Lectures: Biweekly, Saturday 13:00-14:00 (GMT)

Instructor: Feixia Yu

Email:

• fyu8@lancashire.ac.uk

• yutaichi4you@gmail.com

Course Description

This seminar course offers a year-long introduction to the Twenty-Four Solar Terms (二十四节气), a traditional Chinese system for understanding seasonal change based on precise astronomical observation. The course is divided into biweekly modules. Each module focuses on one solar term and examines its historical origins, cosmological foundations, and cultural significance. In addition, each module features hands-on practice of Daoyin moves - a series of gentle exercise designed to align one’s Qi flow to seasonal changes.

The course introduces how the solar terms were understood and used in traditional Chinese society—particularly in agriculture, medicine, and daily life—and considers their continuing relevance in modern contexts. A central theme of the course is the idea of aligning human activity, perception, and intention with patterns of environmental change. Through guided lectures, readings, and reflective engagement, you are encouraged to interpret seasonal concepts not only as historical knowledge, but as living frameworks for understanding time, space, change, and human–environment relations.

Course Structure

• The course is organized into biweekly modules, each corresponding to one of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms.

• Each module includes:

• a short online lecture

• assigned reading materials

• a reflective submission

Prerequisites:

None, aside from curiosity about Chinese culture. In particular, no Chinese language proficiency is assumed.

Assignments and Participation

For each module, you are strongly encouraged to submit a reflective work engaging with the solar term under study. Submissions should demonstrate understanding of the module’s themes and explore how the ideas associated with the solar term may relate to your own observations, experiences, or daily practices.

You may choose from a range of formats, including written reflections, visual or multimedia submissions, embodied demonstrations, or other creative approaches, provided that the submission clearly engages with the solar term under study.

We would like this course to be an open platform for all participants to share their experiences of the seasonal changes, regardless of cultural background and geographical locations.