The Peak of Summer Has Arrived
On July 23, 2026, the traditional Chinese calendar reaches one of its most dramatic turning points: 大暑 (Dàshǔ), or Major Heat. It is the twelfth of the twenty-four solar terms (二十四节气, èrshísì jiéqì), and it marks the absolute peak of summer — the period when heat is at its most intense, rainfall is heaviest, and the natural world hums with urgent, almost overwhelming energy.
Unlike a holiday built around a single legend or ritual, Major Heat is a term rooted in direct observation of the earth. Ancient Chinese farmers paid close attention to the sky, the soil, and the body during these days, knowing that what they did now — in the fields and in the kitchen — would shape the months ahead.
What Does 大暑 Mean?
The name is beautifully literal. 大 (dà) means "great" or "major," and 暑 (shǔ means heat. Together they signal that this is not ordinary warmth — this is the season at full roar. Traditional texts describe 大暑 as the time when "humidity and heat steam together," creating the close, enveloping conditions that anyone who has spent a summer in southern China or Taiwan knows instantly.
In the lunar agricultural calendar, Major Heat falls between Minor Heat (小暑, Xiǎoshǔ) and the Start of Autumn (立秋, Lìqiū). It is a brief but pivotal window: the last great surge of summer before the slow, quiet retreat toward cooler days begins.
Customs Tied to the Season
Across different regions of China, 大暑 carries its own local colour. In coastal Fujian and among Taiwanese communities, it is traditional to send off the "Wang Ye" boat — a ceremonial vessel burned or set afloat to pray for community health and a smooth transition through the harshest weeks. Inland communities might gather to drink herbal teas prepared specifically for clearing summer heat, or participate in the old practice of "drying Fu" (晒伏), airing out clothing, books, and stored goods during these dry, sun-drenched afternoons.
In many households, the custom of eating warming foods during Major Heat — counterintuitive as it sounds — reflects a classical philosophy: meeting heat with heat to encourage the body to sweat naturally and restore balance. Lamb soup, ginger duck, and bitter melon dishes all appear on regional menus during this period.
Food and Tea for the Hottest Days
Seasonal eating during 大暑 is a celebration of what the land offers at its summer peak. Lotus root, bitter melon (苦瓜, kǔguā), mung beans, and fresh corn are all beloved staples. Mung bean soup (绿豆汤, lǜdòu tāng) — simmered until soft and lightly sweetened — is perhaps the most iconic 大暑 food across the country, a simple, cooling pot that appears in nearly every regional tradition.
For tea drinkers, 大暑 is a time to reach for something that works with the season rather than against it. Light, grassy green teas such as Biluochun (碧螺春) are refreshing served cold. Chrysanthemum tea (菊花茶, júhuā chá) brewed and chilled is a favourite in many families. Those who follow traditional thinking might also choose a gently aged white tea or a mild oolong — teas believed to harmonise warmth and calm simultaneously.
A Season to Respect
Major Heat asks something of us: to slow down, to pay attention, and to trust the rhythms that generations of careful observers worked out long before air conditioning existed. Whether you mark it with a bowl of mung bean soup on a hot Toronto evening or simply pause to notice how long the light lingers, 大暑 is a reminder that the year has its own wisdom — and that the coolness of autumn is already, quietly, on its way.