Dashu is the twelfth solar term among the twenty-four solar terms and also the last solar term of summer. Douzhiwei, with a solar longitude of 120 °, is celebrated from July 22nd to 24th in the Gregorian calendar. ‘Shu’ means hot, and ‘Da Shu’ refers to the extreme heat of inflammation. The Great Heat is relatively hotter than the Minor Heat, and it is the solar term with the strongest and hottest sunshine of the year, with the peak of “hot and humid steaming” at this time. The climate characteristics of Dashu include high temperatures, intense heat, frequent thunderstorms, and typhoons.
The Dashu solar term falls around the middle of the “Sanfu” period, which is the hottest time of the year. During the Great Heat season, the sunshine is intense, the temperature is high, humid, and rainy. Although there may be unbearable heat and humidity, it is very beneficial for the growth of crops, and crops grow the fastest during this period.
Since ancient times, there has been a custom among the people to drink herbal tea (Fucha) during the three days of the Great Heat; Fucha, as the name suggests, is a type of tea consumed during the Sanfu period. This tea, brewed with traditional Chinese herbs, has a cooling and heat relieving effect. In addition, there are customs such as burning incense and sun drying ginger. Dashu “is the hottest and most humid season of the year, during which the focus of health and wellness is on” preventing heatstroke “and” dispelling dampness “.