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People across China on Monday marked "Lixia", or the beginning of summer, by preparing seasonal foods and embracing traditional customs.
"Lixia" is the seventh solar term in the traditional Chinese calendar, which marks the point when everything growing after the awakening of spring.
People in Honghu City in central China's Hubei Province have been harvesting lotus sprouts to a make them into seasonal recipes to mark "Lixia".
In east China's Zhejiang Province, many people uphold the ancient custom of eating black rice cooked with seasonal produce together with their families and friends to celebrate the special occasion.
In Xi'an City in northwest China's Shaanxi province, local people gathered to be weighed, as is the local custom.
"In ancient times, people believed that there was a summer disease called Zhuxia, which caused fatigue and loss of appetite. Summer's intense heat also made people vulnerable to other illnesses. Therefore, the custom of weighing people arose. People would be weighed at the Beginning of Summer and then again at the Beginning of Autumn. If their weight had increased, it indicated that they were healthy and safe," said Wang Zhi, deputy director of the Xi'an Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center.
This solar term of the beginning of summer marks the transition from spring to summer, characterized by rapidly increasing temperatures and more frequent rainfall.
In one traditional sign of summer, over 5,000 hectares of pomegranate flowers have started to bud in Lintong District of Xi'an, ushering in the warmer months.