MUZI MUZIChinese Matrix

Grain Buds

A little fullness

Introduction

Wheat grains fill but are not yet ripe; rivers rise

Grain Buds is the eighth solar term, beginning when the sun reaches 60° of ecliptic longitude, around 20–22 May; its name means things are now 'a little full'. In the north the grains of winter wheat swell but are not yet ripe, while in the south rain increases and rivers fill. Its three pentads are sow thistle flourishing, delicate weeds withering, and the wheat harvest season arriving. The summer harvest, sowing and field care begin, and southern farmers must hold water in the paddies; in Jiangnan the 'three wheels' (water wheel, oil press, silk reel) start turning and the silkworm deity is honoured.

Timeline

Western Han to present
139 BCE · OriginThe Western Han Huainanzi (Tianwen xun, c. 139 BCE) sets out the twenty-four terms by the pointing of the Dipper's handle, recording 'fifteen days on, it points to si: Grain Buds', the earliest systematic attestation of Grain Buds.104 BCE · EvolutionWith the Taichu calendar of 104 BCE under Emperor Wu of Han, the twenty-four solar terms entered the official calendar, and Grain Buds became a fixed term in it.1645 · EvolutionIn 1645 the Qing Shixian calendar replaced equal time division with the true-longitude rule, fixing Grain Buds at the moment the sun reaches 60° of ecliptic longitude, as it still is today.
  1. 139 BCEOriginThe Western Han Huainanzi (Tianwen xun, c. 139 BCE) sets out the twenty-four terms by the pointing of the Dipper's handle, recording 'fifteen days on, it points to si: Grain Buds', the earliest systematic attestation of Grain Buds.
  2. 104 BCEEvolutionWith the Taichu calendar of 104 BCE under Emperor Wu of Han, the twenty-four solar terms entered the official calendar, and Grain Buds became a fixed term in it.
  3. 1645EvolutionIn 1645 the Qing Shixian calendar replaced equal time division with the true-longitude rule, fixing Grain Buds at the moment the sun reaches 60° of ecliptic longitude, as it still is today.

Heritage Listings

  1. 2006National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage1st batch · X-68 Twenty-Four Solar Terms of the Lunar Calendar · nominated by the China Agricultural Museum · collective item
  2. 2016UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of HumanityThe Twenty-Four Solar Terms · knowledge in China of time and practices developed through observation of the sun's annual motion · collective inscription