Planning your day by the Solar Terms The 24 Solar Terms comprise a rough solar calendar, but the ancient Chinese commonly used a lunar calendar. The two systems operated on different foundations and are constitutionally incompatible. In meshing 24 solar terms with a lunar calendar, the ancient Chinese performed an impressive feat.
節氣是一種粗略的陽曆，偏偏古代通行陰曆，陰曆和陽曆基準不同，根本是「牛頭對不上馬嘴」，如何將這外來的廿四節氣排進陰曆中，古人可著實費了一番功夫。