[Photo/Xinhua]

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Clear and Bright (Chinese: 清明), the 5th solar term, starts this year on Apr 5 and ends on Apr 20.

Of all the 24 solar terms, Clear and Bright is the only one whose first day is also a traditional Chinese festival, Qingming Festival or Tomb-Sweeping Day. The words "clear" and "bright" describe the weather during this period. Temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, making it a crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring.

Here are 8 things you may not know about Clear and Bright.

Cold Food Festival

The Cold Food Festival or Hanshi Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated for one day before Tomb-Sweeping Day. On that day, making fire is taboo and only cold food is available.

Legend has it that Prince Chong'er of the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period, endured many hardships while he was exiled from his home state. Once, in order to help the prince who was tormented by hunger, Jie Zhitui cut off the flesh from his thigh and offered it to the prince for sustenance.

When Chong'er became Duke Wen of Jin, however, he did not reward him, instead killing Jie and his mother in a fire. Later, Duke Wen, filled with remorse, ordered that using fire on the anniversary of Jie's death was forbidden and all food was to be consumed cold.