In traditional Chinese thought, time is not always understood simply as a single fixed point. The Autumn Equinox (秋分, Qiū Fēn) offers an interesting example: it names a particular day of balance, but it is also a solar term—a period of roughly fifteen days.
In this video, we explore how the Autumn Equinox reflects a way of thinking about time as both precise and open to a meaningful “window.” Through the balance of Yin and Yang, day and night, and the traditional rites associated with the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, we see how ideas about time, nature, and balance are interconnected in Chinese thought.
This video is adapted from a HECHINESE course on traditional Chinese culture and the 24 Solar Terms.
This video explains the concept of the Autumn Equinox within the context of Chinese solar terms and philosophy. It emphasizes that while a specific date is named, the equinox represents a 15-day period of balance between day and night, heat and cold. This reflects a broader Chinese cultural perspective on time and the essential harmony of Yin and Yang.
"When do we meet?"
"How about 3:00?"
For Chinese, usually it's around 3:00.
So now this 秋分(qiū fēn) is one day, and also it's a period of time.
Today our topic is 秋分(qiū fēn).
autumn equinox.
After this solar term, there are another two solar terms
for the autumn, then we move into winter.
The previous one. We just passed the
White Dew, 白露(bái lù).
Then right now we're here,
That's 秋分(qiū fēn). That's autumn equinox.
Then the next one would be cold dew, 寒露(hán lù).
After cold dew 寒露(hán lù) is
Frost's Descent, 霜降(shuāng jiàng). Then we move into winter.
But you can see, as you can see from this picture,
It's not a perfect pitch, but it's almost there.
So 秋分(qiū fēn), this day is supposed to be all around this day,
because 秋分(qiū fēn) is not just one day.
It's a solar term, remember?
That's 15 days. It's a period.
In this period of the whole year,
the timing for day and night is almost equal.
So that's what happened.
Another one, another timing
throughout the whole year is called 春分(chūn fēn),
Spring Equinox. We talked about the dragon raising head
at the very beginning of this year. If you forgot or if you haven't
watched that video, go back to the spring, spring equinox.
That's the two periods in the year, the day and night is almost equal.
But we definitely have to find one day,
name that as either Spring Equinox or Autumn Equinox.
But you want to keep that in mind.
It's not one day.
It's a period, but we have to name one day.
So then you kind of get a sense of
the way of Chinese thinking.
We say, "When do we meet?"
"How about 3:00?"
For Chinese, usually it's around 3:00.
Most probably, it's gonna be from 3:00 to 3:15, or even 3:20, or even 3:30.
So now this 秋分(qiū fēn) is one day, and also it's a period of time.
It's 15 days. 15 days means half a month.
it is exquisite, that one day, and also it's a period.
Just cover those things, cover that day evenly.
Okay, you want to get that kind of way of thinking or way of feeling
when you deal with Chinese people.
They're not really—don't follow the time.
It's just in their mind, that's the timing, okay?
Now, it says that this Autumn Equinox is right in the middle.
The daytime and the nighttime is equal. 陰(yīn) and 陽(yáng),
陰(yīn) and 陽(yáng), yin and yang are equal.
Another one is Spring Equinox, right?
秋分者(qiū fēn zhě)，陰陽相半也(yīn yáng xiāng bàn yě)。
半(bàn) is half.
故晝夜(gù zhòu yè)
晝(zhòu) means daytime, 夜(yè) means nighttime.
均(jūn) means equal, balanced.
And then therefore,
coldness and heat
is also equal. It's also balanced.
That's the basic meaning.
If you are more like a
junior or you're a beginner, never mind. Okay.
But you wanna pay attention to what I'm gonna tell you
in the next 20, 40, 30 seconds or one minute.
So you see here is the 春分(chūn fēn) or 秋分(qiū fēn),
But it's a period.
It's a period.
So this whole thing,
it's this solar term called the 秋分(qiū fēn),
but the day over here, this is
absolute balance of the day and night, heat and cold.
It's rooted in a way of thinking, traditional Chinese philosophy.
It is precise, and at the same time,
it is not that precise. There's a scope, there's a window.
If you think anything,
anything, when we're living in the real world,
usually we're talking about exactly the same spot as also the period,
right? Unless you—
you have to have that in computer, either zero or one.
But when you move to higher level,
quantum physics,
quantum computer, that's more close to this kind of concept.
Okay? All right, so that's—you wanna understand.
So you got the idea, you got the point, right?
Exquisite, precise, and also you gotta give it a window.
Now, talking about the rites or etiquettes in ancient time.
in spring, especially on that day of Spring Equinox,
rites are performed to the sun at dawn,
in the early morning at dawn.
In autumn,
in Autumn Equinox, on that day,
rites are performed to the moon at dusk.
Why? These two days are important because
day and night is even, 陰(yīn) and 陽(yáng) is balanced,
hot and cold, warm and cold are equal.
And behind that,
that's 陰(yīn) and 陽(yáng) balance.
And humans should show appreciation to Mother Nature
for giving us the 陰(yīn) and 陽(yáng) balance.
Out of balance, that's gonna be a disaster.
That's for rites, for the etiquette.
