Editing Chinese calendar (section)

==== Solar year and solar terms ====
{{Main|Solar term}}
The [[Tropical year|solar year]] ({{zh|s=岁|t=歲|p=Suì}}), the time between [[Winter solstice|winter solstices]], is divided into 24 [[Solar term|solar terms]] known as {{zh|labels=no|out=p|p=jié qì|c=節氣}}. Each term is a 15° portion of the ecliptic. These solar terms mark both Western and Chinese seasons, as well as equinoxes, solstices, and other Chinese events. Pairs of solar terms are referred to as climate terms. The first solar term in a pair is the "pre-climate" ({{zh|labels=no|s=节气|t=節氣|p=Jiéqì}}), and the second is the "mid-climate" ({{zh|labels=no|s=中气|t=中氣|p=Zhōngqì}}). The {{tlit|zh|pinyin|Zhōngqì}} are considered "major terms", while the {{tlit|zh|pinyin|Jiéqì}} are deemed "minor terms".{{sfnp|Aslaksen|2010}} The solar terms {{zh|labels=no|out=p|p=qīng míng|c=清明}} on 5 April and {{zh|labels=no|out=p|p=dōng zhì |c=冬至}} on 22 December are both celebrated events in China.{{sfnp|Aslaksen|2010}} 

The solar year (''suì'', {{zh|labels=no|t=歲|s=岁}}) begins on the December solstice and proceeds through the 24 solar terms.{{sfnp|Aslaksen|2010}} Since the speed of the Sun's apparent motion in the elliptical is variable, the time between major terms/mid-climates is not fixed. This variation in time between major terms results in different solar year lengths. There are generally 11 or 12 complete lunar months, plus two incomplete lunar months around the winter solstice, in a solar year. The complete lunar months are numbered from 0 to 10, and the incomplete lunar month is considered the 11th month. If there are 12 complete (and one incomplete) lunar months within a solar year, it is known as a leap year (a year possessing an intercalary month).{{sfnp|Aslaksen|2010}}

Different versions of the traditional calendar might have different average solar year lengths. For example, one solar year of the 1st century BCE Tàichū calendar is {{frac|365|385|1539}} (365.25016) days. A solar year of the 13th-century Shòushí calendar is {{frac|365|97|400}} (365.2425) days, identical to the Gregorian calendar. The additional .00766 day from the Tàichū calendar leads to a one-day shift every 130.5 years.

{| class="wikitable"
|+24 solar terms
!Number
!Pinyin name
!Chinese name
!Translation
!Approximate date
!Corresponding astrological sign
|-
|J1
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Lì chūn}}
|{{lang|zh|立春}}
|Beginning of spring
|5 February
|♒️ Aquarius
|-
|Z1
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Yǔ shuǐ}}
|{{lang|zh|雨水}}
|Rain water
|19 February
| rowspan="2" |♓️ Pisces
|-
|J2
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Jīng zhé}}
|{{lang|zh-hant|驚蟄}}；{{lang|zh-hans|惊蛰}}
|Waking of insects
|6 March
|-
|Z2
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Chūn fēn}}
|{{lang|zh|春分}}
|Spring divide
|21 March
| rowspan="2" |♈️ Aries
|-
|J3
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Qīng míng}}
|{{lang|zh|清明}}
|[[Qingming Festival|Pure brightness]]
|5 April
|-
|Z3
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Gǔ yǔ}}
|{{lang|zh-hant|穀雨}}；{{lang|zh-hans|谷雨}}
|Grain rain
|20 April
| rowspan="2" |♉️ Taurus
|-
|J4
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Lì xià}}
|{{lang|zh|立夏}}
|Beginning of summer
|6 May
|-
|Z4
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Xiǎo mǎn}}
|{{lang|zh-hant|小滿}}；{{lang|zh-hans|小满}}
|Grain full
|21 May
| rowspan="2" |♊️ Gemini
|-
|J5
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Máng zhòng}}
|{{lang|zh-hant|芒種}}；{{lang|zh-hans|芒种}}
|Grain in ear
|6 June
|-
|Z5
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Xià zhì}}
|{{lang|zh|夏至}}
|Summer extremity
|22 June
| rowspan="2" |♋️ Cancer
|-
|J6
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Xiǎo shǔ}}
|{{lang|zh|小暑}}
|Slight heat
|7 July
|-
|Z6
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Dà shǔ}}
|{{lang|zh|大暑}}
|Great heat
|23 July
| rowspan="2" |♌️ Leo
|-
|J7
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Lì qiū}}
|{{lang|zh|立秋}}
|Beginning of autumn
|8 August
|-
|Z7
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Chǔ shǔ}}
|{{lang|zh-hant|處暑}}；{{lang|zh-hans|处暑}}
|Limit of heat
|23 August
| rowspan="2" |♍️ Virgo
|-
|J8
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Bái lù}}
|{{lang|zh|白露}}
|White dew
|8 September
|-
|Z8
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Qiū fēn}}
|{{lang|zh|秋分}}
|Autumn divide
|23 September
| rowspan="2" |♎️ Libra
|-
|J9
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Hán lù}}
|{{lang|zh|寒露}}
|Cold dew
|8 October
|-
|Z9
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Shuāng jiàng}}
|{{lang|zh|霜降}}
|Descent of frost
|24 October
| rowspan="2" |♏️ Scorpio
|-
|J10
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Lì dōng}}
|{{lang|zh|立冬}}
|Beginning of winter
|8 November
|-
|Z10
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Xiǎo xuě}}
|{{lang|zh|小雪}}
|Slight snow
|22 November
| rowspan="2" |♐️ Sagittarius
|-
|J11
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Dà xuě}}
|{{lang|zh|大雪}}
|Great snow
|7 December
|-
|Z11
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Dōng zhì}}
|{{lang|zh|冬至}}
|Winter extremity
|22 December
| rowspan="2" |♑️ Capricorn
|-
|J12
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Xiǎo hán}}
|{{lang|zh|小寒}}
|Slight cold
|6 January
|-
|Z12
|{{tlit|zh|pinyin|Dà hán}}
|{{lang|zh|大寒}}
|Great cold
|20 January
|♒️ Aquarius
|}

If there are 12 complete lunar months within a solar year,{{efn|In the modern calendar where the solar terms are defined using astronomical calculation, it is possible to have only 11 complete months but with a month without a mid-climate, as in [[Year 2033 problem|year 2033]].{{cn|date=February 2024}}}} the first lunar month that does not contain any mid-climate is designated the [[Intercalation (timekeeping)|leap]], or intercalary, month.{{sfnp|Aslaksen|2010}} Leap months are numbered with {{tlit|zh|pinyin|rùn}} {{linktext|閏|lang=zh}}, the character for "intercalary", plus the name of the month they follow. In 2017, the intercalary month after month six was called {{tlit|zh|pinyin|Rùn Liùyuè}}, or "intercalary sixth month" ({{linktext|閏|六月|lang=zh}}) and written as ''6i'' or ''6+''. The next intercalary month (in 2020, after month four) will be called {{tlit|zh|pinyin|Rùn Sìyuè}} ({{linktext|閏|四月|lang=zh}}) and written ''4i'' or ''4+''.