Qingming (solar term)

Qīngmíng, Seimei, Cheongmyeong or Thanh minh, is the name of the 5th solar term of the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendar, which divides a year into 24 solar terms (t. 節氣/s. 节气).[1] In space partitioning, Qingming begins when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 15° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 30°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 15°, usually on April 5.[2]

Qingming
Chinese name
Chinese	清明
Literal meaning	Clear and bright
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin qīng míng Bopomofo ㄑㄧㄥ ㄇㄧㄥˊ Hakka Pha̍k-fa-sṳ Chhîn-mìn Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization chīng mìhng Jyutping cing^1 ming^4 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Chheng-bêng / Chhiⁿ-miâ Tâi-lô Tshing-bîng / Tshinn-miâ Eastern Min Fuzhou BUC Chĭng-mìng
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	thanh minh
Chữ Hán	清明
Korean name
Hangul	청명
Hanja	清明
Transcriptions Revised Romanization cheongmyeong
Japanese name
Kanji	清明
Hiragana	せいめい
Transcriptions Romanization seimei

Solar term

Longitude	Term	Calendar
Spring
315°	Lichun	4 – 5 February
330°	Yushui	18–19 February
345°	Jingzhe	5 – 6 March
0°	Chunfen	20–21 March
15°	Qingming	4 – 5 April
30°	Guyu	20–21 April
Summer
45°	Lixia	5 – 6 May
60°	Xiaoman	21–22 May
75°	Mangzhong	5 – 6 June
90°	Xiazhi	21–22 June
105°	Xiaoshu	7 – 8 July
120°	Dashu	22–23 July
Autumn
135°	Liqiu	7 – 8 August
150°	Chushu	23–24 August
165°	Bailu	7 – 8 September
180°	Qiufen	23–24 September
195°	Hanlu	8 – 9 October
210°	Shuangjiang	23–24 October
Winter
225°	Lidong	7 – 8 November
240°	Xiaoxue	22–23 November
255°	Daxue	7 – 8 December
270°	Dongzhi	21–22 December
285°	Xiaohan	5 – 6 January
300°	Dahan	20–21 January

Compared to the space partitioning theory, in the time division theory Qingming falls around April 7 or approximately 106.5 days after winter equinox. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around 4 or 5 April and ends around 20 April.

Pentads

Each solar term can be divided into 3 pentads (候). They are: first pentad (初候), second pentad (次候) and last pentad (末候). Pentads in Qingming include:

China

• First pentad: 桐始華/桐始华, 'The paulownia begins to bloom'.
• Second pentad: 田鼠化為鴽/田鼠化为鴽, 'Voles(you) transform into quails'.
• Last pentad: 虹始見/虹始见, 'Rainbows begin to appear'.

Japan

• First pentad: 玄鳥至 (tsubame itaru), 'The swallow flies back from the south'.
• Second pentad: 鴻雁北 (kōgan kitae kaeru), 'The goose migrates to the north'.
• Last pentad: 虹始見 (niji hajimete arawaru), 'Rainbows begin to appear in the sky after shower'.

Date and time

Date and Time (UTC)

year	begin	end
辛巳	2001-04-04 17:24	2001-04-20 00:35
壬午	2002-04-04 23:18	2002-04-20 06:20
癸未	2003-04-05 04:52	2003-04-20 12:02
甲申	2004-04-04 10:43	2004-04-19 17:50
乙酉	2005-04-04 16:34	2005-04-19 23:37
丙戌	2006-04-04 22:15	2006-04-20 05:26
丁亥	2007-04-05 04:04	2007-04-20 11:07
戊子	2008-04-04 09:45	2008-04-19 16:51
己丑	2009-04-04 15:33	2009-04-19 22:44
庚寅	2010-04-04 21:30	2010-04-20 04:29
辛卯	2011-04-05 03:11	2011-04-20 10:17
壬辰	2012-04-04 09:05	2012-04-19 16:12
癸巳	2013-04-04 15:02	2013-04-19 22:03
甲午	2014-04-04 20:46	2014-04-20 03:55
Source: JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System

References

1. "24 Sekki". Glossary. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
2. Matsukawa, Mitsuharu. "24 Sekkis, or Twenty-Four Japanese Small Seasons". Nagoya University. Retrieved 21 March 2016.

See also

• East Asian cultural sphere
• Qingming Festival (清明節/清明节), festival celebrated on the day of Qīngmíng
• Cold Food Festival (寒食節/寒食节), three-day festival starting one day before and ending one day after Qīngmíng
• Along the River During the Qingming Festival