Eating gourds 吃瓜

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), people would put gourds outside for a day before the Start of Autumn, and eat them on Start of Autumn day to drive off the summer heat. Today people in Tianjin still keep this custom, believing that eating melons such as towel gourd, white gourd and bitter gourd can prevent diarrhea in autumn and the coming winter and spring.

清朝時，人們會在立秋前一天在屋子外面掛一根瓜，然后在立秋當天吃掉，從而祛除夏季的暑氣?，F(xiàn)在天津人仍然保留著這一習俗，認為吃絲瓜、冬瓜、苦瓜等瓜類食物可以預(yù)防秋冬春季腹瀉。