In the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendar, what is the first of the 24 solar terms? The first solar term is Lichun.
Lichun, written 立春 in Chinese, literally means “the beginning of spring.” It is the first of the 24 solar terms, a system that divides the Sun’s annual path into 24 seasonal markers. Lichun begins when the Sun reaches 315 degrees of celestial longitude, usually around February 4 in the Gregorian calendar.
The term is used across East Asia under related names, including Risshun in Japanese, Ipchun in Korean, and Lập xuân in Vietnamese. Although it signals spring in the solar-term system, it does not always coincide with Lunar New Year, which is calculated using a lunisolar calendar and can fall before or after Lichun.
The other options are later terms: Yushui follows Lichun, Jingzhe follows Yushui, and Chunfen marks the spring equinox. Lichun is therefore not simply another name for the equinox; it is the seasonal starting point that precedes it.