THE LANGUAGE OF SPRING

When did Chinese characters come into this world? Ancient Chinese mythology claims this took place on an April 20, or so, some 5,000 years ago. Legend has it that Cangjie, the Grand Historiographer of Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor), one of the most legendary Chinese sovereigns and cultural heroes, had been tortured by the inaccurate results of keeping track of historical records via the tying of knots. One day, having been inspired after taking closer note of animal tracks, Cangjie felt compelled to create written characters that would replace the error-prone process of knot-tying, signaling a new era of Chinese civilization.

As the folklore continues, being touched by the power of this written language, the heavens rained down grain upon the fields, and ghosts were heard howling throughout the long night.

And that is why the sixth of the 24 solar terms on the traditional Chinese lunar calendar was named , literally meaning grain rain. Furthermore, as this period of rainfall is imperative for prosperous crop growth, heralds the end of winter’s harsh weather conditions and the start