When the sunlight almost directly strikes the earth's equator, usually between September 22nd and September 24th each year, we usher in the Autumn Equinox, or Qiufen in Chinese, which is one of the 24 solar terms in China.

每年公历9月22至24日，太阳几乎直射地球赤道时，便是中国的二十四节气之一——秋分。

In traditional Chinese Solar Terms, autumn refers to the 90 days between Beginning of Autumn and Frost's Descent, and Qiufen is right in the middle of the 90days, making it the most autumn-like day of the year.

在中国的二十四节气中，从立秋到霜降的九十天，是传统意义上的秋天，而秋分正处在这九十天的中间，是一年中秋意最浓的时节。

In most parts of China, Autumn Equinox witnesses the days when the temperature drops, the rainy season ends, the cold breeze gently blows, and the sky becomes crystal clear.

秋分时节我国大部分地区，气温下降，雨季结束，凉风习习，天空常是万里无云。

Traditionally, Autumn Equinox marks the end of the autumn harvest and winter store and the start of spring plowing and summer weeding.

传统意义上，秋分既是秋收冬藏的终点，更是春耕夏种的起点。

After the end of the Autumn Equinox, the spot of the direct sunlight continues to move southward, and the northern hemisphere will have shorter daytime and longer nighttime. As a result, the temperature gets cooler, and the cold winter draws near.

秋分过后，太阳直射点继续由赤道向南半球推移，北半球白昼越来越短，黑夜越来越长。天气逐渐转凉，寒冬也慢慢降临。

In ancient China, which attached great importance to agriculture, Autumn Equinox had a high status in the 24 Solar Terms. Naturally, ancient Chinese also endowed it with many cultural meanings.

在重视农耕的古代中国，秋分被视为一个非常重要的节气。相应的，它也被赋予了很多文化内涵。

Autumn Equinox used to be the moon worshipping day. Ancient Chinese emperors had customs to worship the sun on Spring Equinox, the earth on Summer Solstice, the moon on Autumn Equinox, and the heaven on Winter Solstice.

秋分曾是传统的“祭月节”，古代帝王有春分祭日、夏至祭地、秋分祭月、冬至祭天的习俗。

The custom of worshipping the moon was later moved to the Mid-Autumn Festival when the moon was rounder.

祭月的习俗后来被挪到了月亮更圆的中秋节。

Since2018, China has celebrated the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival on Autumn Equinox.

从2018年起，中国将每年的秋分设立为“中国农民丰收节”。

For a country with thousands of years of agricultural civilization, the festival expresses the Chinese people’s philosophy of following natural laws and their respect for thousands of years of farming civilization.

对于有着数千年农业文明的中国而言，这一节日的设立极具仪式感，体现了中国人顺应自然规律的理念和对数千年农耕文明深深的敬意。