立春 - Lìchūn, The Beginning of Spring in China

Spring in China has now officially sprung. To mark the occasion Hutong fixture and Beijing local Lao Guo has written an article about what to eat and how to stay healthy during this time of year. See below for the original article in Chinese, and an English summary.

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立春

今年立春是在2018年3月20日星期二。

立春不仅是农历二十四节气中的第一个节气，立春是从天文上来划分的，而在自然界、在人们的心目中，春意味着风和日暖，鸟语花香；春也意味着万物生长。 

立春期间，气温、日照、降雨，开始趋于上升、增多。但这一切对全国大多数地方来说仅仅是 春天的前奏。

立春后气温回升，但在强冷空气影响的间隙期，偏南风频数增加，并伴有明显的气温回升过程。

立春是一个时间点，也可以是一个时间段。说的是东风送暖，大地开始解冻。

立春的传统饮食：

一、春饼：馅（萝卜，豆芽，豆子，为主）

二、春盘：果品、蔬菜、糖果、饼、饵五种。蔬菜主要有：豆芽、萝卜、韭菜、菠菜、生菜、豆子、鸡蛋、土豆丝。

三、春卷（春蚕）：一种用蔬菜和瘦肉做馅，油炸的小吃。

四、咬春（吃萝卜）

节气养生

在养生上主要是护肝。在作息时间上，人们也应顺应自然界的规律，早睡早起。在精神养生方面，要力戒暴怒，更忌忧郁，做到心胸开阔，保持心境愉悦。

对于健康人群而言，饮食要清淡，不要过度食用干燥、辛辣的食物。同时，可以多选用百合、山药、莲子、枸杞等食物。

立春之后的一段时间往往冷暖不定，要当心“倒春寒”的侵扰，特别是对于体弱的人来说，感冒、发烧是常有的事情。对此专家表示，要想杀菌并防寒，在饮食上可增加吃大蒜、洋葱、芹菜等“味冲 ”食物的次数，对预防伤寒感冒等春季多发的呼吸道感染大有益处。

立春之后依然比较干燥，喝花茶可以帮助驱散冬季聚积在人体内的寒气和邪气。。

《咏柳》（唐代）贺知章

碧玉妆成一树高，万条垂下绿丝绦。

不知细叶谁裁出，二月春风似剪刀。

老郭

LìChūn, The Beginning of Spring in China – English Summary

This year Spring begins on Tuesday, March 20, 2018.

In addition to marking the start of Spring in terms of the solar and lunar calendar, it is also the time of year that plants begin to grow.

During the beginning of spring, temperature, sunlight, rainfall, began to rise. The southerly winds increase, bringing warmer temperatures to the country. During this period the earth begins to thaw in the North East of China.

Traditional Diet for the Beginning of Spring:

Chunbing or “Spring Pancakes” stuffed with carrot, bean sprouts, and beans.

Spring plate: fruits, vegetables, candy, cake, bean sprouts, carrots, leeks, spinach, lettuce, beans, eggs, potatoes.

Spring rolls, fried snacks with vegetables and lean meat.

And as a small ‘bite,’ carrots.

How to Stay Healthy in the Sun:

Rise early. Guard against rage, and avoid depression, so stay open-minded. Make an effort to be cheerful.

For healthy people, your diet should be light, do not over eat dry, spicy food. Eat more lily, yam, lotus seeds, wolf berry and other similar foods.

After a period of wellbeing at the beginning of spring, beware of “late spring” intrusion, especially for people who are frail. Cold and fever are common. In this regard eat garlic, onion, celery and other “flavor punch” foods.

Drinking tea can help dispel the lingering winter chill.

Poem: Ode to a Willow

by He Zhizhang (Tang Dynasty)

A tall willow has been dressed with the leaves of jade,

Ten thousand twigs hang down like green ribbons

I wonder who cut out its slim leaves.

It is the spring breeze in February as a pair of scissors

Lao Guo

[Poem Translation Source: http://www.ebridge.cn/new/languages/lan.php?sno=2279]

Interested in learning more about Chinese culture? Read our post about Dōngzhì 冬至, the traditional food for winter in China. See our post on how to stay healthy during Autumn, and emerge yourself in ancient Chinese legends. Read more here.