Meaning and Customs of Ipchu (立秋) — the 13th of the 24 Solar Terms, Around August 7-9

Ipchu (立秋) is the 13th of the 24 solar terms, falling around August 7-9, when the Sun reaches celestial longitude 135°.

At a Glance

Category	Details
Hanja	立秋
Season	🍂 Autumn
Gregorian timing	Around August 7-9
Solar longitude	135°
Saju month command	Solar node (節) — the start of Sin (申) month from this day
Key themes	Threshold of autumn, preparing for fruition

Meaning and Origin

Ipchu means “autumn (秋) rises or begins.” The midday heat still lingers, but the texture of the morning and evening breeze begins to change — it is the paradoxical solar term in which autumn begins within the heat.

Customs and Foods

Around this time, people planted cabbage and radish for kimchi-making. Clear weather on Ipchu was taken as a sign of a good harvest, and because rice was ripening in earnest, farming households watched the sky closely.

Saju and the Solar Terms

The calendar of myeongnihak moves by the solar terms. Ipchu is one of the 12 solar nodes (節), and from this day, the month pillar (月柱) in saju changes to Sin (申) month. This is why the sexagenary sign of the birth month is determined by solar terms rather than by the lunar calendar date.

Wisdom for This Time

As the season of fruition opens its door, begin checking what you will harvest from the things you have planted this year.

Learn More

• See all 24 solar terms: 24절기 사전
• Today’s daily cycle, zodiac, and tarot: 오늘의 우주 (oiyo.net)
• The saju calendar that moves by solar terms: 사주 대사전

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The solar terms are a seasonal calendar that divides the Sun’s path into 24 parts. This is a traditional explanation based on the climate of the Korean Peninsula, and the actual date can vary by about a day from year to year.