The Spring Equinox in poetry and painting

The Spring Equinox signals the equal length of the day and night time. On the day of the Spring Equinox, sun is directly above the equator. After the equinox, the sun moves northwards, resulting in gradually longer day time in the Northern Hemisphere and longer night in the Southern Hemisphere.

Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), wrote On Qiantang Lake in Spring when he was the governor of Hangzhou. He enjoyed walking by the West Lake, which used to be known as Qiantang Lake. Over the peaceful water, the birds sang and the clouds floated. “A riot of blooms begins to dazzle the eye; Amid short grass the horse hoofs can barely be seen.” That’s Spring Equinox!

Landscape: Spring Outing was created by Tang Yin, a painter of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In the painting, countless flowers are blooming in the distant mountains, and the lake is rippling. Two riders are wandering nearby the lake. It seems that they are reciting poems on such beautiful scenery. This painting has a vibe that echoes the artistic conception of Bai Juyi’s poem On Qiantang Lake in Spring.

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