Beauty of Seasons: Summer Solstice

Hi everyone! I'm Sisi, a travel enthusiast! Can you guess which day of the year has the longest period of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere? That's right, today—Xia Zhi, or Summer Solstice, is the last solar term of the first half of the year. I'm now in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and I invite you to experience this city's sunshine feast lasting as long as 15.5 hours!

On this day, the sun is almost directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. The abundant sunshine brims with natural vitality. Many places across China will eat noodles on the Summer Solstice solar term. As the wheat has just ripened, a bowl of noodles serves both as a way to express gratitude to the land and as a symbol of expectations for a prosperous life.

In Xinjiang, this solar term is like a sunshine party. You can start the day with a cup of warm milk tea and crisp Baoersake (a fried dough pastry); in the afternoon, visit the bazaar and enjoy some chilled Hami melon and yogurt zongzi (sticky rice dumplings); in the evening, perform "Meshrep," a typical style of dance representing the unique culture of the Uygur ethnic group, in the sunset glow, extending the enthusiasm from day to night.

The love for sunshine is shared by people all over the world. On the other side of the world, Nordic countries like Sweden also welcome an important festival—the Midsummer, during which people wear flower wreaths, dance the frog dance, and celebrate around the Maypole. For the Nordic people living with long winters and short summers, the Summer Solstice signifies dispelling darkness and embracing light.

"Green trees, greener shades, and the summer's day is long. Fine buildings study their own reflections in the pond." Here in Urumqi, you can embrace the vibrant energy of summer. How do you celebrate the Summer Solstice? Feel free to share your Summer Solstice memories and explore more cultural treasures related to this solar term together!

(Zhang Heyun, as an intern, also contributed to this video.)