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Seventeen years on the streets, living and working with the people of China, Jeff
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What a culture!
Chinese sense of time is unique in the world, with three calendars: lunar, agricultural and Gregorian. The two prior go back 5,000 years. With the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the latter was adopted by Sun Yat-Sen in 1912 to usher in Republican China, calling it Year One. To this day, Taiwan Island continues to use this system. I was born in Year 43 (1954) and 2026 is Year 115. I feel so young!
We love getting a new page-a-day Daoist calendar the first of every year. Tearing off yesterday’s page every morning is a solemn part of our daily rituals. As I have described, they are spellbinding and divulge a lot about Chinese culture and civilization. You can see below under References, I have written a lot about this subject and always find it fascinating. I think you will too.
The calendar illustration for today is to celebrate the first day of Chinese agricultural summer, call (Lìxià = 立夏). It depicts a traditional Chinese scene, showing a pretty woman in classical robes, seated in front of a large banana tree, celebrating by waving her arms in the air. She has a fence behind her, along with a rock sculpture, symbolizing the seasonal transition into summer, and the harmony between humans and nature.
To the right is a time: 19:49 (8:49pm). This is when the Sun hits three hours Right Ascension (45 degrees celestial longitude), Beijing time – not Greenwich! – on the ecliptic, the imaginary line Mr. Sol and the planets trek along in the sky each year.
Left vertical text
Ten years of drought finally seeing sweet rain.
(十年久旱逢甘雨 = shí nián jiǔ hàn féng gān yǔ)
This phrase represents one of the “Four Great Joys” in Chinese culture, describing the immense happiness of receiving long-awaited rain after prolonged drought.
To stay on topic, I will list the Four Great Chinese Joys below, which say much about Chinese’s civilizational priorities.
Right vertical text
Three (and) one not seen, search in four directions.
(三一不见四处寻 = sān yi bù jiàn sì chù xún)
In typical elliptical Daoist fashion, this phrase suggests searching everywhere when something cannot be found – like rain! The three and one are no accident. Numerology is humongo in Daoism. Therefore, they carry specific calendrical significance in the context of the traditional almanac — referencing a particular date, cycle, or symbolic pattern tied to the agricultural timing of Lixia. Only serious Daoists know for sure.
This right-hand phrase is profoundly significant. It refers to the urgency of searching for water sources, if rain doesn’t come. It reflects the anxious state of farmers during this critical planting season.
In classic Daoist duality – ying and yang – the contrast between the two phrases emphasizes the difference between having needs met (rain arriving) versus the desperate search when they are not.
Together, these phrases capture the emotional spectrum of agricultural life at the Start of Summer: the joy of timely rain versus the anxiety of drought, making this calendar page particularly meaningful for the early 2026 farming season.
The Four Great Chinese Joys
Chinese: 四大喜事
Pinyin: sì dà xǐ shì
- 久旱逢甘雨
Pinyin: jiǔ hàn féng gān yǔ
English: Meeting sweet rain after a long drought。
Meaning: Receiving desperately needed rain after prolonged drought—symbolizing relief and salvation at the critical moment.
- 他乡遇故知
Pinyin: tā xiāng yù gù zhī
English: Meeting an old friend in a distant land.
Meaning: Encountering a familiar face from home when far away—representing comfort and connection in unfamiliar places.
- 洞房花烛夜
Pinyin: dòng fáng huā zhú yè
English: The wedding night with candlelight in the bridal chamber.
Meaning: The joy of marriage and union—celebrating love and new beginnings.
- 金榜题名时
Pinyin: jīn bǎng tí míng shí
English: Having one’s name inscribed on the golden list.
Meaning: Passing the imperial examinations and achieving success—representing academic achievement and career advancement
These four joys represent the most celebrated moments in traditional Chinese life – harmony and nature -covering agricultural prosperity, friendship, love/marriage, and career success. They were especially meaningful in imperial China when passing the civil service examinations could transform one’s social status and future.
Even today, the Four Great Joys are still referenced in literature, conversation, and cultural celebrations.
References
Chinese Lunar and Agricultural Calendars Explained in This Year of the Wood Snake 2025
ADVENTURES IN ASIA WITH LADYB, LAOLAO AND GONGGONG- Story #25: all the fascinating details in 365-day, tear-a-page Chinese wall calendars. Here’s yours for your birthday!
It’s that time of year again: learn about the incredibly fascinating Chinese Lunar and Agricultural Calendars explained in this Year of the Fire Horse 2026!
Happy Chinese New Year’s Eve! It’s a big celebration in Sinoland. With cultural vignettes, today’s calendar page explained and really cool further reading… Radio Sinoland 260216
Today starts “Insects Awakening” in the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse agricultural calendar! Get out the bug spray! Radio Sinoland 260305
Zhonghe Festival is today and this year falls on the Spring Equinox, 20 March. 5,000 years of fascinating culture and traditions. Radio Sinoland 260320
Here is what our ever-intriguing Daoist calendar says about Spring Equinox and Zhonghe Festival. 5,000 years of fascinating culture and traditions. Radio Sinoland 260320
Further reading
Jeff J. Brown’s ever-expanding collection of living libraries and catalogues. Many years and 1,000s of hours of writing+podcasting. Take advantage of them. Radio Sinoland 2026 Year of the Fire Horse!
Taiwan Province
Living library on Judaism. Continually updated. With image texts and video transcripts to easily copy for your use, and for translating them and this webpage in all available languages!
https://radiosinoland.com/2025/01/23/judaism/
China’s Tech Titans (Alibaba, DeepSeek, et al.) versus USA’s Magnificent Eight (Apple, Microsoft, et al.): it’s getting embarrassing and nothing Trump does will stop the growing disparity. China Rising Radio Sinoland 250420
A Canadian friend living in China sent me a handful of stats. Talk about accountability and meritocracy. The usurious, occupied, colonized, Weimarized, warmongering Judeo-West is so Sino-screwed! With map, chart and critical commentary. Radio Sinoland 260104
China calls and the world’s finance heavyweights come to listen – for obvious reasons: no communist-socialist China = global economic collapse. Radio Sinoland 251216
CHINA IS COLLAPSING! How do I know? Because the Wall Street Journal says so and they’re the experts, right? China Rising Radio Sinoland 250109
Westerners’ delusions about their economic superiority keep them from making changes for the better, and only make their futures worse. Walk down a Chinese street to see why. China Rising Radio Sinoland 240801
Go Russia GO!
Go Iran GO!
Go China GO!
Go DPRK GO!
Go “RICK”! Go Asian Quad!
KICK JUDEO-TALMUD-TANAKH ASS!!!
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Further study
The China Trilogy is an honorary degree in Chinese Studies. Don’t miss out!
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00TX0TDDI/allbooks and
Jeff J. Brown’s libraries and catalogues A-Z: 1,000s of hours of research, writing, editing and podcasting.
Do yourself, your friends, family and colleagues a favor, to make sure all of you are Sino-smart:
Google ebooks (Epub) and audiobooks:
44 Days Backpacking in China: The Middle Kingdom in the 21st Century, with the United States, Europe and the Fate of the World in Its Looking Glass https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=YBKHEAAAQBAJ
https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details?id=AQAAAECCkQXRlM
China Rising: Capitalist Roads, Socialist Destinations https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=YNmLEAAAQBAJ
https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details?id=AQAAAECCfHo86M
BIG Red Book on China: Chinese History, Culture and Revolution
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=6Wl4EAAAQBAJ
https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details?id=AQAAAECCfHo86M
Amazon print and ebooks (Kindle):
44 Days Backpacking in China: The Middle Kingdom in the 21st Century, with the United States, Europe and the Fate of the World in Its Looking Glass
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484939999/
China Rising: Capitalist Roads, Socialist Destinations
https://www.amazon.com/China-Rising-Capitalist-Socialist-Destinations/dp/0996487042
BIG Red Book on China: Chinese History, Culture and Revolution
https://www.amazon.com/BIG-Red-Book-China/dp/1673322719/
Author page:
https://www.amazon.com/Mr.-Jeff-J.-Brown/e/B00TX0TDDI
Praise for The China Trilogy:
Why and How China works: With a Mirror to Our Own History
JEFF J. BROWN, Editor, China Rising, and Senior Editor & China Correspondent, Dispatch from Beijing, The Greanville Post
Jeff J. Brown is a geopolitical analyst, journalist, lecturer and the author of The China Trilogy. It consists of 44 Days Backpacking in China – The Middle Kingdom in the 21st Century, with the United States, Europe and the Fate of the World in Its Looking Glass (2013); Punto Press released China Rising – Capitalist Roads, Socialist Destinations (2016); and BIG Red Book on China (2020). As well, he published a textbook, Doctor WriteRead’s Treasure Trove to Great English (2015). Jeff is a Senior Editor & China Correspondent for The Greanville Post, where he keeps a column, Dispatch from Beijing and is a Global Opinion Leader at 21st Century. He also writes a column for The Saker, called the Moscow-Beijing Express. Jeff writes, interviews and podcasts on his own program, China Rising Radio Sinoland, which is also available on YouTube, Stitcher Radio, iTunes, Ivoox and RUvid. Guests have included Ramsey Clark, James Bradley, Moti Nissani, Godfree Roberts, Hiroyuki Hamada, The Saker and many others. [/su_spoiler]
Jeff can be reached at China Rising, [email protected], Facebook, Twitter, Wechat (+86-19806711824/Mr_Professor_Brown, and Line/Telegram/Whatsapp: +33-612458821.
Read it in your language • Lealo en su idioma • Lisez-le dans votre langue • Lies es in deniner Sprache • Прочитайте это на вашем языке • 用你的语言阅读
[google-translator]
Wechat group: search the phone number +8619806711824 or my ID, Mr_Professor_Brown, friend request and ask Jeff to join the China Rising Radio Sinoland Wechat group. He will add you as a member, so you can join in the ongoing discussion.
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