立秋
Lì Qiū · Start of Autumn
Each year lands around 8/8 in the Gregorian calendar (the exact date shifts slightly year to year).
Three Hou — five days each
- Cool winds arrive
- White dew descends
- Cold cicadas sing
The 'three hou' (三候) is the traditional five-day-each observation pattern within a single solar term — fifteen days in all.
What this term marks
Li-Qiu (Start of Autumn). Autumn arrives, even as summer's heat lingers. The earth's energy begins its quiet turn toward gathering inward and clearing away.
Folklore & farming
'Sticking on autumn-fat' (贴秋膘) — eating meat on Li-Qiu to replenish what summer drained. Also 'biting autumn' — eating watermelon to greet the new season.
What it means in a BaZi chart
Li-Qiu opens the Shen (Monkey) month — Metal first appears. Metal-deficient charts find traction; Wood-heavy / Fire-heavy charts begin their cooling phase.
Guidance, not prophecy. For reflection, not decision.