Exact instants · UTC+8
The six terms of autumn
The season opens at 19:42:43 on 7 August 2026 and continues until 17:52:05 on 7 November 2026. The boundary instant belongs to the new season.
1 of six · 135° solar longitude
Beginning of Autumn
Lìqiū · 立秋
7 August 2026 · 19:42:43
Opens the Monkey branch month.
Cool winds arrive · White dew descends · Autumn cicadas begin to sing
2 of six · 150° solar longitude
End of Heat
Chǔshǔ · 处暑
23 August 2026 · 10:18:49
A principal term inside the branch month.
Hawks display captured birds as offerings · Heaven and earth begin to grow austere · Grain crops ripen
3 of six · 165° solar longitude
White Dew
Báilù · 白露
7 September 2026 · 22:41:16
Opens the Rooster branch month.
Wild geese arrive · Swallows return south · Birds store provisions
4 of six · 180° solar longitude
Autumn Equinox
Qiūfēn · 秋分
23 September 2026 · 08:05:14
A principal term inside the branch month.
Thunder begins to fall silent · Hibernating creatures seal their burrows · Waters begin to dry
5 of six · 195° solar longitude
Cold Dew
Hánlù · 寒露
8 October 2026 · 14:29:17
Opens the Dog branch month.
Later flocks of wild geese arrive · Sparrows are said to enter the sea and become clams · Chrysanthemums bloom yellow
6 of six · 210° solar longitude
Frost's Descent
Shuāngjiàng · 霜降
23 October 2026 · 17:37:57
A principal term inside the branch month.
Dholes display prey as offerings · Plants yellow and shed their leaves · Hibernating creatures all lie dormant
Three animal months inside the season
Monkey · 申
Fixed branch element: Metal
7 August 2026, 19:42:43
until 7 September 2026, 22:41:16 UTC+8.
Rooster · 酉
Fixed branch element: Metal
7 September 2026, 22:41:16
until 8 October 2026, 14:29:17 UTC+8.
Dog · 戌
Fixed branch element: Earth
8 October 2026, 14:29:17
until 7 November 2026, 17:52:05 UTC+8.
The seasonal group is associated with Metal, while its final animal branch has Earth as its fixed element. These describe different levels of the same calendar.
Read the Three Meetings seasonal groups →Festival dates during this seasonal span
These observances fall on civil dates from 7 August 2026 up to, but not including, 7 November 2026. Lunar-date festivals can shift within the season from year to year.
Qixi
Across documented Chinese traditions, women and girls have set out seasonal fruit and held needlework or other skill contests, though forms differ sharply by region and many have faded.
Ghost Festival
In Hong Kong's Cheung Chau Yu Lan tradition, communities offer food to wandering ghosts and perform rites including burning a Ghost Master effigy; other Yu Lan traditions use different sequences.
Mid-Autumn Festival
Among Chinese communities in Singapore, families may share mooncakes, pomelo and tea while children carry lanterns, with household practices varying.
Double Ninth Festival
In Hong Kong, families may visit ancestral graves or hike and picnic in the hills on Chung Yeung, while observance varies across communities.