Photos reveal beauty of four seasons at Palace Museum(11/20)

Start of Autumn (Chinese: 立秋), the 13th solar term of the year, began this year on Aug 7 and ended on Aug 22. It starts when the sun reaches the longitude of 135°. The Start of Autumn not only foretells the end of the scorching summer, but also indicates the fruitful season is approaching, a time when early rice is gathered and late rice is transplanted. It is the time that autumn crops come into their crucial growing stage. In ancient China, people emphasized a lot on the Start of Autumn since they regarded it as the significant point when summer turned into autumn. For more information, please read: 9 things you may not know about Start of Autumn. [Photo by Wang Jin/Palace Museum]