Solar Terms Rice Calendar Postcard

《Solar Terms Rice Calendar Postcard》 Rice cultivation follows the solar terms for growth. Each page represents two months, sharing a year of cultivation and harvest with you, complemented by warm paper and handmade screen printing. https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/%E6%98%8E%E4%BF%A1%E7%89%871_1.jpg The second rice crop in Donghai follows the cycle of the four seasons. This series features traditional handcrafted screen printing, with each print requiring six passes per piece, making the production process meticulous and time-consuming. https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/199639_0.jpg Ink is applied to the paper through a screen mesh. Therefore, within the areas printed with gold and pearl colors, a fine mesh pattern is visible. https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/199640_0.jpg Rice cultivation follows the solar terms. Amidst the flow of days, we share in each other's cultivation and harvest. Playprint Studio is located in the fields of Donghai, at the intersection of city and countryside. We visit professional farmers and gather stories from the rice granaries of Hsinchu to create pastoral images for the "Solar Terms Rice Calendar" series, conveying the essence of the Donghai fields. https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/%E6%98%8E%E4%BF%A1%E7%89%879.jpg https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/%E6%98%8E%E4%BF%A1%E7%89%878.jpg Six illustrated themes of rice cultivation throughout the four seasons: Jan-Feb: Birds Fly Amidst Spring's Embrace The beginning of spring brings balanced rain. Seedlings emerge, painting the land in fresh green. As irrigation channels nourish the soil, farmers begin land preparation during the "Rain Water" solar term. Tractors lower their plows, tilling and turning the soil to create paddy fields, with birds flying alongside the spring scenery. https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/%E6%98%8E%E4%BF%A1%E7%89%872.jpg Mar-Apr: Spring Returns to Full Rice Fields The first spring thunder rumbles, and the earth awakens. Farmers complete the first rice transplanting before the "Spring Equinox" solar term. Following natural field management practices, they diligently transplant seedlings, collect golden snails, and patrol the irrigation channels, embracing the solar terms and returning to the soil. https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/%E6%98%8E%E4%BF%A1%E7%89%873.jpg May-Jun: Plum Rain and Summer's Ripening The plum rain season arrives with gentle showers. Rice plants go through heading, flowering, and pollination. Egrets soar through the lush green landscape. During the hot "Grain in Ear" period, the rice grains gradually ripen and fill out, heralding the joy of a bountiful harvest. https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/%E6%98%8E%E4%BF%A1%E7%89%874.jpg Jul-Aug: Golden Grains, Ripe Harvest After "Minor Heat," the first rice crop turns golden and ripens. The ears of rice are full and heavy, swaying in the breeze across a sea of gold. Farmers race against the "Major Heat" to complete the first harvest while simultaneously preparing seedlings for the second crop, aiming to complete transplanting before "Beginning of Autumn." https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/%E6%98%8E%E4%BF%A1%E7%89%875.jpg Sep-Oct: Sun-Dried Fragrant Rice After the summer harvest, farmers repeatedly sun-dry the grains under the intense sun. Rakes arrange the rice into rows, resembling golden waves. A faint aroma of rice fills the air, heralding the new life of the second rice crop. https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/%E6%98%8E%E4%BF%A1%E7%89%876.jpg Nov-Dec: Joyful Celebration of Abundance After the second rice crop is harvested, farmers focus on nurturing the land, preserving its vitality. "Beginning of Winter" acknowledges their hard work. Farmers prepare delicious feasts, inviting friends and family to celebrate the autumn harvest and offer thanks for peace and prosperity. https://image-cdn.qdm.cloud/site/q6d7e4b0d3564d/image/data/%E6%98%8E%E4%BF%A1%E7%89%877.jpg "Rain Water" for land preparation, "Awakening of Insects" for warming https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53230898415_04f4934763_b.jpg Spring thunder begins to rumble https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53229503922_578fc84b76_b.jpg Farmers complete rice transplanting before the "Spring Equinox" https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53230877520_a866bf7055_b.jpg During the "Grain in Ear" period, rice begins to head, flower, and pollinate, with grains turning golden and ripe. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53229503792_b0aa6d3b61_b.jpg As the weather gradually heats up, the ripe rice is harvested between "Minor Heat" and "Major Heat." https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53230877610_87b188dda2_b.jpg Together, let's live days that bring us joy.