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The 24 Solar Terms: Autumn Equinox

Introduction
On the Chinese lunar calendar, “Autumn Equinox” is the beginning of autumn and thisday is just at the middle point between “Autumn Begins” to “Hoar-Frost Falls”. After“Autumn Equinox”, the temperature decreases obviously, just like the old proverbsamong the farmers, “Each autumn rain makes it’s colder”, “The night of White Dewsand Autumn Equinox, one night is colder than the one before”. It arrives on September22 to September 23 each year when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 180degrees. As said in the ancient Chinese books, “the Autumn Equinox” shows the Yin Qiand Yang Qi are half and half on this day”. This means the day and night are balancedand the heat and the cold are even. There is no polar day or polar night happening onthis day on every corner of the world. In some part of the north-east China, it’s notstrange to see frost at this time. The differences between the temperature in themorning and in the night are increasing, to more than 10 degree Celsius. The amountof rainfall decreases and it’s getting drier and drier in the air.

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Lucky Number(2)

Five The number 5 (五wŭ) is associated with the five elements (Water, Fire, Earth, Wood, and Metal) in Chinese philosophy, and in turn was historically associated with the Emperor of China. For example, the Tiananmen gate, being the main thoroughfare to the Forbidden City, has five arches. It is also referred to as the pronoun "I", as the pronunciations of "I" (我wŏ or 吾wú) and 5 are similar in Mandarin. In Cantonese, this word has the same pronunciation as the character 唔and means "not", pronounces (m̀h). This word has the same meaning and use as the word 不an therefore is usually negative.

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Going to the Barbers 理发(2)

(Sit down for shampoo, with head in sink being washed)  Dominic: Normal practice in China is to have your hair washed before it's cut. A shampoo in China is pronounced 洗头, which directly translates as “wash head”. But to be honest, I hate having my hair washed, so normally I would say 我不需要洗头!(Wǒ bùxūyào xǐtóu!)

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