Published : 2025-11-30

On 30 November 2016, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), officially passed a resolution to inscribe "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms, knowledge in China of time and practices developed through observation of the sun's annual motion", which was submitted by China, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

"The Twenty-Four Solar Terms" (二十四節氣) is a knowledge system and social practice that the Chinese people formed through observing the sun's annual motion and recognising the patterns of change in seasons, climate, and phenology over the course of a year.

The ancient Chinese divided the sun's annual trajectory into 24 equal segments, with each segment being a "solar term" (節氣), collectively called "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms", which include Spring Commences, Spring Showers, Insects Waken, Vernal Equinox, Bright and Clear, Corn Rain, Summer Commences, Corn Forms, Corn on Ear, Summer Solstice, Moderate Heat, Great Heat, Autumn Commences, End of Heat, White Dew, Autumnal Equinox, Cold Dew, Frost, Winter Commences, Light Snow, Heavy Snow, Winter Solstice, Moderate Cold, Severe Cold.

"The Twenty-Four Solar Terms" guides traditional agricultural production and daily life, and is an important component of the traditional Chinese calendar system and its related practices. In international meteorological circles, this time-knowledge system has been hailed as "China's Fifth Great Invention".

"The Twenty-Four Solar Terms" originated in the Yellow River basin of China, based on observing the seasonal changes of celestial phenomena, temperature, precipitation, and phenology in that area. As a guide for production and daily life in an agrarian society, it were gradually adopted across the country and shared by many ethnic groups.

With the acceleration of China's urbanisation process and the development of technology for agricultural modernisation, the guiding function of "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms" for agricultural affairs has gradually weakened, but it still has cultural significance and social functions in the lives of contemporary Chinese people.

It vividly embodies the Chinese people's philosophy of respecting nature, conforming to natural laws, and adapting for sustainable development.

In 2006, "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms" was included in the first batch of the National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage.