Suzhou just entered summer dog days, or *sanfu days, the hottest days of the year, after the sultry plum rain season (梅雨) ended last Sunday. This year’s plum rain season started on June 10 and lasted 31 days which is seven days longer than previous ones.
*Sanfu (三伏天), also called China’s “dog days of summer”, normally refers to three 10-day periods that are predicted to have the hottest days of the year. This year’s sanfu period will continue to last 40 days, including toufu (the first part, July 11 to 20), zhongfu (the second part, July 21 to August 9) and mofu (the third part, August 10 to August 19).
According to the orange alert for high temperatures issued by Suzhou Meteorological Bureau this morning, the highest temperature in Suzhou today is 37 ℃ or even higher.
Tips for sanfu period
●Stay hydrated
It’s advisable to drink more water and less alcohol in summer, because alcohol may cause dehydration. Drinking plenty of plain boiled water or mineral water is a good way to hydrate the body. Adding a bit of salt to water if necessary can also help the body absorb water for optimal health.
●Avoid strenuous exercises
Strenuous exercises should be avoided for sanfu period while mild ones such as swimming, strolling, and Taiji are suggested instead. Compared with noon and scorching days, morning and evening are rather suitable for exercising.
●Recommendable foods
Suzhou locals usually cook lily together with parsley in the summertime. Those with sweet tooth also make sweet white fungus and lily soup to spend the hot summer days. Eating bitter gourds and watermelons can help relieve one’s internal heat and cool the body. Lotus seed is another recommend snack during dog days.