Minor Heat is the eleventh of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It begins on July 7 this year.

Entering Minor Heat means the third month of summer has begun. Increasing heat becomes overwhelming, but the hottest point has yet to arrive.

Just as the name suggests, heat is one of the key words for this solar term. But why is it called "Minor Heat"? This name stems from an ancient Chinese saying about hot days. The solar term before Xiaoshu is the Summer Solstice, which is followed by three consecutive periods during the hot season. These periods were called "Fu" in Chinese, meaning the heat would make people want to lie down.

Every solar term is divided into three pentads that are related to changes in climate, flora and fauna. For Xiaoshu, people in ancient China believed during this time winds came with a heatwave, crickets started to crawl from the field into the yard, and young eagles began to learn how to fly and hunt.

(By Fanying)