Foreword
Since ancient times, the life of mankind has been shaped by the changes in land, tides, seasons, the moon, and the sun. Humans are deeply connected with nature, or if go broader, with the whole universe. Every creature likewise.
China, a crazy country of 1.4 billion people and 8,000+ years of history, has the world’s unmatched cultural and folklore diversities born from its kaleidoscope of biology. To dive into its sea of natural cultural legacies, one of the best ways to start is into the 24 solar terms, also a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
Here this incredible series of short documentaries on the 24 solar terms has been done by some best international and Chinese DOCU makers and producers. Its making is a legend itself: a two-year soul-searching journey across vast China, 1,500 high-definition camera hours, shooting locations ranging from -30℃ chilling Harbin to 45℃ hot Chongqing, tailor-made excellent music, hosted by Dominic, a British who’s been living in China for 24 years and speaking good English and even better mandarin…
The 24 solar terms, 24 typical timeslots in a year, suggest every turning of the seasons and typical changes in nature. Thanks to the insane creativity of the ancient Chinese, they are more than timing; they keep reminding and teaching us how to stay in tune with nature, value family and community, eat the right thing at the right time to live well, and work to gain, and love.
This has been passed down through millennia.
SPRING
Come and join in the visual tour to get happy and inspired.
In spring, you could：
Dress up in the traditional ‘Spring Announcer’ uniform for a grand celebration on the BEGINNING OF SPRING.
Dig out the dew-coated bamboo shoots to feed cute giant pandas and join the fun-packed nightlife on the RAIN WATER.
Feel free to taste rice wine at a humongous village street party during the Spring Festival on the INSECTS AWAKENING.
Try the magic of Chinese medicinal herbs and give your health a great boost on the SPRING EQUINOX.
Unleash your creativity for drum beats on a dragon boat to lead in a river race on the QINGMING FESTIVAL.
Track the 2,000-year-old Tea Trail by hand-picking the freshest buds and making the finest green tea on the GRAIN RAIN.
SUMMER
In summer, you could：
Enjoy an idyllic walk alongside sky-reflecting rice paddies and join in a longevity banquet in the country on the BEGINNING OF SUMMER.
Watch the lifespan of silkworms and try your hand at the processing of the world’s finest silk on the LESSER FULLNESS (XIAOMAN).
Experience winemaking with fresh plum berries and practice a self-sufficient lifestyle by harvesting wheat on the GRAIN IN EAR.
Wake up at a cottage in the white nights in China’s northernmost village near its border with Russia and have a tasty glimpse into village life after cold-water fishing on the SUMMER SOLSTICE.
Jump abroad and travel through the lotus-flower dotted West Lake and stop over at a tea house for hot lotus plumule tea to cool off and appreciate ink painting and flower arrangements on the LESSER HEAT.
Feast on a spicy hotpot and shed sweat and joy and experience the typical ‘Bangbang’ culture in the ‘Furnace City’ of Chongqing on the GREAT HEAT.
AUTUMN
In autumn, you could：
Back to childhood joy by getting dirty down in the corn field to hunt crickets and trade them at the world’s largest cricket market or compete with the best cricket-fighting enthusiasts on the BEGINNING OF AUTUMN.
Learn the tie-dye techniques and create your own art piece by applying pure plant dyes and practice a hippy lifestyle with the Bai minority on the END OF HEAT.
Join a “man-plus-cormorant bird” fishing crew for a good catch and after sunset watch the “Goddess of Singing” show backdropped in the picturesque mountains and rivers on the WHITE DEW.
Track the ancient silk road aboard a camel fleet and indulge in the vividness and power of desert by savoring oasis, millennia-old murals and poplar trees on the AUTUMN EQUINOX.
Satisfy your belly and tickle the senses by feasting on the most succulent and plumpest hairy crabs, crab meatballs, and crab dumplings…and watch a Kunqu (Kun Opera) show in a beautiful private garden on the COLD DEW.
Compete in a heated persimmon harvest and try making persimmon cakes coated with sugar frosting on the FIRST FROST.
WINTER
In winter, you could：
Play on sledge, have a sip of sweet potato porridge and a bite of handmade radish balls, and join the typical northeast Chinese dance (Yangge) in legendary land of snow on the HEAVY SNOW.
Experience the ancient folk custom of red beautiful window paper-cut that features best wisher for the New Year, and enjoy making hot dumplings on the WINTER SOLSTICE.
Prepare for Chinese Spring Festival surrounded by ice and snow in northern China or experience a drastically different warm winter in the south on the LESSER COLD.
Come to Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival to experience ice sculptors and a fairy tale landscape of ice and snow on the GREATER COLD.
