Lidong, the first solar term of winter, arrived on November 8 this year. Lidong means the beginning of winter, despite the fact that the temperature in Suzhou remains around 15 C these days, which is far warmer than the climatology standard of winter: under 10 C for five days in a row.

Going for red maple leaves at Tianping Hill

A warmer period around Lidong Day, which Suzhou people call a "little spring", follows the early winter chill. Su-zhou locals usually take this opportunity to enjoy the last warm, sunny days before winter arrives.

Among all outing destinations, Tianping Hill is the most beloved.

Tianping Hill, located near Taihu Lake, is famous for its maples, stones and springs. China's best poets, such as Bai Juyi, Fan Zhongyan and Tang Yin, as well as Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, all set foot on, and wrote poems and travel journals about, Tianping Hill. Each year in early winter the maple leaves turnred, and the bottomof the hill appears to burn in the northern wind.

Crab season continues

Male crabs reach maturity in November, and large quantites of crabs in the markets fill Suzhou foodies' eager mouths, and the latter create various recipes for the seasonal delights. Frying with batter, steaming, boiling with special gravy: Suzhou people have so many ways to cook crabs. Lu Guimeng(?-881), a Suzhou poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote a Book of Crabs, and Tang Yin (1470-1524), one of the "Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty" and also a Suzhou local, painted a picture of Drunk Crabs.

But crabs are not the only choice for this season. Oranges from East Hill, carp fromTaihu Lake and fried rice with green leafy vegetables and salted pork are all delicious at this time.

Staying healthy this winter

There is a common Chinese saying: "the one who take good care of his health in winter will be strong enough to fight a tiger in spring. "Traditional Chinese medicine holds that this season is the time for people to store energy for spring.

It is a long-held custom for Suzhou locals to take nourishing pastes in winter. On Lidong Day, Suzhou hospitals and traditional herbal medicine shops provide physical evaluations that allow practitioners to customize nourishing pastes for individuals. When taking the nourishing paste, one should not eat cold food, oily food, or spicy food.