This year, Chushu arrives as summer clouds drift apart and a tender breeze begins to rise.

In Hainan, it's harvest time – rice ripens on the hills, and fishing boats return with the sea's fresh catch.

But the season truly shows itself at the table. A bowl of qingbuliang – coconut milk with mung beans and job's tears – gently cools the lingering heat. Then comes goose, as the old saying goes: "Drink goose soup, eat goose meat, and keep coughs away all year round." A cup of partridge tea, unique to Hainan, clears the palate and brings a moment of calm.

In Hainan, you don't read the seasons in falling leaves. You taste them.