The Source Of The White Dew in Solar Terms

Bailu is the fifteenth solar term among the twenty-four solar terms and the third solar term of autumn, located at the end of Mengqiu and the beginning of Zhongqiu. When the sun reaches 165 degrees of the ecliptic longitude, it is white dew. The "Collection and Explanation of the Seventy Two Seasons of the Moon" records: "White Dew, August Festival. Autumn is golden and white, and the Yin Qi gradually becomes heavier. Dew condenses and becomes white." The residual heat of summer gradually dissipates, and the temperature difference between day and night sharply increases. In the morning, when the water vapor cools down, it condenses into crystal clear white dew, which adheres to the plants and trees, and is covered in white. The name "White Dew" comes from this. It is not only a phenological solar term that reflects temperature changes, but also a time scale for ancient people to perceive the temporal sequence of heaven and earth and arrange agricultural life. Over thousands of years, it has derived rich folk legends and historical stories.

 

White dew has three seasons: first, when the wild geese come, second, when the black birds return, and third, when the flock of birds raise their shyness. Wild geese migrate from north to south, swallows set off and fly back to the south, and various flying birds begin to hoard dried fruits, grains, and food for the winter. These three phenological patterns clearly confirm the increasing autumn atmosphere and the preparation of all things for the cold winter. The ancients relied on the phenology of white dew to guide agricultural work. There is a folk saying that goes, "White dew is enchanting, and the autumn equinox is full of rice." If there is sufficient dew before and after the white dew, late rice can have a bountiful harvest. At this time, North China was harvesting miscellaneous grains and planting winter wheat, while the Jiangnan region was busy with rice filling and cotton picking. Southern tea farmers also had to pick white dew tea. During the White Dew season, there is a large temperature difference between day and night. The tea leaves are nourished by summer nights, resulting in a mellow taste and elegant aroma. It is a characteristic autumn tea drink.

Over the long years, Bai Lu has given rise to many touching historical stories, among which the most widely circulated are the allusions of Bai Lu collecting dew and immortals inheriting dew.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, who firmly believed in immortality, hoped to achieve eternal life. He heard from the alchemist that the white dew coagulated on the vegetation is the pure essence between heaven and earth, and taking white dew can prolong life. So, Emperor Wu of Han built the Zhang Palace in Chang'an and constructed a towering dew plate. A bronze statue of an immortal, holding a tray high with both hands, receiving the white dew falling from the sky. The palace attendants climb up the high platform every day, collect dew from the dishes, and mix it with jade shavings for Emperor Wu to drink.

 

Legend has it that the dew in the morning of Bai Lu is the most spiritually powerful. On the day of Bailu, before dawn, palace officials would go to Chenglu Plate to wait. On a cold autumn night, dew gradually gathered in the copper plate. Emperor Wu of Han firmly believed that Bai Lu was a spiritual liquid descended from heaven and insisted on taking it. Of course, dew does not have the effect of longevity. This story has been passed down, but it has made future generations remember the ancient people's reverence for white dew. The ancients believed that dew was the condensation of clear air in heaven and earth. The dew collected on this day can improve eyesight and heal. In later generations, this custom was continued among the people. In the morning, people would go to the outskirts to collect white dew from the grass, collect it in pottery jars, and use it to wipe their eyes, praying for clear eyes.

The story of Bai Lu sacrificing to King Yu is still passed down among the people in Jiangnan. The Great Yu controlled the flood, calmed the flood and benefited the world. People around the Taihu Lake Lake respected the King Yu as the "God of Water". Every year in the white dew season, people around the Taihu Lake Lake hold a Yuwang incense festival. It is said that Dayu managed the flood in the Taihu Lake Lake, and rushed to the water town. On the day of Bailu, the flood receded, the lake water was calm, and the people could finally settle down to cultivate. In order to express gratitude for the kindness of Dayu, the people established a rule that every time they arrived at Bailu, fishermen and farmers would gather at the Yuwang Temple, offering incense, candles, and drinks to worship Dayu.

 

It is said that in ancient times, the the Taihu Lake Lake was flooded all the year round. The flood engulfed the fields and displaced the people. Dayu came to the Taihu Lake Lake to dredge the river and build dams. The water control project is lengthy, taking place in early autumn, with cold days and nights, and vegetation condensing. Dayu patrolled the lake embankments day and night, often stepping on white dew in the early morning to check the water flow. When the flood was calmed down and white dew fell, the people were overjoyed and burst into tears. Since then, every year in Bailu, fishing boats of the Taihu Lake Lake have stopped at the shore, and people have gone to worship. During the incense festival, people sing opera to pay tribute to the gods, praying for good weather, calm lakes, and a bountiful harvest of fish and shrimp in the coming year. This custom has lasted for thousands of years and has become a highly distinctive local custom in Bailu.

 

There is also a folk story about Bai Lu eating Bai. The ancients believed that white dew belonged to gold and corresponded to white. Eating white ingredients can nourish the body and resist autumn dryness. Legend has it that in ancient times, there was an old man in Jiangnan who would remind his neighbors to eat white food at Bailu: white lotus seeds, white yam, white lilies, white radishes, and white glutinous rice.

In autumn of one year, local dryness is prevalent, and many people have dry coughs. The old man collected the morning dew of Bai Lu, boiled white lilies and Tremella fuciformis, and distributed them to the people for drinking. After drinking soup, many people's autumn dryness symptoms have been relieved. The people passed down the saying that Bai Lu eats "white food" to nourish and nourish the body. Over time, the custom of eating ten whites with white dew spread.

During the White Dew season, literati and poets also left behind many stories and poems. The poet Du Fu once wrote during the White Dew season, 'Dew is white from tonight, and the moon is bright in my hometown.'. During the An Lushan Rebellion, Du Fu and his brothers were separated and scattered. On a night of white dew, autumn dew covered the courtyard, chilling to the bone. Du Fu looked up at the bright moon in the sky, missing his distant relatives, and wrote the famous lines of the ages. The coolness of Bai Lu evokes homesickness in wanderers, making Bai Lu a symbol of nostalgia in classical poetry.

The custom of Bai Lu is rooted in the ancient concept of conforming to nature. During the White Dew season, the dryness of autumn becomes apparent, and the people pay attention to "nurturing autumn". In addition to eating baijiu, there is a folk custom of drinking baijiu. In the old days, in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, during the White Dew season, every household brewed rice wine. Legend has it that after the autumn harvest, the grains are full and the water quality on the day of Bailu is clear. Brewing wine with the water of Bailu produces a warm and mellow color, with a sweet and mellow taste. Farmers brew white dew rice wine to entertain friends and family, celebrating the approaching autumn harvest.

The ancient people's understanding of Bai Lu was the result of careful observation of nature. White dew is not simply "dew turning white", it marks the transition of seasons. The heat fades away, and the chill gradually emerges. The ancients reminded people that white dew does not expose the body, and cold dew does not expose the feet. After the white dew, the temperature difference between morning and evening increases. You can no longer be naked and should add clothes in a timely manner to prevent the autumn chill. This proverb is a summary of life experience from generation to generation.