchester, Simon
Paperback
顶残: 中国市场和产权的构造及逻辑
吴思
Paperback
心路: 平凡不平淡的人生
林慕荆
Paperback
Pinay Guerrilleras: The Unsung Heroics of Filipina Resistance Fighters During the Pacific War
Salinas, Stacey
Paperback