MUZI MUZIChinese Matrix

Minor Cold

The cold peaks in the third nine

Introduction

Bitter cold of the third nine, heralded by plum blossom

Minor Cold is the twenty-third solar term, beginning when the sun reaches 285° of ecliptic longitude, around 5–7 January; the name means it is cold but not yet at its coldest. Yet the bitter 'third nine' usually falls within it, hence the saying that Minor Cold is colder than Major Cold. Its three pentads are wild geese heading north, magpies beginning to nest, and pheasants beginning to call. The north rests from field work and keeps livestock warm and gathers manure, while the south fertilises and protects wheat and rapeseed; the Laba festival often falls near it, with Laba porridge.

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 gui: Minor Cold', the earliest systematic attestation of Minor Cold.104 BCE · EvolutionWith the Taichu calendar of 104 BCE under Emperor Wu of Han, the twenty-four solar terms entered the official calendar, and Minor Cold became a fixed term in it.1645 · EvolutionIn 1645 the Qing Shixian calendar replaced equal time division with the true-longitude rule, fixing Minor Cold at the moment the sun reaches 285° 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 gui: Minor Cold', the earliest systematic attestation of Minor Cold.
  2. 104 BCEEvolutionWith the Taichu calendar of 104 BCE under Emperor Wu of Han, the twenty-four solar terms entered the official calendar, and Minor Cold became a fixed term in it.
  3. 1645EvolutionIn 1645 the Qing Shixian calendar replaced equal time division with the true-longitude rule, fixing Minor Cold at the moment the sun reaches 285° 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