Qingming (solar term)
Qīngmíng, Seimei, Cheongmyeong, or Thanh minh is the name of the 5th solar term of the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendar, which divides a year into 24 solar terms. In space partitioning, Qingming begins when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 15° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 30°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 15°, usually on April 5.
Compared to the space partitioning theory, in the time division theory Qingming falls around April 7 or approximately 106.5 days after winter equinox. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around 4 or 5 April and ends around 20 April.Pentads
Each solar term can be divided into 3 pentads. They are: first pentad, second pentad and last pentad. Pentads in Qingming include:
; China
- First pentad: 桐始華/桐始华, 'The paulownia begins to bloom'.
- Second pentad: 田鼠化為鴽/田鼠化为鴽, 'Voles transform into quails'.
- Last pentad: 虹始見/虹始见, 'Rainbows begin to appear'.
; Japan
- First pentad: 玄鳥至, 'The swallow flies back from the south'.
- Second pentad: 鴻雁北, 'The goose migrates to the north'.
- Last pentad: 虹始見, 'Rainbows begin to appear in the sky after shower'.
Date and time
