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Solar term 5 of 24
Clear and Bright
清明 · Qingming
The name means “clear and bright”: the air is fresh and plants turn a new green, the best time of year to be outdoors. Qingming is both a solar term and a festival.
The three pentads
- 桐始華Paulownia trees bloom
- 田鼠化為鴽Field mice turn into quails (an old belief)
- 虹始見Rainbows first appear
Each solar term is split into three pentads of about five days, each marked by a sign in nature.
Customs
Families tend ancestors' graves, take spring outings and wear willow sprigs. In the Yangtze delta people eat green rice dumplings.
Sky file
- Sun's longitude
- 15°
- Type
- Sectional term (jie)
- Season
- Spring
- Chinese month
- 辰 Chen month (Clear and Bright to Start of Summer)
- Sun's position
- Aries 15°
- Dates
- Apr 5, 2026 · Apr 5, 2027
Dates are in Beijing time.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Clear and Bright?
- Apr 5, 2026; Apr 5, 2027 (the moment the term begins, Beijing time).
- What are the three pentads of Clear and Bright?
- Pentad 1: 桐始華 (Paulownia trees bloom); Pentad 2: 田鼠化為鴽 (Field mice turn into quails (an old belief)); Pentad 3: 虹始見 (Rainbows first appear).
- What customs are associated with Clear and Bright?
- Families tend ancestors' graves, take spring outings and wear willow sprigs. In the Yangtze delta people eat green rice dumplings.
- Where is the Sun at Clear and Bright?
- The Sun reaches ecliptic longitude 15° (Aries 15°). Clear and Bright is a sectional term (jie) in spring.
For culture and fun: personality and tradition only, no predictions.