Start of Winter (Lidong) 2026: Exact Time, Winter Food Customs and the Qi Men Ju Change
Published
When it begins
The Start of Winter is the moment the sun reaches ecliptic longitude 225°: about 17:52 Beijing time on November 7, 2026.
| Place | Local time it begins |
|---|---|
| Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Singapore | Nov 7, about 17:52 |
| Tokyo, Seoul | Nov 7, about 18:52 |
| London | Nov 7, about 09:52 |
| New York, Toronto | Nov 7, about 04:52 |
| Los Angeles, Vancouver | Nov 7, about 01:52 |
Daylight saving time has already ended (November 1 in the US and Canada, October 25 in the UK), so the table uses standard time.
Winter tonic: keeping the custom abroad
Lidong means “winter begins.” The folk custom is a winter tonic, and it varies by region:
- Northern China: dumplings.
- Taiwan, Fujian, Guangdong: ginger duck, sesame-oil chicken, lamb hot pot.
- Abroad: no need for ceremony. A pot of hot soup or a batch of dumplings counts. Look in on older relatives as the weather turns cold.
The Start of Winter in Qi Men Dun Jia
Qi Men sets its ju by solar term. The Start of Winter is a yin period, using Ju 6, 9 and 3 for its upper, middle and lower yuan (the mnemonic is “Start of Winter six, nine, three”), after Frost’s Descent’s Ju 5, 8 and 2. Charts cast on either side of the moment use different ju.
In winter, water rules the season: the Kan palace (north) is prosperous and the Li palace (south) is held down. You will see this in each palace’s seasonal strength and in its score.
Cast a chart on local True Solar Time and see the favorable direction for the Start of Winter
FAQ
Abroad, which day is the Start of Winter?
The day it begins on your local calendar. It starts on the evening of November 7 in Beijing, which is still November 7 (early morning) in the Americas, so it is November 7 everywhere.
Do I have to eat dumplings?
No. Dumplings are a northern custom; in southern China and Taiwan, warming dishes like ginger duck, sesame-oil chicken or lamb hot pot are more common. The point is to eat something warming as the cold sets in.
Do charts change around the Start of Winter?
The ju changes. Frost's Descent uses Ju 5, 8 and 2; the Start of Winter switches to Ju 6, 9 and 3. Qimena times each term from the sun's ecliptic longitude, so charts cast either side pick the right ju (rules).