Qingming

Qīngmíng (pīnyīn) or Chīngmíng (MPS II) or Seimei (rōmaji) (Chinese and Japanese: 清明; Korean: 청명; Vietnamese: Thanh minh; literally: "clear and bright") is the name of the 5th solar term of the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendar, which divides a year into 24 solar terms (節氣). 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°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around 4 April or 5 April and ends around 20 April.

Pentads

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 Chingming include:

China

• First pentad: 桐始華, 'The paulownia begins to bloom'.
• Second pentad: 田鼠化為鴽, 'Voles transform into quails'.
• Last pentad: 虹始見, 'Rainbows begin to appear'.

Japan

• First pentad: 玄鳥至
• Second pentad: 鴻雁北
• Last pentad: 虹始見

See also

• Qingming Festival (清明節), festival celebrated on the day of Qingming
• Cold Food Festival (寒食節), three-day festival starting one day before and ending one day after Qingming
• Along the River During the Qingming Festival