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24 Solar Terms

Lidong: What the Start of Winter Means

Lidong is the nineteenth of China’s 24 solar terms and the first in traditional winter. Its calendar date signals seasonal transition, not the start of winter weather everywhere.

By ThatPainter Team 2 min read
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Lidong (立冬), usually translated as “Start of Winter,” is the nineteenth of China’s 24 solar terms and the first assigned to traditional winter. It marks a point in the solar calendar—not a promise that winter weather has begun where you live.

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What is Lidong?

Lidong is one of the 24 solar terms, a traditional calendar system that marks stages in the Sun’s annual movement and the seasonal year. Its name is commonly rendered “Start of Winter” or “Beginning of Winter.” It is the nineteenth solar term and opens the traditional winter sequence.

The State Council of the People’s Republic of China’s English portal, in a 2022 explainer credited to China Daily, describes the season’s practical message: “Start of Winter is the first solar term of winter, which means winter is coming and crops harvested in autumn should be stored up.” In that sense, Lidong marks a seasonal transition: harvest storage and preparation for colder conditions.

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When does Lidong happen?

Lidong occurs when the Sun reaches a celestial longitude of 225 degrees. The National Agricultural Exhibition Center / China Agricultural Museum places it around November 7 or 8. Because the solar term is an astronomical instant, its local civil-calendar date can vary by year and time zone; the approximate date should not be treated as a fixed date everywhere.

Does winter weather begin on Lidong?

No. Lidong is a traditional calendar marker, not a universal meteorological boundary. Local winter onset depends on regional climate and conditions in a particular year, so temperatures and seasonal changes can differ widely on the same date.

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A State Council explainer explicitly distinguishes the calendar marker from the local start of winter weather. A Beijing Municipal Government tourism overview from November 7, 2017, illustrates the geographic contrast it describes: colder northern and plateau areas could coexist with still-warm conditions farther south. Those are examples from 2017, not current weather observations.

Meaning of “winter” What defines it What to expect
Traditional calendar winter Lidong, the solar term at the Sun’s celestial longitude of 225 degrees A calendar transition and seasonal cue; usually around November 7 or 8
Local winter weather Regional climate and conditions in a given year Onset varies by place and year; it need not coincide with Lidong
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

How was Lidong observed?

Historical accounts describe welcoming winter as an important observance, while the seasonal emphasis on storing crops and preparing for cold gives the date a practical dimension. Customs are local rather than a single uniform national ritual.

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Foods associated with Lidong

Food examples vary by place. Shanghai Municipal Government cultural coverage, in a page dated November 7, 2025 and credited to China Daily, notes that people in parts of China eat tuanzi (团子), a traditional rice-based food, on Lidong. Beijing Municipal Government cultural coverage has also presented the solar term through local culinary heritage. These examples do not establish one nationwide menu, and neither tuanzi nor any other single dish should be described as a universal Lidong food.

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