Solar longitude
15°
Classification
Month-opening term · 节 jie
Month boundary
Dragon 辰 · solar month 3
Definition
What Pure Brightness marks
The season behind the name
Clear and Bright evokes spring’s fresh appearance and names the season of Qingming remembrance and outings.
The solar term sets the date of Qingming Festival; the festival adds its own customs and observances. Read the complete Qingming Festival guide, with its next date and traditions →
These names grew from seasonal observation and farming practice. They describe a traditional seasonal sequence, not a weather forecast for every region.
Pure Brightness begins at the instant the Sun reaches 15 degrees of apparent ecliptic longitude. It is one of 24 equal 15-degree divisions of the solar year, so its Gregorian position changes only slightly from year to year.
As a jie term, Pure Brightness opens solar branch month 3, associated with the Dragon (辰) branch. This is an almanac solar-month boundary, not the first day of a lunar month.
The time is shown in China Standard Time (UTC+8). A reader west or east of that zone may see the same instant fall on a different local civil date.
Three pentads · 三候
Seasonal observations
Each traditional pentad spans about five days and names a seasonal sign associated with that part of the term.
- First pentad
Paulownias begin to bloom
桐始华
- Second pentad
Voles are said to become quail
田鼠化为鴽
- Third pentad
Rainbows begin to appear
虹始见