Book explores the profound meanings of ancient views on the nature of the universe and life.

A book, Ershisi Jieqi Qishier Hou (24 Solar Terms and 72 Phenological Signals), published recently, aims to represent the insight of artist Xu Dongdong and writer Xu Lijing on the relationship between humans and nature, and their exploration of abstract thinking in the ancient system of solar terms and phenological signals.

In 2013, Xu Dongdong started creating a new series of paintings about 24 solar terms and 72 phenological signals.

Starting his art career with ink painting, he later turned to impressionism and employed Western painting skills and concepts in his creations on xuanzhi, or rice paper, widely used in Chinese calligraphy and painting.

Instead of ink, he paints on rice paper using brush and acrylic paint to create a kind of texture as an element of what he calls the "Chinese abstract painting style".

Through this style, he tries to reflect on topics, such as the ideas of happiness, the relationship between the evolution of human civilizations and the formation and disintegration of a nation, and ancient Chinese wisdom-the philosophies about the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature in particular.

The 24 solar terms and the 72 phenological signals thus became one of his subjects, through which he thought about the seasonal changes and pursued the essence of life.

Developed in Central China about 3,000 years ago, the 24 solar terms, mirroring the Earth's movement around the sun, were used by ancient Chinese people to instruct agricultural and festival practices throughout a year that they divided into 24 sections. Each solar term spans about 15 days and is further divided into three sections according to phenological changes.

In 2016, the 24 solar terms were added to UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Xu Dongdong started creating paintings about each solar term, as well as the phenological signals on corresponding days.

It took him eight years to complete the whole series-142 paintings of the series are featured in the new book.

"Painting is not the end. Exploring the truth is the end," says the 63-year-old artist.

In the paintings, he not only uses an abstract style to present the intangible cultural heritage, but also creates new things from traditional Chinese culture, he says.

"Abstract logical thinking can inspire young people's imagination and creativity. During modernization, if we want to build our own scientific and industrial systems, we first need to build our abstract logical thinking system," he says.

Painting the series was to stand at the meeting point of the East and the West and explore Chinese abstract logical thinking that may help to build China's new culture and support value identification in the future global transformation, he says.

When the project was still in progress, Xu Lijing, a senior editor from Economic Daily, visited him and the impact she felt seeing the paintings still lingers on her mind.

It is a valuable thing to use new skills to systematically represent the ancient 24 solar terms and 72 phenological signals and to impart them with new thoughts and meanings, she says.

Inspired by the artist's works, she started thinking about the terms and signals, trying to combine her life experience and understanding of culture in the thinking, which later developed into the book.

"He is an artist, and I work in the media, but we both have been thinking about ancient Chinese views on the universe and life and their value and meaning against the backdrop of a time of great changes," she says.

She says Xu Dongdong's paintings are a combination of ancient Chinese wisdom and Western abstract logical thinking, and, with a new style, the artist tries to create a kind of artistic expression that can transcend different cultures and allow people to feel the charm of Chinese culture.

"That's why I wanted to cooperate with him to convey the ideas that I learned from his paintings," she says.

Xu Lijing spent three years writing the book.

"The 24 solar terms and 72 phenological signals are a comprehensive system. We need to accurately understand it and offer creative original ideas based on our understanding," she says.

She started writing on the day of Spring Equinox. But before that, she first observed nature according to the solar terms and phenological signals and felt the change in nature, and then she worked hard to study related philosophies, science, literature and art, which was followed by her understanding of Xu Dongdong's art.

She then integrated all the elements and her own life experience to create 72 articles.

There have been plenty of books about this topic, but "for me it's not a book to popularize related knowledge but to use the system as a vehicle to express our experience and thoughts on Chinese cultural values, nature, creatures, the power of life and the origin of Chinese people's spirit", she says.

The 72 phenological signals are animals, plants and natural phenomena observed by ancient Chinese.

"In the book, you will see that the 72 phenological signals are full of a sense of life, and are magnificent symbols of life, powerful and fascinating. In Xu Dongdong's paintings or my writings, we want to convey such a sense of life," she says.

The system of solar terms and phenological signals contains the thought that in an inclusive world, all creatures are equal and nature pursues a balance between yin and yang, two opposite forces.

"That is a very important idea for the current world. We hope that, through our representation, it can be better communicated and spread so that more people can get to know it and think about it," Xu Lijing says.

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