Health and tradition on the menu

Apart from going outside, the Chinese also have the tradition to cook particular vegetables on Chunfen.

In southern China's Fujian and Guangdong provinces, people living in villages dig wild vegetables and cook them in soup to clean their stomachs. The meals are also regarded as a ritual to pray for a healthy and strong body.

"Since ancient times, we ate food based on the changes of seasons," says Zhang Libin, a chef working at a Chinese restaurant whose menu changes according to solar terms.

In spring, sprouting vegetables such as Chinese toon leaves and bean sprouts are very common on dinning tables. And in summer, it's time to cook leaves of vegetable while in autumn it's fruits of plants. When winter comes, people eat root vegetables like potatoes and carrots.

"Chunfen means hope and to grow up, just like the plants."

Zhang says chunbing, a pancake made in spring wrapped with eggs, leek and Chinese toon, are popular across China, although cooking styles are quite different between northern and southern China.