The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Autumn, the 13th solar term of the year, begins this year on Aug 8 and ends on Aug 22.
中国传统二十四节气的第13个节气是立秋。今年的立秋从8月8日开始，8月22日结束。
Start of Autumn reflects the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The fruitful season is approaching.
立秋标志着夏天即将结束，秋天即将到来。秋天是果实丰硕的季节。
The following are 9 things you should know about Start of Autumn.
来看看关于立秋的9个小常识。
A baby tiger. [Photo/sipaphoto.com]
'Autumn Tiger' 秋老虎
Although Start of Autumn indicates the beginning of autumn, hot weather will not come to an end. The period of hot days after Start of Autumn, usually lasting for 30 days, is called "Autumn Tiger" or "Indian Summer." Because of decreasing precipitation, it is even more sweltering during this period than during Major Heat.
尽管立秋标志着秋天的开始，但是炎热的天气还不会结束。立秋后炎热天气还会持续30天，被称为“秋老虎”。由于降水减少，秋老虎的天气甚至比大暑期间更加闷热。
Need to flesh out in autumn. [File photo]
Fleshing out in autumn 贴秋膘
On the first day of the Start of Autumn, usually people will weigh themselves and compare their weight to what it was at the Start of Summer. If one has lost weight during the summer, then at the beginning of autumn, he or she needs to flesh out by eating many different kinds of delicious food, especially meat.
立秋的第一天，人们通常会量一下体重，和立夏那天的体重做个对比。如果体重减轻了，那么在立秋这天就要吃各种美食佳肴尤其是肉来“贴膘”。
