Written by She Ziqiang, Pharmacist, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
The Twenty-Four Solar Terms represent changes in climate and natural phenomena. Its formulation integrates knowledge from astronomy, meteorology, and agricultural growth patterns. It not only guides farming but also guides human health care. Because human life activities are closely linked to the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. This has been confirmed by both traditional Chinese medicine and modern medical research: health care must follow nature, adapt to the changes of spring warmth, summer heat, autumn coolness, and winter cold, and align with the changes of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. Thus, since ancient times, people have developed various health habits based on the different solar terms, which have been passed down through generations and have greatly contributed to the health of the Chinese nation.
February 4 marks the first solar term of the year—the "Lichun"—which begins when the sun reaches 315° ecliptic longitude, around February 4. "Li" means "to begin," and "Chun" means "awakening," indicating that plants start to grow. According to *The Collection of Seven-Twenty Two Seasons*, "In the first month, 'Li' means beginning... the same applies to Lixia, Liqiu, and Lidong." This means it signifies the end of winter and the beginning of spring, truly embodying the phrase "The cycle returns, frost and ice diminish, and spring arrives, making grass and trees aware."
· Characteristics of Lichun
In climatology, spring refers to the period when the average temperature per five-day period ranges from 10°C to 22°C. By Lichun, people begin to feel longer days and warmer sun. Temperature, sunlight, and rainfall are often at a turning point, trending upward or increasing. However, even though "spring" has begun, most areas still experience frost, and in some years, there may even be scenes like "Snow seems to resent the late arrival of spring, so it passes through the courtyard trees as flying flowers." In southern regions, after Lichun, it often brings continuous spring rain and chilly weather—what people commonly call "wet cold" being colder than "dry cold." Therefore, according to meteorological science, December, January, and February are still winter months. In Guangdong, the coldest period is from Dahan to Jingzhe the following year, and the wettest and coldest part occurs after Lichun and before Rain Water.
· Health Care During Lichun
As the saying goes: "When Lichun comes, so does the Rain Water; rise early and go to bed late." This summarizes the essence and characteristics of health care during Lichun. After resting through autumn and winter, people begin their work in spring. Therefore, spring health care must follow the principle of new life emerging in spring, gradually transitioning from "nourishing yin in autumn and winter" to "nourishing yang in spring and summer." According to Chinese Five Elements theory, spring belongs to wood and corresponds to the liver. Thus, spring health care primarily focuses on boosting yang and protecting the liver, with emotional regulation being key to liver protection. A cheerful mood helps prevent liver fire from rising and supports the growth of yang energy. As stated in *The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor*: "If one violates the spring qi, the lesser yang will not flourish, and the liver qi will become internally disturbed." This means if one fails to properly care for oneself in spring, violating the natural rhythm of spring, the lesser yang energy cannot grow, leading to internal liver stagnation. Additionally, after Lichun, the dominant climate factor is wind. Wind can act alone as a pathogenic factor or often combine with other pathogens. Once wind invades the body, it can: (1) damage the upper body, such as common symptoms in wind-cold感冒 like headache, neck pain, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sore throat; (2) cause widespread illness, as wind is prone to change rapidly and unpredictably, affecting various parts of the body—ascending to the forehead, descending to the waist, knees, calves, etc.; (3) "wind causes movement," so any abnormal limb activity—such as convulsions, spasms, tremors, opisthotonus, or neck stiffness—is often attributed to wind and classified as wind-related diseases. Hence, *The Yellow Emperor’s Classic* states: "Wind is the origin of all diseases." Therefore, special attention must be paid during this period to prevent colds, infectious diseases, rheumatism, and cardiovascular diseases. In diet, Tang dynasty physician Sun Simiao said in *Qianjin Fang*: "For the 72 days of spring, reduce sour foods and increase sweet ones to nourish the spleen." This means reducing sour foods and increasing sweet ones to strengthen spleen qi. Recommended foods include leeks, lilies, pea shoots, shepherd’s purse, garlic, chives (known as "tonggu" in Cantonese), spring bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, sugarcane, yam, sweet potatoes, jujubes, and lotus seeds. Avoid onions, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, fennel, and seafood, as these can burden the liver and easily trigger acute hepatitis.
For soups and broths, focus on nourishing yin, supporting the liver, and strengthening the kidneys. But due to the unpredictable spring weather, multiple considerations are needed. For example, use goji berry and pig liver soup to nourish the liver; use powdered pepper root and three snakes soup to dispel wind and dampness; use chicken blood vine and black beans stewed with pork bones to prevent rheumatic pain.
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