Chinese representatives celebrating the success of the “24 Solar Terms” in the application for world heritage.

CHONGQING(CQNEWS)--The 11th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, recently passed a deliberation, approving China’s application for including the “24 Solar Terms” on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

It is famous around the world

The “24 Solar Terms” is a knowledge system and social practice formed by ancient Chinese’s cognition of the changes in such aspects as season, climate and phenology of a year through observing the annual motion of the sun. Ancient Chinese divided the annual motion trail of the sun into 24 equal parts, with each part representing one “solar term”; thus they are collectively called the “24 Solar Terms”. Specifically speaking, they include Beginning of Spring, Rain Water, Waking of Insects, Spring Equinox, Pure Brightness, Grain Rain, Beginning of Summer, Grain Full, Grain in Ear, Summer Solstice, Slight Heat, Great Heat, Beginning of Autumn, Limit of Heat, White Dew, Autumn Equinox, Cold Dew, Frost’s Descent, Beginning of Winter, Light Snow, Great Snow, Winter Solstice, Slight Cold and Great Cold. The “24 Solar Terms” guiding the traditional agricultural production and daily life is an important part of the traditional Chinese calendar system and relevant practical activities. In the international meteorological circle, the time cognition system is reputed as the“fifth great invention of ancient China”. (Translated by Tang Zhiqiang, Fathom Language Limited