Chinese summer 2026: starts 5 May

Exact instants · UTC+8

The six terms of summer

The season opens at 19:48:44 on 5 May 2026 and continues until 19:42:43 on 7 August 2026. The boundary instant belongs to the new season.

1. 1 of six · 45° solar longitude

   Beginning of Summer

   Lìxià · 立夏

   5 May 2026 · 19:48:44

   Opens the Snake branch month.

   Mole crickets begin to chirp · Earthworms emerge · Snake gourds begin to grow

2. 2 of six · 60° solar longitude

   Grain Buds

   Xiǎomǎn · 小满

   21 May 2026 · 08:36:45

   A principal term inside the branch month.

   Bitter greens flourish · Fine-stemmed grasses wither · Wheat ripens

3. 3 of six · 75° solar longitude

   Grain in Ear

   Mángzhòng · 芒种

   5 June 2026 · 23:48:21

   Opens the Horse branch month.

   Mantises hatch · Shrikes begin to call · Mimicking songbirds fall silent

4. 4 of six · 90° solar longitude

   Summer Solstice

   Xiàzhì · 夏至

   21 June 2026 · 16:24:30

   A principal term inside the branch month.

   Deer shed their antlers · Cicadas begin to sing · Pinellia begins to sprout

5. 5 of six · 105° solar longitude

   Minor Heat

   Xiǎoshǔ · 小暑

   7 July 2026 · 09:56:57

   Opens the Goat branch month.

   Warm winds arrive · Crickets move to the walls · Young hawks begin to hunt

6. 6 of six · 120° solar longitude

   Major Heat

   Dàshǔ · 大暑

   23 July 2026 · 03:13:05

   A principal term inside the branch month.

   Decaying grass is said to become fireflies · The earth turns damp in sultry heat · Heavy rains fall in season

Three animal months inside the season

The seasonal group is associated with Fire, while its final animal branch has Earth as its fixed element. These describe different levels of the same calendar.

Festival dates during this seasonal span

These observances fall on civil dates from 5 May 2026 up to, but not including, 7 August 2026. Lunar-date festivals can shift within the season from year to year.