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Chubun is when day and night become equal; from this day, the nights grow longer. The harvest moves into full swing.
Chubun, around September 23, is when day and night are equal. After it, the days shorten and autumn deepens.
Thunder ceases, insects burrow away, and waters begin to dry. The grain in the fields ripens to gold.
With the harvest, autumn foods—new grain, mushrooms, sweet potatoes—grow plentiful. People offered new grain to their ancestors in thanks.
Chubun (Autumn Equinox) is the moment the Sun reaches 180° of ecliptic longitude, the autumnal point. It lies directly opposite the vernal point, and here the Sun crosses the equator and begins moving toward the southern hemisphere. · First pentad, 雷始收聲 — thunder begins to withhold its voice. · Second pentad, 蟄蟲坯戶 — insects preparing to hibernate plaster the entrances of their burrows with earth. · Third pentad, 水始涸 — the waters begin to dry up. Chubun's signs mirror those of the spring equinox. Thunder that 'found its voice' at Chunbun 'withdraws its voice' at Chubun, and insects that woke around Gyeongchip now seal the doors they will retreat behind. Shrinking waters after a summer of swollen streams are part of autumn's drier pattern too. Korean autumns, unlike the monsoon summer, bring runs of clear, dry days, so Chubun's last pentad suits the Korean climate well.
Around Chubun, the plump blue crabs (kkotge) and large prawns (daeha) of the West Sea come into season. Crabs are commonly steamed or simmered in a doenjang-based stew, while prawns are often roasted on a pan lined with coarse salt. After the equinox the Sun begins setting south of due west, and the angle at which evening light enters your rooms shifts. Take down summer blackout curtains to let in more light, wash and fully dry summer clothes before packing them away, and bring long sleeves to the front of the wardrobe. Test-running the boiler once around Chubun saves the stress of discovering a fault on the first cold night.
| Year | Begins at |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Sep 22, 21:44 |
| 2025 | Sep 23, 03:19 |
| 2026 this year | Sep 23, 09:05 |
| 2027 | Sep 23, 15:02 |
| 2028 | Sep 22, 20:45 |
Autumn Equinox is a jungi (中氣) rather than a jeol (節), so the Four Pillars month pillar does not change here. It marks the middle of a season.
Taking Autumn Equinox alone: it fell at Sep 23, 03:19 in 2025 and at Sep 23, 09:05 in 2026 — roughly 5.8 hours later. The date jumps back a day in 2028 because that is a leap year, so February 29 falls before the term begins.
By longitude, Autumn Equinox sits at 180° and the next term Cold Dew at 195° — about 15 days apart.
The harvest goes into full swing
Enjoy seasonal foods like new grain and mushrooms
Adjust your rhythm as nights lengthen
Prepare for the dryness of the changing season
Adjacent terms:
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Autumn Equinox is the 16th of the 24 solar terms, falling around September 23. Day and night grow equal in autumn. From now, the nights lengthen.
Chubun is when day and night become equal; from this day, the nights grow longer. The harvest moves into full swing.
The harvest goes into full swing Enjoy seasonal foods like new grain and mushrooms Adjust your rhythm as nights lengthen Prepare for the dryness of the changing season