Working and living by the Sun
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FOR millennia the Chinese farmed and lived according to the 24 solar terms of the lunar calendar， which were formed following long-term observation of the sun’s position in the zodiac.
The traditional Chinese calendar is named Nongli （literally， “agricultural calendar”）， explicitly indicating its relationship with farming activities. Also called Xiali， the name came from China’s first dynasty Xia （2070 -1600 BC）， during which the calendar was believed to originate.
Though people commonly call it Yinli （lunar calendar）， the Nongli is in fact a lunisolar calendar. That is， months reflect the cycle of lunar phases， while intercalary months are added to bring it into synchronization with a complete circle of the sun. This kind of calendar reflects the ebbs and flows of the tide， but also the cycle of the four seasons.
The Nongli calendar divides a solar year into 24 segments， naming the first day of each segment with a solar term. Created through generations of observation and practice， the 24 solar terms have become an important part of the Chinese lunar calendar and play a key role in guiding people’s life and work even today.
Furthermore， the solar terms have been integrated with traditional festivals， such as Spring Festival， and formed a special folk and festival culture. Internalized as a basic cultural recognition， the 24 solar terms have been regarded the base and symbol of the Chinese nation. In 2006 the 24 solar terms were included in China’s first National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
The Connotations
As early as the Spring and Autumn Period （770- 476 BC）， ancient people established the first four solar terms to signify vernal equinox， mid-summer， autumnal equinox， and mid-winter. The 24 solar terms were finalized in 104 BC when the Taichu Calendar was established， the first complete written calendar in Chinese history. In this calendar， the astronomical positions of the 24 solar terms were confirmed.
The 24 solar terms reflect the changes in celestial phenomena， climate， precipitation， and phenological sequence in time. Originating in the Yellow River basin， one of the cradles of Chinese civilization， the system gradually spread across the country. In a typical agricultural society like ancient China， the 24 solar terms were a marker against which people could arrange farming work and social activities like festivals and even a family’s daily life.
The festival starts three days prior to the vernal equinox and lasts six days. All people spontaneously go to the county seat to offer sacrifices to Emperor Yandi and Shennong， two legendary figures locals regard as the Gods of the land. They also meet with friends and acquaintances， and trade seeds， farm tools， and herbal medicines in the market.
The festival， with a 1，000 year-long history， orig- inated in the worshipping of Emperor Yandi and Shennong.
As the legend goes， Emperor Yandi and Shennong used to live in Anren. They taught local people to farm， making the place one of the earliest farming areas.
The vernal equinox means the coming of the busiest time of year. Farmers need to prepare tools， seeds， and herbal medicines for the upcoming spring plough， as well as offer sacrifices to Shennong， who will bless people with a good harvest. All of these activities constitute the Ganfen Festival.
The herbal medicine market， with over 10，000 loads of herbs， is a magnet for about 100 counties in neighboring provinces and even far away autonomous regions such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. People like to buy herbs according to traditional prescriptions， and simmer them with pigs’ feet. The medicine-cuisine is believed to be good for health and to nurture strength， and it is usually taken before the farming season starts.
In 2014， the Anren Ganfen Festival was listed as a national intangible heritage.