At the same time Lu-Shih Ch'un-Ch'iu (The Spring and Autumn Annals of Mr. Lu) and Li Chi (Record of Ritual), inheriting the tradition of the Hsia Hsiaocheng, recorded the monthly changes in the natural world. In them can be found such phrases as "Rain water begin," "Solstice of the lesser heats" and "White dews descend," obviously embryonic forms of the Solar Terms.
春秋時代不僅劃分出「春」與「秋」，同時在「呂氏春秋」及「禮記」中，也承襲「夏小正」的傳統，逐月記載自然界的變化，從其中一些語句如「始雨水」、「小暑至」、「白露降」等，可以明顯看到後來節氣的雛型。