Qīngmíng, Seimei, Cheongmyeong, or Thanh minh is the name of the 5th solar term of the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendar, which divides a year into 24 solar terms (t. 節氣/s. 节气).[1] In space partitioning, Qingming begins when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 15° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 30°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 15°, usually on April 5.[2]
Compared to the space partitioning theory, in the time division theory Qingming falls around April 7 or approximately 106.5 days after winter equinox. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around 4 or 5 April and ends around 20 April.
Pentads
Date and Time (UTC)
| year | begin | end |
| 辛巳 |
2001-04-04 17:24 |
2001-04-20 00:35 |
| 壬午 |
2002-04-04 23:18 |
2002-04-20 06:20 |
| 癸未 |
2003-04-05 04:52 |
2003-04-20 12:02 |
| 甲申 |
2004-04-04 10:43 |
2004-04-19 17:50 |
| 乙酉 |
2005-04-04 16:34 |
2005-04-19 23:37 |
| 丙戌 |
2006-04-04 22:15 |
2006-04-20 05:26 |
| 丁亥 |
2007-04-05 04:04 |
2007-04-20 11:07 |
| 戊子 |
2008-04-04 09:45 |
2008-04-19 16:51 |
| 己丑 |
2009-04-04 15:33 |
2009-04-19 22:44 |
| 庚寅 |
2010-04-04 21:30 |
2010-04-20 04:29 |
| 辛卯 |
2011-04-05 03:11 |
2011-04-20 10:17 |
| 壬辰 |
2012-04-04 09:05 |
2012-04-19 16:12 |
| 癸巳 |
2013-04-04 15:02 |
2013-04-19 22:03 |
| 甲午 |
2014-04-04 20:46 |
2014-04-20 03:55 |
Source: JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System
Each solar term can be divided into 3 pentads (候). They are: first pentad (初候), second pentad (次候) and last pentad (末候). Pentads in Qingming include:
- China
- First pentad: 桐始華/桐始华, 'The paulownia begins to bloom'.
- Second pentad: 田鼠化為鴽/田鼠化为鴽, 'Voles(you) transform into quails'.
- Last pentad: 虹始見/虹始见, 'Rainbows begin to appear'.
- Japan
- First pentad: 玄鳥至 (tsubame itaru), 'The swallow flies back from the south'.
- Second pentad: 鴻雁北 (kōgan kitae kaeru), 'The goose migrates to the north'.
- Last pentad: 虹始見 (niji hajimete arawaru), 'Rainbows begin to appear in the sky after shower'.