Photo shows a wheat field at Linquan County, Fuyang City, Anhui Province on May 21, 2019. (Photo/VCG)

The traditional Chinese calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. Xiaoman, the 8th solar term, falls on May 21 this year.

A farmer was plowing paddy fields in Longli County, Guizhou Province on May 20, 2019. (Photo/VCG)

Xiaoman begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 60°and ends when it reaches the longitude of 75°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 60°.

Xiaoman can be translated as ‘grain buds’, which indicates seeds from grain are becoming full.

A farmer takes care of grapes at a greenhouse at Zhaotan Village of Wangtan Town in Tangshan, Heibei Province, May 19, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Lei)

Photo shows the sow thistle, a common ingredient in Xiaoman dishes. (Photp/VCG)

In picture: silkworms (Photo/VCG)

The traditional dish for Xiaoman is bitter vegetables. One of the interesting traditions in south-eastern China is holding sacrificial rituals for silkworms.