Saturday, 2nd February of this year, marks the beginning of spring - the first phase of the 24 solar terms of China, which was invented by ancient Chinese. The 24 solar terms was based on the movement of the sun. Each phase lasts approximately 15 days. They reflect the changes of weather, climate and natural phenomena. In long Chinese history, they played a vital role in agricultural production, annual schedule and people's daily life, including clothing, food, housing and transportation etc..
The start of spring indicates that a new circle of the four seasons begins and the earth comes to life after a long winter's rest and preservation. There is an old Chinese saying: the most important time of a day is morning, the most crucial season of a year is spring (一日之计在于晨，一年之计在于春). Spring is the time of sowing and seeding. For an agricultural country, a good spring is a vital factor for the result of harvest.
On the starting day of spring, it's a tradition to eat Spring Pancake in northern China, which is known as "biting spring". People eat spring pancakes together with various stir-fried vegetables, omelette, and pork meat cooked with soy sauce. The typical way is using the pancake to wrap the cooked stuffs. There are free choices of ingredients, but for real traditional version, three vegetables cannot be missing: Chinese chives, bean sprouts, and Chinese spinach.
The start of spring indicates that a new circle of the four seasons begins and the earth comes to life after a long winter's rest and preservation. There is an old Chinese saying: the most important time of a day is morning, the most crucial season of a year is spring (一日之计在于晨，一年之计在于春). Spring is the time of sowing and seeding. For an agricultural country, a good spring is a vital factor for the result of harvest.
On the starting day of spring, it's a tradition to eat Spring Pancake in northern China, which is known as "biting spring". People eat spring pancakes together with various stir-fried vegetables, omelette, and pork meat cooked with soy sauce. The typical way is using the pancake to wrap the cooked stuffs. There are free choices of ingredients, but for real traditional version, three vegetables cannot be missing: Chinese chives, bean sprouts, and Chinese spinach.
