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Culture insider: customs of Sanfu - the dog days of summer

chinadaily.com.cn 2024-07-02 17:15

In two weeks, China will enter Toufu (头伏, tóu fú), the first phase of Sanfu. In the Chinese lunar calendar (中国农历, zhōng guó nóng lì), Sanfu refers to the three 10-day periods that are predicted to be the hottest days of the year, which are called Toufu, Zhongfu and Mofu (初伏/头伏、中伏和末伏, chū fú / tóu fú、zhōng fú hé mò fú).

Sanfu usually comes between mid-July to mid-August (七月中旬到八月中旬, qī yuè zhōng xún dào bā yuè zhōng xún). Let's take a look at the traditional Chinese ways of spending the dog days of summer.

一. Receiving the Sanfutie (贴敷三伏贴, tiē fū sān fú tiē)

Sanfutie, or Sanfu medicinal patch, is a bandage made of traditional Chinese herbal medicine (中药膏药, zhōng yào gāo yào). Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believe that receiving Sanfutie during the hottest summer days is effective for coughs, asthma and arthritis (咳嗽、哮喘和关节炎, ké sou、xiào chuǎn hé guān jié yán); it is a patchwork solution for winter ills in summer.

The treatment is based on the TCM principle of yin and yang (《阴阳论》, yīn yáng lùn), which believes the balance of both elements in the body is vital for good health. Sanfutie contains a paste of herbs that are "hot" in nature (三伏贴偏热性, sān fú tiē piān rè xìng), and when applied to specific acupuncture points (穴位, xué wèi), usually on the back and neck, they replenish the yang elements (补阳, bǔ yáng).

These patches have been used in TCM since earliest recorded times, according to Huangdi Neijing (The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor)(《黄帝内经》, huáng dì nèi jīng), more than 2,000 years ago, the time-tested textbook for TCM practitioners (中医, zhōng yī). Sanfu patch treatment became extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and has enjoyed a revival in recent years as more patients turn to TCM treatment (中医疗法, zhōng yī liáo fǎ).

二. Eating dumplings during Toufu (头伏饺子, tóu fú jiǎo zi)

When the dog days come, people tend to lose their appetites (没食欲, méi shí yù), and jiaozi, or boiled dumplings, can refresh people's feelings toward food. Actually jiaozi is an all-time classic, with 2,000 years of history. Besides Sanfu, people eat it at Liqiu, the start of autumn, and Dongzhi, the start of winter.

三. Eating noodles during Zhongfu (二伏面, èr fú miàn)

The second phase of Sanfu is traditionally a time for consuming noodles because it is believed to help people sweat (发汗, fā hàn) and relieve internal heat (清内热，qīng nèi rè). Some time-honored noodle restaurants around China have increased their supply and launched new products.

四. Eating Chinese egg pancake during Mofu (三伏烙饼摊鸡蛋, sān fú lào bǐng tān jī dàn)

As Mofu comes, the weather turns cool, and it is easy to get cold if a person keeps eating noodles drenched in sweat. People, especially those living in North China, customarily eat the Chinese egg pancake.

五. Eating rooster (三伏吃公鸡, sān fú chī gōng jī)

As the weather in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, is hot with heavy rainfall in summer, people there eat rooster during Sanfu, especially during Toufu. They believe that it can clear the damp. There is an old saying that goes "A rooster at the start of Sanfu, a healthy body the whole year. (入伏吃只鸡，一年好身体 rù fú chī zhī jī , yī nián hǎo shēn tǐ)"

六. Eating mutton soup (伏天喝羊汤, fú tiān hē yáng tāng)

There is a custom in Southern Shandong province where people drink mutton soup during Sanfu. Many people go to local restaurants to drink mutton soup, which is called "summer mutton soup". It is believed that mutton which is hot in nature (温补, wēn bǔ) can relieve internal cold (排出体内寒湿, pái chū tǐ nèi hán shī).

来源：chinadaily.com.cn
编辑：万月英