How Lidong, 1st day of winter, is observed in Taiwan

台灣如何看待冬天的第一天，立冬

A look at how Taiwanese observe Lidong, the first day of winter


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Today (Nov. 7) is Lidong (立冬), the first day of winter on the lunisolar calendar and as such, it is a time when Taiwanese traditionally prepare for the cold and soggy winter in Taiwan by taking various tonics to warm their bodies.

In the lunisolar calendar, Lidong starts when the sun reaches celestial longitude 225° and comes to an end when the sun hits 240° longitude, which generally corresponds to Nov. 7 - Nov. 22 on the Gregorian calendar.

To mark the first day of winter, people in Taiwan traditionally drink tonics to "warm" their bodies based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) core tenet of balancing Yin and Yang, which in this case means trying to consume foods that are more Yang (warm) in nature to counteract the Yin (cold) of winter.

Examples of tonics that Taiwanese consume during this period that are more Yang in nature, include sesame oil chicken soup, ginger duck stew, mutton hotpot, herbal chicken soup, ginseng chicken soup, and silkie chicken soup. It is this time of year that chain restaurants that specialize in just one these dishes really kick into high gear, with lines out the door and seating for customers spilling onto the sidewalk.

Popular chains that sell these dishes in Taiwan include Bawei Ginger Duck (霸味薑母鴨), Changjiang Mutton Hotpot (長疆羊肉爐), Wanhua Sesame Oil Chicken (萬華麻油雞), Fengxianju ( 涎居), and Yushanbao (御膳寶).

A doctor of TCM at Taiwan Landseed Hospital, Chen Tsung-cheng (陳宗政), in an interview with Liberty Times said that due to the unseasonably warm weather this winter, people should take care and not consume too many such tonics to generate heat when it's not necessary. Chen has already had a patient who consumed too many warming brews resulting in severe constipation.

Chen also said that if a person experiences dry mouth, a red tongue, excessive body heat, insomnia, constipation, acne, they could also be signs of overdoing it with warming (Yang) herbs and foods.

Chen recommended that those that wish to consume herbs and tonics for specific medical conditions during the winter, should first consult with a qualified TCM physician to ensure that they are receiving appropriate, balanced treatment based on their physical condition.


Sesame oil chicken.


Bawei Ginger Duck restaurant.


Mutton hotpot. (Image by flickr user bryan)