Chunfen

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Solar term
 Longi-
tude 
  Term   Calendar
Spring
315°Lichun4-5 February
330°Yushui18-19 February
345°Jingzhe5-6 March
Chunfen20-21 March
15°Qingming4-5 April
30°Guyu20-21 April
Summer
45°Lixia5-6 May
60°Xiaoman21-22 May
75°Mangzhong5-6 June
90°Xiazhi21-22 June
105°Xiaoshu7-8 July
120°Dashu22-23 July
Autumn
135°Liqiu7-8 August
150°Chushu23-24 August
165°Bailu7-8 September
180°Qiufen23-24 September
195°Hanlu8-9 October
210°Shuangjiang23-24 October
Winter
225°Lidong7-8 November
240°Xiaoxue22-23 November
255°Daxue7-8 December
270°Dongzhi21-22 December
285°Xiaohan5-6 January
300°Dahan20-21 January

The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms (節氣). Chūnfēn (pīnyīn) or Shunbun (rōmaji) (Chinese and Japanese: 春分; Korean: 춘분; Vietnamese: Xuân phân; literally: "vernal equinox") is the 4th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 0° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 15°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 0°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around 20 March and ends around 4 April (5 April East Asia time).

Pentads

Date and Time (UTC)
year begin end
辛巳 2001-03-20 13:30 2001-04-04 17:24
壬午 2002-03-20 19:16 2002-04-04 23:18
癸未 2003-03-21 00:59 2003-04-05 04:52
甲申 2004-03-20 06:48 2004-04-04 10:43
乙酉 2005-03-20 12:33 2005-04-04 16:34
丙戌 2006-03-20 18:25 2006-04-04 22:15
丁亥 2007-03-21 00:07 2007-04-05 04:04
戊子 2008-03-20 05:48 2008-04-04 09:45
己丑 2009-03-20 11:43 2009-04-04 15:33
庚寅 2010-03-20 17:32 2010-04-04 21:30
辛卯 2011-03-20 23:20 2011-04-05 03:11
壬辰 2012-03-20 05:14 2012-04-04 09:05
癸巳 2013-03-20 11:01 2013-04-04 15:02
甲午 2014-03-20 16:57 2014-04-04 20:46

Source: JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System

Each solar term can be divided into 3 pentads (候). They are: first pentad (初候), second pentad (次候) and last pentad (末候). Pentads in Chunfen include:

China
  • First pentad: 玄鳥至, 'The dark birds arrive'. 'Dark bird' in this case refers to swallows, which are also making their northward migration.
  • Second pentad: 雷乃發聲, 'Thunder sounds', referring to the onset of spring thunderstorms.
  • Last pentad: 始電, 'Lightning begins'. This refers to thunderstorms as well, but also to the gradual lengthening of daytime, and the prevalence of sunlight.
Japan
  • First pentad: 雀始巣
  • Second pentad: 桜始開
  • Last pentad: 雷乃発声

Preceded by
Jingzhe (驚蟄)
Solar term (節氣) Succeeded by
Qingming (清明)
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