🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Written by She Ziqiang, Pharmacist, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
The Twenty-Four Solar Terms reflect changes in climate and natural phenomena, integrating knowledge from astronomy, meteorology, and agricultural growth patterns. They not only guide farming but also inform human health preservation. Both traditional Chinese medicine and modern science confirm that human health must follow nature’s rhythms—adapting to spring warmth, summer heat, autumn coolness, and winter cold, and aligning with the shifts of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. Thus, since ancient times, Chinese folk customs have developed based on different solar terms, passed down through generations, playing a significant role in maintaining national health.
February 4 marks the first solar term of the year—the “Start of Spring,” beginning when the sun reaches 315° ecliptic longitude, usually around February 4. “Li” means “to begin,” and “Chun” means “awakening life.” It signifies the start of vegetation’s vitality. The *Monthly Orders: Seventy-Two Hou Ji Jie* states: “The first month of the year, ‘Li’ means the beginning… Similarly, Li Xia, Li Qiu, and Li Dong.” This indicates winter is ending and spring begins—symbolized by “The cycle turns late in the year, frost and ice diminish; spring arrives, and plants know.”
· Characteristics of Start of Spring
In climatology, spring refers to the period when the five-day average temperature ranges from 10°C to 22°C. By Start of Spring, people clearly feel longer days and warmer sunlight. Temperature, sunshine, and rainfall are at a critical turning point, trending upward or increasing. Yet despite the name “Spring,” most regions still experience frost, and some years even see “snow reluctant to yield to spring’s arrival, thus piercing trees like flying flowers.” In southern regions, rain persists and chilly winds linger after Start of Spring—what people call “wet cold” is colder than “dry cold.” Thus, meteorologically speaking, December, January, and February constitute winter. In Guangdong, the coldest period extends from after Major Cold to the Awakening of Insects the following year—particularly wet and cold from after Start of Spring to Rain Water.
· Health Preservation at Start of Spring
As the saying goes: “Start of Spring brings Rain Water; rise early, sleep late.” This encapsulates the essence and characteristics of health preservation at Start of Spring. After the restorative periods of autumn and winter, people must resume labor. Thus, spring health preservation should align with the renewal of all things, gradually transitioning from “nourishing yin in autumn and winter” to “nourishing yang in spring and summer.” According to TCM’s Five Elements theory, spring corresponds to wood and the liver. Hence, spring health preservation primarily focuses on boosting yang and protecting the liver, with emotional regulation being key. A cheerful mood prevents liver fire from rising and supports yang energy growth. As stated in *Huangdi Neijing Suwen: Great Treatise on the Four Seasons*: “Defying spring’s energy leads to lack of shao yang growth and internal liver disorder.” Meaning, failing to properly preserve health in spring, violating spring’s natural rhythm, prevents the body’s shao yang energy from flourishing, resulting in internal liver stagnation. Furthermore, after Start of Spring, wind dominates the climate. Wind can act alone as a pathogen or combine with other evils. Once wind invades the body, it: 1) damages the upper body—common symptoms include headache, neck pain, nasal obstruction, runny nose, and sore throat in wind-cold common cold; 2) spreads widely—wind moves swiftly and unpredictably, affecting various parts of the body, ascending to the head or descending to the waist, knees, calves, and ankles; 3) “Wind prevails leads to motion”—any abnormal limb movements such as convulsions, spasms, tremors, opisthotonus, or neck stiffness are attributed to wind, classified as wind-related diseases. Hence, the *Huangdi Neijing* declares: “Wind is the origin of all diseases.” Therefore, during this period, special attention must be paid to preventing colds, infectious diseases, rheumatic diseases, and cardiovascular conditions. In diet, Tang Dynasty physician Sun Simiao said in *Qianjin Fang*: “For the 72 days of spring, reduce sour tastes and increase sweet ones to nourish the spleen.” That is, minimize sour foods and increase sweet ones to strengthen spleen qi. Favor foods such as leeks, lilies, pea shoots, shepherd’s purse, garlic, chrysanthemum greens (known as “tonggu” in Cantonese), spring bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, sugarcane, Chinese yam, sweet potatoes, dates, lotus seeds. Avoid onions, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, fennel, and seafood like shellfish, as these burden the liver and may trigger acute hepatitis.
Recommended soups should focus on nourishing yin, supporting the liver, and tonifying the kidneys and qi. However, due to spring’s unpredictable weather, multiple approaches are needed: for liver nourishment, consider枸杞子猪肝汤 (Goji Berry and Pig Liver Soup); for dispelling damp-cold and wind, use胡椒根三蛇汤 (Pepper Root Three-Snake Soup) or川芎白芷炖鱼头 (Ligusticum and Angelica Fish Head Stew); for preventing rheumatic pain, try鸡血藤黑豆煲猪骨汤 (Chicken Blood Vine and Black Bean Pork Bone Soup).