TL;DR: Hàn Lộ is the 17th of the 24 solar terms, beginning around October 8 in the Gregorian calendar when the Sun reaches 195 degrees of ecliptic longitude, opening the Tuất month (the ninth month counted by solar terms). Its name combines the Chinese characters 寒 (hàn, cold) and 露 (lộ, dew), meaning dew has begun to turn cold, following the preceding Bạch Lộ term. It is the last stretch of autumn, when the air turns chilly, tied to the harvest and preparation for winter.
What is Hàn Lộ (Cold Dew)?
Hàn Lộ is one of the 24 solar terms. It opens the Tuất month (the ninth month counted by solar terms) and is the last stretch of autumn before winter. The name comes from the Chinese characters 寒露 (hàn: cold; lộ: dew) and refers to the time when the dew has grown colder than in the preceding term, Bạch Lộ.
The book Tam mệnh thông hội, volume 2, section 論四時節氣, records: "白露八月節，寒露九月節", and explains: "金色白，金氣寒，白者，露色，寒者，露之氣，先白而氣始寒，固有漸也"[3]. A rough translation: Bạch Lộ is the solar term of the eighth month, Hàn Lộ the solar term of the ninth month; the colour of Metal is white and the qi of Metal is cold; white is the colour of dew, cold is the qi of dew; first it is white and only then does the qi begin to turn cold, a gradual sequence.
When does Hàn Lộ begin?
Hàn Lộ begins when the Sun reaches 195 degrees of ecliptic longitude. In Vietnam time the term usually begins on 8 October; between 1900 and 2100 it falls on 9 October in 55 years (all before 2000) and on 7 October in 25 years (from 2036 on). The term lasts about 15 days, until the Sun reaches 210 degrees, when Sương Giáng begins, usually on 23 October.
Start times of Hàn Lộ from 2025 to 2030, in Vietnam time:
| Year | Gregorian date | Start time |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 Oct 2025 | 07:42 |
| 2026 | 8 Oct 2026 | 13:29 |
| 2027 | 8 Oct 2027 | 19:15 |
| 2028 | 8 Oct 2028 | 01:04 |
| 2029 | 8 Oct 2029 | 06:52 |
| 2030 | 8 Oct 2030 | 12:41 |
The book Hiệp kỷ biện phương thư, volume 12, section 氣候, lists the three pentads (hậu) of Hàn Lộ: "鴻鴈來賔 雀入大水為蛤 菊有黄華"[1]. A rough translation: the wild geese arrive as guests, sparrows enter the great waters and turn into clams, chrysanthemums bloom yellow.
In the can chi calendar, Hàn Lộ opens the Tuất month (Nguyệt kiến Tuất), which lasts until just before Lập Đông, usually on 7 or 8 November. The book Tăng san bốc dịch, in the section defining the months of the year, states: "Ninth month: the Nguyệt kiến is Tuất, beginning from the Hàn Lộ solar term". This solar-term month does not coincide with the ninth lunar month, which begins on the first day of the lunar month.
Why is Hàn Lộ given this name?
The book Tuế thời quảng ký, volume 3, section 季秋月, quotes the Tam thống lịch: "寒露為九月節霜降為九月中氣", and glosses the name: "寒露者言露氣寒將欲凝結"[2]. A rough translation: Hàn Lộ is the solar term of the ninth month, Sương Giáng is the mid-term of the ninth month; it is called Hàn Lộ because the qi of the dew has turned cold and is about to congeal.
Tam mệnh thông hội, in the same section on the solar terms, divides the terms between the two halves of the year: the first half governs growth, expressed through rain, thunder and wind; the second half governs completion, expressed through dew, frost and snow. The book writes: "大抵合而言之，上半年主長生，曰雨曰雷曰風，皆生之氣，下半年主生成，曰露曰霜曰雪，皆成之氣"[3]. Accordingly, Hàn Lộ belongs to the terms of the second half of the year, carrying the quality of "completion" rather than "generation", matching the period of harvest and storing.
What customs are associated with Hàn Lộ?
In Vietnamese culture, the solar terms in general and Hàn Lộ in particular are rarely organised into separate festivals like Tết Nguyên Đán or Tết Trung Thu. However, this is an important milestone in the agricultural calendar, tied to harvesting the crops and preparing for winter.
In folk tradition, Hàn Lộ is often mentioned as the time when the air begins to turn chilly; people pay attention to keeping warm, eating warm food and drink, and going out less early in the morning and late in the evening.
How is Hàn Lộ understood in divination and feng shui systems?
In Huyền Không feng shui, the monthly flying star is also reckoned by the solar-term month, so the span from Hàn Lộ through Sương Giáng until just before Lập Đông shares one monthly star.
In the book Sử dụng la bàn, the author Thanh Thủy presents the "Thái âm đáo sơn" ring of the Tam Hợp compass, which pairs the 24 solar terms with the 24 mountains; there Hàn Lộ corresponds to the Tân mountain: "Thái âm hàn lộ đáo tân sơn" (the Thái âm at Hàn Lộ reaches the Tân mountain). Hiệp kỷ biện phương thư, volume 2, also places Hàn Lộ at Tân in its list pairing solar terms with the 24 mountains: "寒露辛"[1].
In Bát Tự (Tử Bình), Hàn Lộ is one of the 12 terms that change the month pillar: a person born from the moment Hàn Lộ begins until just before Lập Đông begins has Tuất as the month pillar, regardless of the lunar date. Sương Giáng is a mid-term (trung khí), so it does not change the month pillar.
In five-element terms, Tuất is the last month of autumn. The book Tam mệnh thông hội, section 論五行旺相休囚死并寄生十二宮, records: "秋金旺，金生水則水相，土生金則土休，火克金則火囚，金克木則木死"[3]. Accordingly, in autumn Metal is prosperous; Water, generated by Metal, is in the "tướng" state; Earth, which generates Metal, is in the "hưu" (resting) state; Fire, which overcomes Metal, is in the "tù" (imprisoned) state; Wood, overcome by Metal, is in the "tử" (dead) state.
The same book, section 論人元司事, records the "nhân nguyên" (hidden stems) of the Tuất month: "九月建戌，戌中有辛金用事七日，丙火墓庫五日，戊土一十八日"[3]. A rough translation: the ninth month is established at Tuất; within Tuất, Tân Metal holds office for seven days, Bính Fire lies in its tomb-store for five days, Mậu Earth for eighteen days.
How do the books Tam Mệnh Thông Hội and Tuế thời quảng ký understand Hàn Lộ?
Tuế thời quảng ký, volume 3, gathers the old sayings on Hàn Lộ. The Hiếu kinh vĩ says: "秋分後十五日斗指辛為寒露" (fifteen days after Thu Phân the handle of the Big Dipper points to Tân, and that is Hàn Lộ); the Chu thư Thời huấn lists the three pentads: "寒露之日鴻雁來賔後五日雀入大水後五日菊有黄華" (on the day of Hàn Lộ the wild geese arrive as guests, five days later sparrows enter the great waters, five days after that chrysanthemums bloom yellow)[2].
Tam mệnh thông hội places Hàn Lộ in a chain of growing cold: dew turns from white to cold, at Sương Giáng it congeals into frost, and then come Tiểu Tuyết and Đại Tuyết; the book sums it up as "寒氣始於露，中於霜，終於雪"[3]. The book Chu Dịch hàm thư ước tồn by Hồ Hú copies this passage almost word for word, differing only in writing "先白而後寒".
What should be noted when applying Hàn Lộ to choosing dates, directions, or reading fortunes?
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: The date and time when Hàn Lộ begins change from year to year, so for any task that relies on the solar-term month, look up the exact start time for that year, as in the table above, rather than assuming 8 October.
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: If you were born close to the start of Hàn Lộ, compare your birth time with the start time of the term: born before it, your Bát Tự month pillar is still Dậu; born after it, the month pillar is Tuất. Tử Vi does not use solar terms; it takes the lunar month of the birth date.
What information does the summary table of Hàn Lộ include?
| Feature | Information |
|---|---|
| Chinese characters | 寒露 (Hàn Lộ) |
| Position among the 24 solar terms | 17th term (counting from Lập Xuân) |
| Solar longitude | 195 degrees |
| Start date (Gregorian) | Usually 8 October (7 to 9 depending on the year) |
| End date | Before Sương Giáng, usually 23 October |
| Solar-term month | Tuất month (ninth month), until just before Lập Đông |
| Three pentads | Wild geese arrive, sparrows enter the water and turn into clams, chrysanthemums bloom yellow |
| Meaning of the name | The dew has turned cold and is about to congeal |
| Season | Late autumn |
Frequently asked questions
How long does Hàn Lộ last?
Hàn Lộ lasts about 15 days, from when the Sun reaches 195 degrees to when it reaches 210 degrees. It usually begins on 8 October and ends just before Sương Giáng, which usually begins on 23 October.
Is Hàn Lộ a Tết festival?
Hàn Lộ is not a Tết holiday or a major festival in Vietnamese culture. It is a solar term in the 24-term system, used mainly in the agricultural calendar to mark the change of season and in divination systems to reckon the solar-term month. The major Tết holidays such as Tết Nguyên Đán, Tết Trung Thu and Tết Đoan Ngọ are the occasions with their own rituals and customs.
If I am born during Hàn Lộ, how is my birth month calculated?
In Bát Tự, a person born from the start of Hàn Lộ (usually 8 October) until just before the start of Lập Đông (usually 7 November) has Tuất as the month pillar, regardless of the lunar date. Tử Vi is different: the chart uses the lunar month of the birth date and ignores solar terms. If you were born on the day the term begins, compare your birth time with that year's start time.
