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Read More →Minor Heat food customs include lotus-root and ricefield-eel dishes described for Nanjing, Jiangsu. Other summer practices follow their own local or lunar-calendar context rather than one national solar-term rule.
Minor Heat, Xiaoshu (小暑), marks a summer point in the solar-term sequence before Great Heat. In 2026 it falls on July 7 in Hong Kong Time (UTC+8), at a solar longitude of 105°.
Calendar position and meaning
Lesser Heat and Minor Heat refer to Xiaoshu; the Hong Kong Observatory calls it Moderate Heat. These are translations of one term, not separate calendar events.
| Chinese name | Xiaoshu (小暑) |
|---|---|
| Solar longitude | 105° |
| 2026 date | July 7, Hong Kong Time (UTC+8) |
| Adjacent terms | Summer Solstice → Minor Heat → Great Heat |
Regional customs and their evidence
Beijing tourism material identifies lotus-root and ricefield-eel food customs in Nanjing, Jiangsu, around Minor Heat. It also describes clothing-airing practices associated with the sixth day of the sixth lunar month.
The seasonal word “summer” 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.
What the calendar does not establish
The lunar clothing-airing date is not identical to the solar-term date every year. Food proverbs in the source express tradition and taste; they are not evidence of medical benefit.
Regional example source: read the named account. The account supports the place and practice stated above, not medical benefits or a national rule.
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is Minor Heat in 2026?
July 7 in Hong Kong Time (UTC+8). The solar-term boundary is at 105° solar longitude; civil dates in other timezones can differ.
Is there one Minor Heat 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.
