"As the sky full of moving clouds no longer seems to be a summer sky, the rustling of leaves heralds the arrival of autumn." At 2:23 am on August 8th, we welcomed the beginning of autumn. The "Explanation of the Twenty -four solar terms" records that "in autumn, all things gathered and are to be harvested. “Li“ means beginning, while ”Qiulian“ means gathering. That is to say crops begin to mature at this time.

Although the beginning of autumn is the first solar term of autumn, for most regions of China, the meteorological autumn has not yet arrived. The solar term of the Beginning of Summer usually arrives during the mid summer period of the "Sanfu days"(or dog days of summer in China), and is the third hottest solar term after the Minor Heat and the Major Heat.

Three things to be expected in the Beginning of Autumn

The first thing to be expected is a cool breeze, the second white dew and the third chirps of cicadas. That means after the Beginning of Autumn, people will feel cool when the wind blows, and the wind at this time is different from the hot wind in summer. Then, there will be fog in the morning on the earth, and the cicadas that feel cold in autumn will also begin to chirp.

Customs on the Beginning of Autumn

Fleshing out in autumn

In ancient China, On the first day of the Start of Autumn, usually people will weigh themselves and compare their weight to what it was at the Start of Summer to see how much weight they have lost. Afterwards, they went to the market to pick a few pounds of meat, either stewed, roasted, or braised. Various types of meat were served on the table. In this way, they fleshed out to increase nutrition and prepare for the cool autumn and cold winter.

Sunbathing in autumn

Due to the lack of flat land for drying, villagers in mountainous areas such as Hunan, Anhui, and Jiangxi had to hang crops in the sun in their courtyard and on window sills and roofs. Over time, this has become a traditional agricultural phenomenon.

Eating watermelon and welcome the autumn

Eating watermelon is a tradition popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces on the start of autumn. People believe that this can avoid diseases such as heat rash, diarrhea, malaria, and also has the meaning of welcoming autumn.

Wearing a catalpa leaf

The Song Dynasty's "Record of Past Memories(Meng Liang Lu)" wrote, "On the start of autumn, both inside and outside the capital city, peddlers sold flower-like catalpa leaves which women and kids bought one after another in the morning. They wore it on the hair since the fall of a leaf is a symbol of the arrival of autumn. Such acts of buying, cutting, and wearing catalpa leaves are kind of performance art.

Keeping in good health on the start of autumn

After the beginning of autumn, the heat gradually dissipates, and a sense of dryness can be felt. In the hot afternoon,one can drink the soup to reduce the heat in order to avoid heatstroke. In daily life, one should have some soup to relieve dryness to protect the spleen and stomach and nourish the lung.

In the past, the Beijingers kept the customs of “biting autumn”, put on some weight, and wearing catalpa leaves. These customs have been passed down to today, and people are most familiar with eating meat - fleshing out in autumn.

Braised pork shoulder with soy sauce

Tianfuhao, founded in the third year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1738 AD), is a well-known time-honored brand in Beijing. Its delicacies are very popular. Especially, its braised pork shoulder with soy sauce has always been famous in Beijing for its characteristics of fat but not greasy, thin but not overcooked, fragrance and mellowness. Its production techniques were listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item in 2008.

Although it sounds like with soy sauce, this Tianfuhao specialty does not use any ingredients such as flour sauce or soy sauce from beginning to end. Here, "sauce" refers to the cooking method of stewed meat with soup. Tianfuhao has always been using its own unique craft to cook the old soup and sauce, retaining the original taste of the old soup for hundreds of years.

It is reported that since August, Tianfuhao has started increasing its production, stocking 80 tons of cooked food to prepare for the sale season of the beginning of autumn, especially various types of cooked food such as the beloved braised pork shoulder with soy sauce, sauce beef, sauce meat, pig head meat, etc.

Beijing grilled meat

To eat Beijing grilled meat, old Beijingers will absolutely go to Kaorouwan in the south of Beijng or Kaorouji in the north of Beijing, which is referred to as “South Wan, North Ji”. "South Wan" refers to the Wan’s grilled meat near Xuanwumen, with its specialty grilled beef; “North Ji” refers to the Ji’s grilled meat, located in Shichahai in the north, known for its grilled lamb.

Beijing grilled meat emphasized two manners of eating. The first involves sitting quietly and tasting, while another involves standing and eating with one foot on a bench. One can grill as he eat with a towel placed on the shoulder to wipe off sweat and feel the pleasure in it. Nowadays, the Kaorouji restaurant next to the Yinding Bridge in Shichahai still retains this way of eating.

The beginning of autumn coincided with the 175th anniversary celebration of the “Kaorouji” restaurant. A series of promotional activities are launched, as well as a special boat banquet. Riding a cruise ship and boating in the Shichahai, savoring the classic flavors that have been passed down for a century, enjoying the coastal scenery and carefully prepared dishes, what a wonderful experience!

“Kaorouwan” restaurant was founded in the 25th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1686) and has a history of over 300 years. Its founder was a Hui ethnic group with the surname Wan. The roasted beef of "Kaorouwan" is famous for its fresh and tender flavour which is said to rival tofu. The tenderness of the beef has also been praised by Qi Baishi.

The Kaorouwan can accommodate more than 800 people to dine at the same time, and the lobby is spacious, bright, and aesthetically pleasing; Elegant and luxurious rooms are with diverse styles; The corridor is antique and unique; It has both a strong halal flavor and a modern style. Here, you can fully experience the traditional unconstrained eating manner, and enjoy the modern eating manner of tasting it quietly.

In addition, Kaorouwan is also famous for selling halal pastries and snacks, making it a great gift for family and friends during festivals in Beijing.

Quick-fried tripe

There is an old saying in Beijing that goes: quick-fried tripe is a must to  bite the autumn. That is to say, on the beginning of autumn, people always have quick-fried tripe. It was explained that when the seasons change, the spleen and stomach are prone to disease. Cattle and sheep are ruminants with well-developed stomachs. Therefore, eating their tripe is a good way to keep your stomach in good conditions. It really goes with the old saying of "you are what you eat".

Quick-fried tripe is a common food in Beijing and a famous snack among the local flavors. It appeared in the city of Beijing during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty and was popular during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period.

The ancient Beijing restaurants and snack shops all provided quick-fried tripe, and there were also stalls set up in temple markets and markets to sell this popular snack. The famous time-honored brand "Baodu Feng" first opened a century old shop called "Jinshenglong" during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. It is known for its crispy and tender quick-fried tripe, and its tasty and refreshing condiment. Its water fried beef and lamb tripe and condiment are unparalleled in the capital.

Translator: LI Qiqi

Reviewer: TANG Yingqi