This year立秋 (liqiu) the start of Autumn fell on the 7th of August. This solar term marks the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn.

In Ancient times, big ceremonies were held to welcome Autumn as well as to worship some of the great monarchs of the past and the ancestors. Farmers used to meet to share food, observing some rites to chase bad luck away and to celebrate the year’s harvest.

Among the traditions linked to 立秋 we can list: eating eggplants, eating dumplings especially in Shandong (山东) province, eating peaches in Hangzhou (杭州) and eating red beans in Yiwu, Zhejiang (义乌, 浙江).