What
Guyu is the sixth solar term among the twenty-four solar terms in China, usually on April 19 or 20 every year. The word "Grain Rain" means "Rain produces hundreds of grains" - the rain in this season is to make grains grow. For the Chinese, Guyu is the last solar term in spring and the last window period for "sowing". As soon as Grain Rain arrives, spring is coming to an end.
Why
Why is Guyu so important?
- Agricultural reasons: During the Grain Rain season, millet and sorghum begin to be sown in northern China, and rice transplanting begins in the south. "Before and after Grain Rain, sow melons and beans" - this is the oldest motto of farmers. The rain during the Grain Rain season determines the autumn harvest. If the Grain Rain does not rain, farmers will be worried.
- Climatic reasons: Grain Rain season is the prelude to the Meiyu season in southern China. The humidity in the air increases significantly, and the "return to the south" begins - the walls sweat and the floors become slippery. This humidity is uncomfortable, but it is "sweet rain" for the crops.
- Cultural reasons: Guyu is a good time for Chinese people to "drink tea". "Grain Rain Tea" - Tea picked on the day of Grain Rain is considered the best tea of the year. Because after accumulation throughout the winter, tea leaves have the most nutrients. Guyu tea is not "new tea", but "essence".
How
Three major customs of Guyu:
- Drink Guyu Tea: On Guyu day, Chinese people drink "Grain Rain tea". There is a tradition of "picking tea during Grain Rain" in the southern tea area - in the early morning of Grain Rain, tea farmers go up to the mountains to pick tea, saying that "Grain Rain tea" can "clear fire and improve eyesight". This is not only a custom, but also "marketing" - the price of Guyu tea is often twice as high as usual.
- Eating toon: "Toon is as tender as silk before the rain." During the Grain Rain season, the Chinese toon tree sprouts new buds. Chinese people eat toon scrambled eggs and toon mixed with tofu. Toon has a special aroma, which is loved by those who love it and hated by those who hate it. This is the most "flavorful" custom of Guyu.
- Walking in Guyu: In ancient times, there was a custom of "walking in Guyu" - on the day of Guyu, young women would visit villages to visit relatives, or go for a walk in the wild. This custom means "grounding" - spring is coming to an end and it's time to feel the breath of the earth one last time.
When
The best scene of Guyu: Tea Mountain in the early morning. Mist covers the hillside, and tea trees are arranged in neat rows. The tea pickers carry bamboo baskets on their backs and dance among the tea buds with their fingers. They don't use scissors, just pinch with their thumb and index finger - this is the gentlest picking and the most precise selection. Dew still hangs on the tea leaves, and the sun shines through the fog, making the entire hillside look like an ink painting.
Where
At Giaokz.com in Florence, we make a pot of Chinese tea on Grain Rain. The Italian guest said: "Isn't this our tea?" I said: "Yes, but this is 'Grain Rain Tea' - the last picking in spring. Just like your 'new wine', it has the flavor of time."
One Word
生（shēng）
The core of "Grain Rain" is "生". It is not the "sheng" of "life", but the "sheng" of "growth". During the Grain Rain season, everything is "growing" - grains grow, tea leaves grow, and everything comes alive. What the Chinese learned from Guyu is a kind of "wisdom of life": knowing when to sow, when to wait, and when to harvest. Guyu tells us: life needs rain, but rain is only the beginning, real growth will take time.
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> 💡 Remember Guyu in one sentence: Guyu is "the last rain in spring" - rain produces hundreds of grains and sows the last hope.