{"id":14977,"date":"2025-11-07T17:16:28","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T09:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hcenturystar.com\/?p=14977"},"modified":"2025-11-14T17:22:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T09:22:10","slug":"debut-de-lhiver-dechiffrer-le-code-culturel-du-prelude-hivernal-de-la-chine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hcenturystar.com\/fr\/beginning-of-winter-unlocking-the-cultural-code-of-chinas-winter-prelude\/","title":{"rendered":"D\u00e9but de l'hiver : d\u00e9crypter le code culturel du pr\u00e9lude hivernal en Chine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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R\u00e9sum\u00e9 rapide<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Beginning of Winter (Lidong) marks the official arrival of winter in China\u2019s traditional calendar.
\nIn the north, people eat dumplings to honor Zhang Zhongjing and ward off the cold, while the south focuses on nourishing soups and seasonal foods.<\/p>\n

Today, Lidong blends tradition and modernity\u2014families reunite, communities hold cultural events, and celebrations extend online.
\nGuided by TCM, this period emphasizes warming foods, adequate rest, and gentle exercise.<\/p>\n

As Lidong customs spread globally, they serve as a meaningful cultural window into China.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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Beginning of Winter: The Prologue to Winter<\/h2>\n
As the 19th of China\u2019s 24 solar terms, Beginning of Winter (typically Nov 7-8) marks winter\u2019s official arrival in the traditional calendar. Astronomically, it occurs when the sun reaches 225\u00b0 celestial longitude, with the Big Dipper pointing northwest\u2014signaling autumn\u2019s end and winter\u2019s start.<\/div>\n
More than a time marker, it\u2019s a key signal of nature\u2019s cycles. Post-Beginning of Winter, Northern Hemisphere daylight shortens, solar radiation drops, and though residual surface heat delays extreme cold, chill sets in with widening day-night temperature gaps.<\/div>\n

Beginning of Winter on the Tip of the Tongue<\/h2>\n
Diet is central to welcoming winter. Regional delicacies during this term blend taste and cultural meaning, adding warmth to the cold season.<\/div>\n

Northern China: Dumplings \u2013 Warm Guardians of \u201cEars\u201d<\/h3>\n
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\"Raviolis\"<\/a>
Raviolis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eating dumplings on Beginning of Winter is a deep-rooted northern custom, tied to the folk saying: \u201cNo dumplings on this day, your ears freeze off.\u201d The ear-shaped food\u2019s origin links to Zhang Zhongjing, the Eastern Han \u201cMedical Sage.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Legend tells Zhang returned home to find villagers with frostbitten ears. He made ear-shaped \u201cJiao Er\u201d (dumplings) with mutton, chili, and cold-dispelling herbs, boiling them for villagers. The dumplings cured frostbite, so people eat them annually to honor Zhang and ward off cold.<\/div>\n
Northern streets fill with dumpling aroma on this day. Families gather to make them, with fillings like pork-cabbage (rich and sweet), mutton-carrot (warming and nutritious), and chives-egg (fresh for vegetarians)\u2014all bringing warmth and joy.<\/div>\n

Southern China: Nourishing \u2013 The Warm Power of Soups and Specialty Foods<\/h3>\n
Southern customs emphasize nourishment. In Guangdong, slow-cooked medicinal soups take center stage\u2014ginseng, astragalus, or wolfberry paired with chicken, ribs, or trotters. Simmered for hours, these soups warm the body, tonify qi, and boost resistance to cold.<\/div>\n
Wuxi locals eat glutinous rice balls (\u201ctuanzi\u201d) made with autumn grains. Fillings like red bean paste (sweet), radish (fresh), and lard (aromatic) offer diverse flavors, symbolizing warmth.<\/div>\n
Chaoshan residents enjoy sugarcane (said to prevent toothaches, as it\u2019s ripe and juicy) and fried fragrant rice\u2014stir-fried with lotus seeds, mushrooms, and shrimp, tasting of harvest joy.<\/div>\n

Traces of Beginning of Winter in Traditional Rituals<\/h2>\n
Beginning of Winter hosts meaningful rituals in Chinese culture, embodying reverence for nature and hopes for the future.<\/div>\n

Ancient Winter-Welcoming Ceremonies: Emperors\u2019 Winter Wishes<\/h3>\n
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Beginning of Winter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anciently, it was one of the \u201cFour Beginnings\u201d (with Spring, Summer, Autumn). Three days prior, the grand historian informed the emperor, who then fasted piously in preparation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

On the day, the emperor led officials to the northern suburbs in dark black (Five Elements: water) robes for a solemn \u201cWinter-Welcoming\u201d ceremony, adhering strictly to ancient etiquette.<\/div>\n
They offered sacrifices to Zhuan Xu (North God) and Xuan Ming (Water God), praying for national peace and a bumper harvest. Post-ceremony, the emperor gave officials winter clothes and aided orphans, spreading warmth.<\/div>\n

Modern Winter Celebrations: Integration of Inheritance and Innovation<\/h3>\n