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Jīngzhé (pīnyīn) or Keichitsu (rōmaji) (Traditional Chinese: 驚蟄; Simplified Chinese: 惊蛰; Japanese: 啓蟄; Korean: 경칩; Vietnamese: Kinh trập; literally: "awakening of insects") is the 3^rd of 24 solar terms (節氣) in the traditional East Asian calendars. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 345° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 360°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 345°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around March 5 and ends around March 20.

The word 驚蟄 has the meaning of awakening of hibernated insects. 驚 is startling, and 蟄 is hibernated (insects). The traditional Chinese farming culture said that during Jingzhe, thunderstorms will wake up the hibernated insects, which also means the weather is getting warm.

[edit] Pentads

Each solar term can be divided into 3 pentads (候). They are first pentad (初候), second pentad (次候) and last pentad (末候). Pentads in Jingzhe including:

China

• First pentad: 桃始華
• Second pentad: 倉庚鳴
• Last pentad: 鷹化為鳩

Japan

• First pentad: 蟄虫啓戸
• Second pentad: 桃始笑
• Last pentad: 菜虫化蝶