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BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Thursday marks the day of 'Great Heat', which is the beginning of the 12th solar term in the Chinese lunar calendar.
In China, this day is usually the hottest day of the year. The day is usually between July 22 and July 24 in the Northern Hemisphere, and between January 21 and January 22 in the Southern Hemisphere.
The 24 solar terms are a supplementary calendar guiding farm work in ancient China. During the 12th term, crops are believed to grow the fastest, but it is also when floods and droughts most frequently hit the country.
Across the country, people will hold traditional and cultural activities to celebrate the day, hoping for a fruitful and better life. It is also customary to eat cold food to relieve the summer heat, and in Taiwan, people eat pineapple cakes.
But meteorologists say that parts of China will be battling heavy rain over the next few days.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
