Beauty of Seasons: Minor Snow

Hi everyone! I'm Sisi, a travel enthusiast! Today marks Xiaoxue, or Minor Snow, one of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese calendar. It's a solar term closely related to weather changes, symbolizing colder days and increasing precipitation. It's also an important time for farmers to prepare and store supplies for the coming winter. Right now, I'm in Luoyang, an ancient capital city in central China's Henan Province, renowned as the "Capital of 13 Chinese dynasties." Join me as we explore the early winter charm of this ancient city and discover the wisdom of seasonal farming!

In Luoyang, snow may not have arrived yet, but the temperature has clearly dropped. Farmers in the surrounding fields are already getting ready for winter. For them, the keyword of Xiaoxue is "storage." Before the ground freezes, they carry out winter irrigation to preserve soil moisture and protect crops, such as wheat, throughout the cold season. As the old saying goes, "If snow falls during Minor Snow, next year will bring a good harvest." Today, smart greenhouses even adjust temperature and humidity according to the solar terms — a perfect blend of ancient wisdom and modern technology.

There's also a popular saying: "During Minor Snow, pickle vegetables; during Major Snow, cure meat." As the air becomes dry and cold, people start pickling vegetables, curing meat and making sausages — delicious preparations for the coming New Year. The aroma of preserved foods fills the air, adding warmth and flavor to the season.

Interestingly, while Xiaoxue is a traditional Chinese solar term, people in countries like South Korea and Japan also focus on keeping warm and storing food around this time. Though customs differ, they all share the same care and anticipation for winter. It's a shared rhythm of life that transcends borders.

With a warm bowl of Luoyang beef soup in hand, the chill of early winter melts away. As an old verse says, "When Minor Snow arrives, even the late rainbow hides." This is the gentle beauty of the season: calm, cozy and full of life's poetry.

Zhang Jiatong, as an intern, also contributed to this article.