Cold Dew (寒露)

What the solar terms mean

Cold Dew is the seventeenth of the twenty-four solar terms, the stages of the traditional Chinese calendar that mark the changing seasons. It usually falls around 8 October; in 2026, 2027 and 2028 it falls on 8 October. Temperatures drop and the dew grows heavier and colder, hence the name.

After Cold Dew, the north grows cooler day by day. In southern China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the clear, crisp days of autumn settle in, and mornings stay cooler than midday, so a light extra layer is welcome at this time of year.

Traditional customs in different places

Traditionally, this is a season for climbing hills to enjoy the far view, admiring chrysanthemums and drinking chrysanthemum tea. The Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang, on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month — a day for climbing and honouring elders) often falls near this solar term, making it a fine time for a climb. In northern China, there is a custom of eating sesame at Cold Dew; in Jiangnan and other areas, people savour seasonal foods such as crab.