What is the "sun-drying" custom of the Start of Autumn?
Every year, as fruits and vegetables mature, the village of Huangling enters its peak season for sun-drying. Sun-drying is a typical agricultural custom.In mountainous areas such as Hunan, Jiangxi, and Anhui, villagers, due to complex terrain and limited flat land, use their front and back yards, window sills, and rooftops to dry or hang crops. Over time, this has evolved into a traditional agricultural custom.
This unique way of life and scene of villagers drying crops has gradually become a source of inspiration for painters and photographers, giving rise to the poetic term "sun-drying."
While this custom of sun-drying has gradually faded in many places across the country, in the ancient village of Huangling in Wuyuan, Jiangxi, sun-drying has become a "feast" for farmers celebrating a bountiful harvest. After being awarded the title of "Most Beautiful Chinese Symbol" by the Ministry of Culture, Huangling's sun-drying has further evolved into a "totem" and business card for rural tourism, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year to Huangling to enjoy the beauty of autumn.
What are the customs of the Start of Autumn?
Start of Autumn FestivalThe Start of Autumn not only signifies the end of the hot summer and the arrival of autumn, but also marks the time when plants begin to bear fruit and the harvest season arrives. Therefore, in the folk tradition, there is a custom of worshiping the earth god and celebrating the harvest.
In southern regions, there is a custom of "eating autumn melons" on the day of the Start of Autumn. On the day of entering autumn, people eat watermelons to prevent autumn dryness, and this has gradually become a tradition. According to the "Capital Gazette" published during the Republic of China era: "On the day before the Start of Autumn, people eat watermelon, which is called 'gnawing autumn.'" It also symbolizes welcoming the arrival of autumn.
Sticking Autumn Fat
It is a common practice in the folk tradition to weigh people on the day of the Start of Autumn and compare the weight with that on the day of the Start of Summer. Because people usually have no appetite in summer, eating light meals, and over the course of a few months, their weight tends to decrease slightly. When the autumn breeze blows, their appetites increase, and they want to eat something good to supplement their nutrition and compensate for the loss from the summer. This method of supplementation is called "sticking autumn fat": on the day of the Start of Autumn, various types of meat, braised meat, grilled meat, and red-braised meat are cooked, using meat to "stick fat."
Gnawing Autumn
"Gnawing Autumn" is also called "Biting Autumn" in some places. In Tianjin, it is customary to eat watermelon or melon on the day of the Start of Autumn, known as "Biting Autumn," symbolizing that the scorching summer heat is difficult to endure, and upon the arrival of the Start of Autumn, it is "bitten." People in Jiangsu also eat watermelon on the day of the Start of Autumn to "bite autumn," said to prevent autumn heat rash. In Zhejiang, on the day of the Start of Autumn, people eat watermelon and drink rice wine together, believing it can prevent malaria. City dwellers buy a watermelon on the day of the Start of Autumn and gather around to gnaw it, which is called "Gnawing Autumn." However, the "Gnawing Autumn" of farmers is much more generous. They sit in groups under melon pavilions or under tree shade, holding red-fleshed watermelons, green-fleshed melons, white-fleshed sweet potatoes, and golden corn cobs to gnaw. The joy expressed through "Gnawing Autumn" is actually a celebration of the harvest.
Autumn Busy Market
The Autumn Busy Market is generally held in the seventh or eighth lunar month to prepare for the busy autumn season. Some are combined with temple fairs, while others are purely trade fairs for the autumn busy season. Its purpose is to exchange production tools, sell livestock, and trade grain and daily necessities. The scale is similar to the Summer Busy Market, with markets for horses and mules, grain, agricultural tools, cloth, and general goods. Today, these gatherings are called "Economic and Trade Exchange Fairs." During the fair, there are also performances of operas, horse races, and monkey shows to entertain the audience.
Autumn Field Entertainment
Autumn, especially during the busy period before and after the harvest, is a busy time for farming activities, with autumn planting and harvesting done with great enthusiasm! But there is also fun in the busyness. It is common to see young people and children around ten years old playing and performing in the fields after the corn, millet, and sorghum grow. When the corn grows tall enough, especially when it starts to form ears, the fields become their playgrounds. They take the tender corn ears down, dig a hole in the ground, leave a chimney, and it becomes a natural stove. Then they put the tender corn ears inside, collect firewood, and the corn tassels make good fuel. After lighting the fire, the whole pot of corn ears will be cooked. A bountiful corn feast is held in the fields. They also climb trees to catch sparrow eggs, hunt rabbits, and there are many wild game that can be cooked in the open fields. There is meat and vegetable, all kinds of flavors. They also put the harvested persimmons and sweet potatoes into the cave, roast them for an hour, and they turn into sweet persimmons. This fun in the fields has been passed down from generation to generation.
Autumn Sacrifice
The Autumn Sacrifice was originally a day to worship the earth god in autumn, starting from the Han Dynasty, and later the Autumn Sacrifice was fixed on the fifth Wu day after the Start of Autumn. At this time, the harvest is complete, and both the government and the people hold a ceremony to worship the gods and express gratitude. In the Song Dynasty, the Autumn Sacrifice included eating cakes, drinking alcohol, and women returning home. In Tang Dynasty, Han Wuo wrote in his poem "I Do Not See": "I wish to be your house swallow, and not return when the Autumn Sacrifice comes." In some places, there are still traditions of "doing sacrifices," "honoring the earth god," and "cooking sacrifice porridge."
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