Designer brings solar calendar to life

Shi Changhong [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 24 solar terms, a complementary calendar system invented in ancient China, has been brought to life thanks to a creative designer from Southwest China's Guizhou province.

On the eve of this year's Qingming Festival, Shi Changhong released his version of re-produced and packaged characters for each solar term in the form of "moving art" or gifs.

Since their initial release on Zccol, a professional website for design insiders, on March 29, the gifs have won great acclaim among the general public and quickly engulfed social media with millions of hits during the festival period.

"In my mind, the 24 solar items represent a complicated social practice system that is formed through observations of the sun's annual motion, and understanding of the year's changes in season, climate and phenology. But this definition comes from the textbook. After taking a closer look at the gifs, I can understand them in a clear and more direct way," Sina Weibo user Wang Xiaoqian said.

To maximize publicity, Shi released his work in three forms: video, animation and picture, while, the onomatopoeias set as the background music adds to the brilliance.

"When I watch the short video, I can strongly feel the Chinese-style elements hidden in them. And it is really cool to rejuvenate Chinese traditional culture in such a unique way," WeChat user Xiao Feifei added.

"It is really a comfort to me to see so many people like my latest work. To be honest, it would really surprise me if the work does not arouse a sensation among Chinese people," Shi told China Daily.