Summertime usually promises longer days, blue skies, outdoor meals and the pleasure of being outside, soaking up the sun. In China, though, the summer heat can be a lot to handle. When temperatures climb into the mid-to-high 30 degrees Celsius, daily life becomes a search for shade to escape the scorching sun.
To an outsider, some of these habits can look puzzling at first: passersby wrapped in sun-proof "armor," grandmothers insisting on cooling teas, or friends recommending mung bean soup with the confidence of a TCM pro. But for those who've been here long enough, these rituals become part of everyday summer living. Here are some of the quirkiest, and most original, ways Chinese people beat the summer heat.
Armor-like sun gear
One Chinese summer strategy is not what many outside the country would expect: covering up. On sunny days, pedestrians and cyclists may appear in arm sleeves, UV jackets, wide-brimmed hats, masks, neck covers, sunglasses and umbrellas. The result can look almost futuristic.
This approach to sun protection is partly about avoiding sunburn and tanning, but also about staying physically cooler by creating shade directly on the body.
Cooling head strips
On especially humid days, people may wear cooling patches or strips across the forehead or the back of the neck. Elsewhere, such patches might be marketed for fevers or headaches, but in summer they become a portable comfort tool: compact, quick to apply and refreshingly cold.
These patches, usually made of a gel that helps absorb body heat, fit the Chinese approach to summer as an on-the-go solution to the heat. Whether on the forehead, neck, wrists or stomach, they create moments of relief while moving through the city.
Palm-leaf and nifty electronic fans
Fans are one of the oldest and most dependable heat hacks in China. Traditional palm-leaf fans still appear in parks, courtyards and neighborhood shops, especially in the hands of older residents. They are cheap, silent, battery-free and lightweight.
Their modern equivalents are everywhere too: mini electric fans clipped to phones, hung around necks, propped on office desks or carried on the subway, and are a must-have for many.
Cooling drinks: suanmeitang, chrysanthemum tea and mung bean soup
In China, cooling down often starts from the inside. One of the most beloved summer drinks is suanmeitang, or sour plum drink, a sweet-tart beverage commonly made with smoked plums, hawthorn and rock sugar. It is served chilled and is especially popular with rich or spicy foods.
Other cooling drinks include chrysanthemum tea and jinyinhua, or honeysuckle flower water, both associated in traditional Chinese food therapy with clearing heat from the body.
Mung bean soup
Mung bean soup, or ludou tang, is one of the most classic Chinese summer remedies. At its simplest, it is made by simmering mung beans with water and a little sugar, then serving it warm, room temperature or chilled.
The idea comes from traditional Chinese medicine, where mung beans are considered cooling. Modern recipes vary by region, from brothy versions to thick, dessert-like ones.
Bamboo mats and floor cooling
At home, cooling can move from the street to the bed. Bamboo sleeping mats are a traditional summer staple: smooth, firm, naturally cool to the touch and far less heat-trapping than thick fabric bedding. Some people lay them over a mattress, others spread them directly on the floor for maximum contact with a cooler surface.
The appeal is low-tech: bamboo allows more airflow than heavy bedding and gives the skin a cooler surface to rest against.