Solar Terms

Frost Descent Solar Term Customs: Autumn Signs and Custom Notes

2026年9月1日 · guan506237167

Frost Descent customs include regional festival observances documented in Daxin and Tiandeng counties, Guangxi. The sources below identify local cultural activities; they do not establish a national ritual or a 2026 festival schedule.

Frost Descent, Shuangjiang (霜降), marks the last solar term of traditional autumn, before Beginning of Winter. In 2026 it falls on October 23 in Hong Kong Time (UTC+8), at a solar longitude of 210°.

White frost crystals on red leaves and grass
Illustration of surface frost in autumn. AI-generated illustrative image; not a documentary photograph.

Calendar position and meaning

The name reflects a seasonal frost association. It does not identify the first frost date at every place; frost risk must be checked against local weather and the site conditions.

Chinese name Shuangjiang (霜降)
Solar longitude 210°
2026 date October 23, Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)
Adjacent terms Cold Dew → Frost Descent → Beginning of Winter

Regional customs and their evidence

Frost Descent customs are local. A Shanghai government culture guide identifies a festival in Daxin county, Guangxi, with offerings, traditional dancing and folk songs. This is a regional example, not a description of every household in China.

A 2023 People’s Daily Online report republished by China Kongzi documents an autumn-harvest festival opening in Tiandeng county, Guangxi, on October 24, 2023. It describes a Dalang dance competition in which performers use wooden pestles to strike wooden troughs rhythmically. That is a dated account of a particular event, not a schedule for 2026.

The seasonal word “autumn” here follows the traditional Northern Hemisphere calendar. The Hong Kong Observatory relates many term names to ancient central Chinese weather and agriculture. Local weather and plant development may differ; Southern Hemisphere seasonal timing is reversed.

Harvested corn stalks and bare trees in late autumn farmland
Illustration of late-autumn agricultural conditions in northern China. AI-generated illustrative image; not a documentary photograph.

What the calendar does not establish

A local account should identify the community, event year and calendar used. A lunar festival near Shuangjiang must not automatically be assigned to the astronomical term’s Gregorian date.

Calendar sources

Hong Kong Observatory: term names and solar longitudes; 2026 Gregorian–lunar conversion table; date and time notes (Hong Kong Time, UTC+8). The calendar sources establish astronomical timing and terminology; they do not verify regional customs.

Related reading

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Frost Descent in 2026?

October 23 in Hong Kong Time (UTC+8). The solar-term boundary is at 210° solar longitude; civil dates in other timezones can differ.

Is there one Frost Descent custom for all of China?

No. Customs require place-specific sources and vary between communities and households. The astronomical calendar does not establish a national food or ritual rule.