Among the world's ancient civilizations, China's ancient culture and the Chinese nation can continue to this day and continue to play a huge role in the progress of world culture. It is undoubtedly an interesting question to explore the climatic reasons for this fact.
As we all know, ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Babylon and Indus Valley are located in tropical and subtropical arid areas with water sources. Egypt relied on the Nile to create an ancient and prosperous culture in the Nile valley, Babylon relied on the Tigris River and the Euphrates River, and ancient Indian culture occurred in the arid areas of the lower reaches of the Indus River. Dry-hot climate is beneficial to the development of production and winter, and at the same time, there are fewer pests and diseases, and the body feels comfortable. However, the dry and hot climate will become a desert without water, and human beings cannot survive. Therefore, rivers flowing from rainy areas have become the source of life and the foundation of prosperity, which is an important climate background for the development of ancient cultures in the above three ancient civilizations.
China culture takes place in another climate background. At that time, the Yellow River basin was hotter and wetter than it is now, belonging to subtropical semi-humid monsoon climate. The climate resources here are very rich, but there are also many conditions that are not conducive to the growth of crops, because there are frequent climate disasters here. While using climate resources, we must prevent disasters. In climate disasters, there are both floods with too much rain and droughts with insufficient rain. The complexity of the climate here is in stark contrast to the monotony of the tropical and subtropical climate with water sources mentioned above.
Of course, the development of culture is a very complicated phenomenon and should not be simply considered as a climate problem. However, this climate difference will not have no influence. In the early days of mankind, the degree of attachment to nature was much higher than now. Maybe it will give some inspiration from here.
More importantly, according to the research results of the history of agricultural economic development, agriculture first developed in mountainous areas or river valleys in humid areas, especially in monsoon areas. Because, in the production season, the plains are flooded by rivers, making it impossible to live and farm. But plain land is very fertile. Only when agriculture develops to the plain can an ancient culture emerge in this vast and rich land. The same is true of the Yellow River Basin in China, which has been confirmed by a large number of archaeological data.
Therefore, the problems faced by China in ancient times are quite different from those faced by other ancient civilizations. Other ancient civilizations are basically confined to narrow plains and river deltas. Most of the neighbors are barren places, which are difficult to use. Even if the expeditionary force conquers foreign countries, it is difficult to form a powerful entity. The monotonous climate ensures their steady creation of splendid culture, but it also limits their vision, which is reflected in their lack of imagination and practice in transforming nature in their ancient culture.
The conditions for the emergence of China culture are completely different. The ancient culture of China was first established in the mountainous areas and valley platforms in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, close to the rich valley and the vast Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. Therefore, China had great development space in ancient times. However, in order to achieve this goal, water control has become an important task. Because only when the water recedes can agriculture gain fertile land. Flood control in Yu Xia is the earliest great victory of ancient agriculture in China on the plain. However, flood control in Yu Xia is not over, but only the process of developing plain areas. Because the productivity was still very low at that time, water control was a very arduous task and could not be completed at one time. In fact, it took about 2000 years for China ancient water control to complete the task of all development and utilization of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain.
According to the textual research of paleogeographer Tan Qixiang, there were no villages and towns in the Central Plains of Hebei Province north of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain until the Warring States Period, indicating that this place has not been inhabited so far. Tan Qixiang said that only after "dikes are built on both sides of the Yellow River" can people move in and there will be village relics. This fact shows that the process of water control initiated by Yu Xia is the process of transferring agriculture to the plain, which is also the process of developing the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in ancient China. This process was not completed until the Warring States period. Therefore, the process of ancient water control in China coincides with the development of Huanghuaihai Plain and the formation of ancient culture in China. After the flood control in the Warring States Period, the ancient culture of China began to enter the most glorious period. The long process of water control is a great opportunity for the development of ancient culture in China, which is not available in other ancient civilizations. Although other ancient civilizations have also made brilliant achievements in the construction of water conservancy projects, they are far from changing the face of the earth like China, creating a foundation for the formation of the nation and striving for a vast land for its development.
The rich and colorful human history has developed under certain natural and social conditions. The uniqueness of China's history is bound to be related to these conditions.
Chinese medicine was born in the climate of China.
Man is the son of nature and the product of the development of the earth to a certain stage. Man and nature are closely related. The laws of human life activities, physiological and pathological phenomena are all influenced and restricted by natural laws. This is the theoretical basis of the concept of correspondence between man and nature in TCM, that is, "man is related to heaven and earth, corresponding to the sun and the moon", and "man and the qi of heaven and earth are born together, and the four seasons become the law". Meteorological conditions are the most important environmental factors that affect the human body in nature, so it is said in Neijing that "life is underground and life is in heaven". Professor Gan, who is over 80 years old in Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, even said frankly: "If you want to know the essence of Lingshu and Harmony (there are only Lingshu and two parts in Neijing-author's note), it accounts for half in meteorology."
Chinese medicine was born in the climate of China.
Due to the prevailing continental monsoon climate in China, Leng Xia is the most distinctive country in temperate zone and four seasons in the world, with hot winter, dry winter and rainy summer. It is this special weather and climate that changes rapidly and greatly that gives birth to the corresponding special medicine-traditional Chinese medicine (including the theory of TCM health preservation). So in this sense, it can be said that without the special climate of China, there would be no Chinese medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the occurrence and development of diseases are determined by the growth and decline of pathogenic factors (external causes) and human resistance (internal causes). Traditional Chinese medicine classifies the external causes of diseases as "wind, cold, dampness, heat, dryness and fire". Most of them are related to meteorological factors. For example, precipitation, humidity, and air pressure (high air pressure dominates sunny drying and low air pressure dominates rainy and humid) are related to dryness and dampness of traditional Chinese medicine; Temperature is related to cold, heat and fire in TCM. Wind direction and wind speed are related to the wind of traditional Chinese medicine; Sunlight is also related to dryness, fire and dampness in traditional Chinese medicine (for example, it is easy to get wet when there is less sunlight). So in China, there are wind diseases in spring, fever in summer, wet diseases in summer (midsummer), dry diseases in autumn and cold diseases in winter. Therefore, when treating diseases, Chinese medicine does not completely focus on biological pathogenic sources, treating headaches and foot pains, but focuses on the adjustment of pathological changes and the elimination of symptoms caused by the deviation of six qi (that is, six evils), which is the genius of Chinese medicine.
Six evils can cause diseases, and in the years of long drought, long waterlogging, great heat and extremely cold in history, six evils reached the extreme. This is the main reason why there must be a great epidemic after the great disaster.
As an open system of nature, the human body will be affected by the complex spatio-temporal pathogenic factors in nature. Therefore, it is a major feature of Chinese medicine to treat diseases according to time, place and person.
Chinese medicine also teaches people to cover spring and freeze autumn. Because in winter, human muscles are in a state of convergence to resist the cold. In spring, skin pores turn into perspiration and heat dissipation. At this time, if you suddenly reduce your clothes, you are particularly prone to get sick when you catch a cold. It turns out that this is because the temperature changes in spring and autumn in opposite directions (warm in spring and cool in autumn). Because it is hot in Leng Xia in winter, the temperature rises and falls sharply in spring and autumn, and because of the thermal inertia of the house, the indoor temperature changes far behind the outdoor, so the indoor and outdoor temperature difference has reached a very significant level. In this way, if you go out and come back in the middle of spring, go indoors from the outside (especially in the warm sunshine). If you don't put on clothes in spring, over time, especially the old, the weak and the sick will catch cold and get sick. Autumn, on the other hand, is warm indoors, that is, "freezing", so it is advisable to wear less clothes. For an extreme example, there is indoor heating in winter, and the temperature difference between indoor heating and outdoor refrigeration is even greater. Northerners have the habit of taking off their coats before entering the house, so as not to sweat and hurt the sun. The reason is the same.
In fact, due to the rapid temperature rise in spring in China, the indoor and outdoor temperature difference of ancient deep houses can be quite large not only in spring, but also in summer. Even people who are not sick often get sick in this very cool room in summer. In ancient times, it was called "Yin Summer". Judging from the symptoms of "headache, aversion to cold, shortness of breath, limb pain and annoyance", it is still very uncomfortable. This disease generally does not occur in other parts of the world, because it is hot outside and the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor is large, so it is more common in China. It can be seen that China's theory and practice of TCM (including health preservation) have greatly enriched the treasure house of world medical culture, and the TCM and health preservation culture caused by China's special climate have made great contributions to world civilization.
Solar terms culture and climate
Twenty-four solar terms are the original cultural heritage of the working people in China. In order to arrange farming in time, the working people in ancient China divided a year into 24 "solar terms" in the long-term production practice. It reflects the change of seasons, guides agricultural activities and affects the daily life of thousands of families. For more than 2,000 years, the main political centers in China have been concentrated in the Yellow River Basin, and the 24 solar terms were established on the basis of the climate and phenology in this area. China has a vast territory and changeable terrain, and the 24 solar terms are only a reference for many regions.
The meaning, weather characteristics and main farming activities of the 24 solar terms are:
(1) beginning of spring, Changsha, beginning of autumn and beginning of winter: "Li" means beginning, which means beginning of spring, long summer, beginning of autumn and beginning of winter respectively. (1) beginning of spring in the solar calendar is generally around February 4th every year, which is the first of the 24 solar terms. Beginning of spring means the arrival of spring, and the new year's farming activities will begin. ② The Gregorian calendar in the long summer is usually around May 5th every year. At this time, crops and weeds grow vigorously in warm and humid climate, and a large number of insects hatch, emerge, intertillage weeding, pest control and other field management are increasingly busy. ③ The solar calendar in beginning of autumn is usually around August 7th every year. It is still scorching in the daytime after beginning of autumn, but it is cooler in the morning and evening. Various crops in southern China began to mature, and late rice entered the peak season of transplanting. In the northern region, rice began to fill, and cotton in cotton area entered the stage of flowering and boll cracking. In the future, beginning of autumn will mainly strengthen the field management of various crops to ensure a bumper harvest. ④ The beginning of the winter solar calendar is usually around 1 1 July 7 every year, and cold air from the north frequently invades the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in China. After winter, it mainly plows fallow land, prunes fruit trees and fertilizes in winter.
(2) Solstice in summer and Solstice in winter: "Solstice" means that summer and winter have arrived respectively. ① The Gregorian calendar of summer solstice is generally around June 2 1 day every year, when the sun shines directly on the Tropic of Cancer, and the days in the northern hemisphere are the longest and the nights are the shortest, so hot summer comes. ② The Gregorian calendar of winter solstice is generally around1February 22nd every year. The sun shines directly on the Tropic of Capricorn, with the shortest day and the longest night in the northern hemisphere. The more obvious it is in the north, the less visible the sun is at noon in the North Pole. Most areas of our country have entered the coldest period. Working people have compiled "Jiujiu Song" to describe the degree of cold weather based on their long-term life accumulation.
(3) vernal equinox and autumnal equinox: "Minute" means equal division, indicating that the length of day and night is equal. At the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox, the sun shines directly on the equator, and the time between day and night on the earth is equal. ① The vernal equinox Gregorian calendar is generally around March 20th every year. The vernal equinox divides day and night equally, and divides spring equally. ② The autumnal equinox of the Gregorian calendar is generally around September 23rd every year, and the autumnal equinox is divided into day and night and autumn. After the autumnal equinox, most parts of China entered the busy season of autumn harvest, autumn ploughing and autumn planting in Sanqiu.
(4) Rain shock: ① Generally, around February 18 of the rainy solar calendar every year, the cold wind began to weaken, the soil began to thaw, the weather gradually warmed up, and precipitation began to increase. (2) The Gregorian calendar is generally around March 5th every year. The sudden shock of spring thunder awakened the hibernating animals in the soil. Spring returns to the earth to awaken the hibernating animals, and all parts of the country enter the spring sowing season.
(5) Qingming and Grain Rain: ① The Qingming Gregorian calendar is generally around April 5 every year. Qingming means sunny weather, fresh air, gradual warming and lush vegetation. During the Qingming Festival, bloom is warm in spring, and nature is full of vitality. The temperature rises and the rainfall increases, which is a good season for planting cash crops such as melons and beans in spring. (2) The Gregorian calendar in Grain Rain is generally around April 20th every year. Rainwater around Grain Rain is very important for agricultural production, especially for grain growth. Rain breeds hundreds of valleys, which is beneficial to the growth of cereal crops. At this time, drought is a common natural disaster in North China and Northwest China in spring, and late frost is an agricultural disaster in the Central Plains, so it is necessary to strengthen drought resistance and frost prevention.
(6) Xiaoman and Miscanthus: ① Xiaoman Gregorian calendar, around May 2 1 every year, the seeds of summer crops begin to be fully grouted and are not yet mature. ② Crops with awns, such as wheat, mature around June 5th of each year in Gregorian calendar, and mature winter wheat is harvested from south to north, and the whole country enters the busy season of summer harvest, summer sowing and Shimonoseki.
(7) Summer, summer, summer: summer means heat, summer is not the hottest, summer is the hottest season, and summer is the day when summer is coming to an end. ① Warm and humid air currents from the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean generally bring abundant rainfall to most parts of China around July 7 in the solar calendar, and typhoon activities in the southeast coastal areas become more and more frequent. As China enters the main flood season, flood control, waterlogging prevention, flood control and typhoon resistance are mainly strengthened. In agricultural production, it is mainly to strengthen field management such as weeding and topdressing, pest control and so on. ② The summer Gregorian calendar is generally around July 23rd every year, which is the most vigorous period for the growth of heat-loving crops. Because of the hot weather, people should do a good job in heatstroke prevention and cooling. ③ Generally, around August 23rd of the Gregorian calendar every year, the temperature in most parts of China gradually drops, and pond culture enters a busy stage.
Do a good job in preventing freezing damage during the first frost solar term (8) White dew, cold dew and first frost: ① Generally, around September 7 every year, the temperature in the White dew Gregorian calendar begins to drop, the weather turns cold, and there is dew on crops and other vegetation in the morning, which is beneficial to crop growth when there is little rain and drought. After the Millennium, autumn crops will gradually mature, and most areas of China will enter the busy season of autumn harvest, autumn ploughing and autumn planting in Sanqiu. ② The cold dew Gregorian calendar is generally around June 8th every year, 10. The temperature dropped further, the air was dewy, frost appeared, and gradually there was a chill. Crops in most parts of China are in the harvest season. ③ The Gregorian calendar of the first frost is generally around June 23rd every year, 10. At this time, the weather is getting colder and frost begins to appear. Late autumn crops and overwintering crops should be protected from freezing injury.
(9) Light snow and heavy snow: It begins to snow, with small and large indicating the degree of snowfall. ① The light snow Gregorian calendar is generally around165438+1October 22nd, and it begins to snow in most areas of the Yellow River Basin in China; ② The snowy Gregorian calendar usually falls around 65438+February 7th every year. Winter snow covers the fields with a thick blanket, which not only preserves the moisture in the farmland, but also freezes the pests and diseases in the soil, laying a good foundation for the spring ploughing production next year.
(10) slight cold and severe cold: when the weather turns cold, slight cold is not the coldest, but severe cold is the coldest time of the year. ① The slight cold Gregorian calendar is generally around 1.5 every year, and most parts of China enter a cold period. ② The Gregorian calendar of severe cold is generally around 65438+1October 20th every year. The weather in most parts of China is extremely cold. After the great cold, with the increasing solar radiation, the ground temperature gradually rises, the weather gradually warms up, and the spring of the new year is coming.
The dates of the twenty-four solar terms in the Gregorian calendar are basically fixed, with the first half of the year falling on Saturday or 2 1 day and the second half on August or 23rd, with a difference of one or two days (see the table below for the approximate ranking time of the twenty-four solar terms). As long as people know what solar term they are in, they can understand the weather characteristics of this period and arrange corresponding farming activities, which will be helpful to people's daily life.
Twenty-four solar terms unique to China.