Frost's Descent, the eighteenth solar term of the twenty-four solar terms, is the last solar term of autumn and the transition from autumn to winter, during which time the weather becomes much colder than before, and frost begins to appear.

Here are several things you should know about Frost's Descent.

Frosty autumn
Frost consists of white ice crystals of frozen water vapor near the ground. During Frost's Descent, frost begins to appear. As Frost's Descent comes, the world is filled with the atmosphere of late autumn.

Eating persimmons
Eating persimmons during Frost's Descent can help people resist the cold and protect their bones.

Eating apples and pears
The apple is one kind of recommended fruit during Frost's Descent. Apples can moisten the lungs, quench one's thirst and help one's digestion. The pear is another recommended fruit, which can promote the secretion of body liquids, clear away heat and reduce sputum.

Eating duck
It's a custom to eat duck on the first day of Frost's Descent in south Fujian province and Taiwan. Eating duck is a way for people there to gain weight.

(By Yang Jiming/Wang Wenchao)