The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms (節氣). Qīngmíng (pīnyīn) or Seimei (rōmaji) () is the 5^th solar term. It 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°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around April 4 (April 5 East Asia time) and ends around April 20.

Pentads

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

• Second pentad: 田鼠化為鴽

• Last pentad: 虹始見

Japan

• First pentad: 玄鳥至

• Second pentad: 鴻雁北

• Last pentad: 虹始見

See also

• Qingming Festival (清明節), festival celebrated on the day of Qingming

• Cold Food Festival (寒食節), three-day festival starting one day before and ending one day after Qingming

• Zhang Zeduan's Qingming Scroll

05Category:SpringCategory:Articles lacking sources (Erik9bot)
zh-min-nan:Chheng-bêngko:청명ja:清明sv:Qingmingvi:Thanh minhzh:清明zh-classical:清明