24 Solar Terms in 2027: Dates and Times
The first solar term of 2027 is Xiaohan (Minor Cold) on January 5, and the last is Dongzhi (Winter Solstice) on December 22. Below are the dates and start times of all 24 solar terms, listed in chronological order.
All dates and times use Hong Kong Time (UTC+8). Dates are Gregorian, and times use the 24-hour clock, shown to the minute. Both the clock time and the calendar date may differ in another time zone.
Complete 2027 solar terms table
| Solar term | English name | 2027 date (UTC+8) | Time (UTC+8) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaohan 小寒 | Minor Cold | January 5 | 22:10 |
| Dahan 大寒 | Major Cold | January 20 | 15:30 |
| Lichun 立春 | Beginning of Spring | February 4 | 09:46 |
| Yushui 雨水 | Rain Water | February 19 | 05:33 |
| Jingzhe 惊蛰 | Awakening of Insects | March 6 | 03:40 |
| Chunfen 春分 | Spring Equinox | March 21 | 04:25 |
| Qingming 清明 | Clear and Bright | April 5 | 08:17 |
| Guyu 谷雨 | Grain Rain | April 20 | 15:18 |
| Lixia 立夏 | Beginning of Summer | May 6 | 01:25 |
| Xiaoman 小满 | Grain Buds | May 21 | 14:18 |
| Mangzhong 芒种 | Grain in Ear | June 6 | 05:26 |
| Xiazhi 夏至 | Summer Solstice | June 21 | 22:11 |
| Xiaoshu 小暑 | Minor Heat | July 7 | 15:37 |
| Dashu 大暑 | Major Heat | July 23 | 09:05 |
| Liqiu 立秋 | Beginning of Autumn | August 8 | 01:27 |
| Chushu 处暑 | End of Heat | August 23 | 16:14 |
| Bailu 白露 | White Dew | September 8 | 04:28 |
| Qiufen 秋分 | Autumn Equinox | September 23 | 14:02 |
| Hanlu 寒露 | Cold Dew | October 8 | 20:17 |
| Shuangjiang 霜降 | Frost’s Descent | October 23 | 23:33 |
| Lidong 立冬 | Beginning of Winter | November 7 | 23:39 |
| Xiaoxue 小雪 | Minor Snow | November 22 | 21:16 |
| Daxue 大雪 | Major Snow | December 7 | 16:38 |
| Dongzhi 冬至 | Winter Solstice | December 22 | 10:42 |
Times in your time zone
What the listed time means
The 24 solar terms mark successive 15-degree boundaries in the Sun’s apparent geocentric longitude—its position along the ecliptic as viewed from Earth’s centre. Each entry gives the time when the Sun reaches that term’s boundary.
A date label on a daily calendar does not mean the term begins at midnight. For example, a calendar may label March 6, 2027 as Jingzhe, but its astronomical boundary occurs at 03:40 UTC+8. The preceding Yushui period continues until that time.
The daily label identifies the UTC+8 date containing the event; the time identifies when the new solar term begins.
How to convert the times to your time zone
UTC+8 means eight hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. To convert an entry, subtract eight hours to get UTC, then apply your location’s UTC offset on the event date. Include any daylight-saving adjustment used in your location. The reference offset in this table stays at UTC+8 throughout the year.
A conversion can change the date as well as the hour:
- Jingzhe: March 6, 2027 at 03:40 UTC+8 is March 5, 2027 at 19:40 UTC. A calendar using UTC therefore places the event on March 5.
- Shuangjiang: October 23, 2027 at 23:33 UTC+8 is October 24, 2027 at 00:33 in Japan (UTC+9). The same event falls just after midnight there.
These are different clock readings for the same astronomical instants. Before treating a one-day difference between calendars as an error, check their reference time zones.
When adding a term to a digital calendar, distinguish between an all-day date label and a timed event. For a timed event, enter the stated UTC+8 time or its correctly converted local equivalent—not the unconverted clock time in your own zone. The reference time-zone guide explains this distinction further.
How the year boundaries work
This table covers January 1–December 31, 2027. It is a Gregorian-year lookup, not a lunar-year table or a seasonal cycle beginning at Lichun.
January’s two terms belong to the winter that began in November 2026. Xiaohan on January 5 and Dahan on January 20 are that winter’s final two solar terms. Lichun follows on February 4 at 09:46 UTC+8, marking the beginning of spring in the traditional solar-term cycle. This is why the chronological table starts with Minor Cold rather than Beginning of Spring.
At the other end of the year, Lidong on November 7 begins the winter that continues into 2028. Dongzhi on December 22 is the last solar-term boundary within 2027, not the end of winter. The following Xiaohan and Dahan belong to January 2028 and are outside this table’s date range.
Lichun is not Chinese New Year
In 2027, Lichun falls on February 4, while Chinese New Year falls on February 6.
Lichun is determined by the Sun’s position. Chinese New Year is the first day of the first lunar month. They are separate calendar markers, so the start of the traditional spring season does not have to coincide with New Year’s Day. For the wider year and its lunar dates, see the 2027 Chinese calendar.
Do the names predict the weather?
No. Names such as Rain Water, Frost’s Descent and Minor Snow are traditional seasonal labels, not forecasts for the listed dates. The astronomical boundary does not depend on whether rain, frost or snow occurs where you live.
The season names follow a Northern Hemisphere framework. The astronomical instants remain the same worldwide, but local seasons and weather differ. Readers south of the equator can use the same table after converting the time zone; the guide to solar terms in the Southern Hemisphere explains how to interpret the seasonal names.