WE have entered zhongfu, the second phase of sanfu. In the Chinese lunar calendar, sanfu refers to the three 10-day periods predicted to be the hottest days of the year, which are called toufu, zhongfu and mofu.

Sanfu usually comes between mid-July and mid-August. Here are the traditional Chinese ways of spending the dog days of summer.

Receiving the sanfutie

Sanfutie is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment that involves placing small and square medicated herbal patches (plasters or bandages) on various places on the back, neck and limbs. The locations of the sanfutie patches correspond with certain acupuncture points which are thought to treat or prevent specific diseases.

TCM practitioners believe that receiving sanfutie during the hottest summer days is effective for coughs, asthma and arthritis; it is a patchwork solution for winter ills in summer.

The treatment is based on the TCM principle of yin and yang, which believes the balance of both elements in the body is vital for good health. Sanfutie contains a paste of herbs that are “hot” in nature, and when applied to specific acupuncture points, they replenish the yang elements.

These patches have been used in TCM since earliest recorded times, according to “Huangdi Neijing” (“The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor”), more than 2,000 years ago, the time-tested textbook for TCM practitioners. The patch treatment became extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and has enjoyed a revival in recent years.

Eating dumplings during toufu

When the dog days come, people tend to lose their appetites, and jiaozi, or boiled dumplings, can be a good choice. Actually jiaozi is an all-time classic, with 2,000 years of history. In addition to sanfu, people eat it at liqiu, the start of autumn, and dongzhi, winter solstice.

Eating noodles during zhongfu

The second phase of sanfu is traditionally a time for eating noodles because the practice is believed to help people sweat and relieve internal heat.

Eating Chinese egg pancake during mofu

As mofu comes, the weather turns cool, and it is easy to get cold if a person keeps eating noodles which make them sweat. People living in North China customarily eat the Chinese egg pancake.

Eating roosters

As the weather in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, is hot with heavy rainfall in summer, people there eat roosters during sanfu, especially during toufu. They believe that it can clear the damp. As an old saying goes, “A rooster at the start of sanfu, a healthy body the whole year.”

Eating mutton soup

People in southern Shandong Province eat mutton soup during sanfu. Many local restaurants offer the dish “summer mutton soup” during the period. It is believed that mutton which is hot in nature can drive away internal cold and keep people healthy.(China Daily)