“立春”九大风俗 鸡蛋为啥能立起来？ Culture Insider: 9 things you may not know about Start of Spring

Image of Gou Mang, the god of Spring. [Photo/gmw.cn]

Welcoming spring
“拜春”

People in China began holding a special ceremony on the first day of Start of Spring about 3,000 years ago. They made sacrifices to Gou Mang, the god of Spring, who is in charge of agriculture. By the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), greeting spring had become an important folk activity. In Beijing, government officials welcomed spring in the wild field near Dongzhimen (the east gate of Beijing).
三千年前，中国人就开始举行迎春仪式了。人们拜祭主宰农业的春神“句芒”。清朝时，“拜春”成为重要的民间活动。明清时京兆尹和各府衙官员，都必须去“东郊”的东直门外五里的“春场”去迎春。

（中国日报网英语点津 yaning）