#73 ๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
The solar terms are a good way to understand Chinese wisdom on the harmony between man and nature, and how to prepare oneself in view of varying nature of the different seasons.
Jan 24 was Major Cold ๅคงๅฏ, which is the last solar term of the current Chinese year based on its lunisolar calendar and the implication is Chinese New Year is drawing near.
XInhua News Agency ๆฐๅ็คพ posted some picturesque images on its weibo ๅพฎๅ (a very popular social media in China which allows microblogging) to depict Major Cold and they look to me photographs taken by ordinary people as their names and places where the photos were taken are shown at the bottom. There are beautiful descriptions of the photos, and I like one of them and so will do a translation here.
But firstly, the translation of text from Xinhua's weibo, see above.
"January 20, 22:07 will usher in the Major Cold solar term, which is the turning point from Winter to Spring.
โ The weather is still cold at this time of year, but it cannot withhold the breath of Spring;
โก The Major Cold is the last of the twenty-four solar terms, and also the last of the winter season;
โข Fifteen days later is the "Beginning of Spring" (็ซๆฅ) solar term, a new round of twenty-four solar terms will start;
โฃ In China, there is a common saying "The Major Cold prepares the people to welcome The New Year" , and thus some folk activities at this time have the meaning of "to bid goodbye to the old and to welcome the new"!"
The description of the pic 1 impressed me:
โๅฆ้ธๆ ๅคๆๅท้ฆ ๅฏๆข
ๅๆฅ้ไธบไผดโ
which I would translate as :
โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ
๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐Plum flower ๆข
่ฑ has a special place in the heart of the Chinese as you would find many ancient poems extolling its virtues. The well-known phrase associated with it came from Zen Master Huang Nie ้ปๆซฑ of Tang Dynasty:
โไธ็ปไธ็ชๅฏๅฝป้ชจ๏ผๆๅพๆข
่ฑๆ้ผป้ฆโ
which means โWithout the continuous bitter cold, there can be no fragrant plum blossom.โ
So what makes it so special? This is because ๆข
่ฑ is very resilient and the colder the winter gets, the more bloomy it becomes. So ๆข
่ฑ is admired in the Chinese culture for its resilience and unyielding nature, and so the above phrase is to encourage the Chinese that who endeavour will eventually enjoy fruitful results.
๐Despite it is harsh winter during the Major Cold and most people would feel tired after another year of toil and sweat just like the sparrow, but we can seek comfort that there are hopes and optimism around us just like the blossoming ๆข
่ฑ. So do not wallow in misery but look around to realise that most of us are fortunate as there are no wars, natural disasters etc that are happening now. Also, as the seasons are never lasting, so when our winter ends, Spring begins!
Lastly, below are some stunning photos (copyrighted to Xinhua News Agency) from the abovementioned weibo post on Major Cold and I hope you discover the optimism that are conveyed in them!
