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Chunbun is when the sun crosses the equator and day and night become equal in length. From this day, the daylight steadily lengthens.
Chunbun is the midpoint of spring, around March 21, when day and night are nearly equal. After it, the sunlight strengthens and the weather warms.
Swallows return, thunder rolls, and rain grows frequent. Farmers began plowing and sowing in earnest.
People ate "age cakes" (similar to songpyeon) and read the year's farming by the wind. They also treated their farmhands to good food to encourage their work.
Chunbun (Spring Equinox) is the moment the Sun reaches 0° of ecliptic longitude — the vernal point itself. Because solar longitude is measured from exactly this spot, Chunbun is the only one of the 24 terms whose angle is zero. · First pentad, 玄鳥至 — the swallow (玄鳥, 'the dark bird') returns. · Second pentad, 雷乃發聲 — thunder at last finds its voice. · Third pentad, 始電 — lightning flashes for the first time. It is a striking detail that, after the returning migrant, the list puts the sound first and the light second. Traditional commentary explained thunder as yin and yang striking against each other, and set the first thunder at the equinox, when yang begins to outweigh yin. In Korea swallows are summer visitors that return in spring, starting from the south, so the first pentad fits reasonably well; thunder and lightning, however, are far more frequent in the Korean summer, so waiting for the year's first thunder at the equinox may feel unfamiliar.
At the equinox the Sun rises almost due east and sets almost due west. Note which window the morning sun comes through at Chunbun, and over the coming months you can watch the sunrise point slide north toward summer — a handy reference when placing pots or setting up a balcony garden. On the table, webfoot octopus and spring flounder carry on, while wild chives (dallae) and shepherd's purse (naengi) head into their last pickings. Cherry-blossom news begins to arrive from the south and weekend outings multiply; it is easy to dress for the midday warmth and be caught out when the air cools quickly after sunset. For outings around Chunbun, keep a light outer layer in your bag.
| Year | Begins at |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Mar 20, 12:06 |
| 2025 | Mar 20, 18:01 |
| 2026 this year | Mar 20, 23:46 |
| 2027 | Mar 21, 05:25 |
| 2028 | Mar 20, 11:17 |
Spring 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 Spring Equinox alone: it fell at Mar 20, 18:01 in 2025 and at Mar 20, 23:46 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, Spring Equinox sits at 0° and the next term Clear and Bright at 15° — about 15 days apart.
Prime time for spring sowing
More sunlight—add walks and exercise
Prepare for allergies and yellow dust
Adjust your rhythm as days lengthen
Adjacent terms:
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Spring Equinox is the 4th of the 24 solar terms, falling around March 21. Day and night are equal. From now the days grow longer—full spring arrives.
Chunbun is when the sun crosses the equator and day and night become equal in length. From this day, the daylight steadily lengthens.
Prime time for spring sowing More sunlight—add walks and exercise Prepare for allergies and yellow dust Adjust your rhythm as days lengthen