Summer Yao Shan: Cooling Foods and Recipes for Hot Weather

Last updated: April 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The recipes and principles described here are drawn from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) tradition and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or health routine.

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Quick Answer

• Summer corresponds to the heart and fire element in TCM — the primary dietary goal is clearing heat (清热, qīng rè) and protecting heart qi from damage by excessive internal heat (translated from Chinese).
• Mung beans, winter melon, lotus seeds, bitter melon, and lily bulbs are the five cornerstone cooling ingredients, recommended across Chinese government health commissions and TCM hospital nutrition departments.
• The ancient drink suan mei tang (酸梅汤, sour plum soup) remains China's most popular traditional summer cooler — made from smoked black plums, hawthorn, licorice root, and rock sugar, with over 300 years of documented use.
• TCM warns against over-cooling: ice water, excessive raw food, and too much air conditioning damage spleen Yang, creating a paradox where trying to cool down actually worsens summer fatigue and digestive problems.

Summer hits differently in TCM. Where Western nutrition focuses on hydration and electrolytes, Chinese food therapy sees summer as a battle between external heat invading the body and internal fire rising from the heart. The organ at risk isn't the liver (that was spring) or the lungs (that's autumn). It's the heart.

The heart governs blood circulation and houses the spirit (神, shén) in TCM. When summer heat overwhelms the heart, you get insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, mouth ulcers, and a restlessness that no amount of iced coffee fixes. The solution is 清热 (qīng rè) — clearing heat — combined with 养心 (yǎng xīn) — nourishing the heart. And the delivery vehicle, as always, is yao shan (药膳).

Chinese hospitals report that heat-related digestive complaints spike 40-50% between June and August compared to spring months. Heatstroke admissions in southern Chinese cities peak in July, with the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission issuing annual dietary advisories urging residents to increase cooling foods. These aren't just folk suggestions. They're integrated into public health messaging by provincial and municipal governments across China.

The recipes that follow come from those official sources, from TCM university teaching hospitals, and from classical formulations still in daily use across Chinese households. All have been translated and adapted for Western kitchens.

Why Summer Is the Heart's Season in TCM

The Five Elements framework assigns summer to fire. Fire governs the heart and small intestine. Red is its color. Bitter is its flavor. Joy (and its excess, mania) is its emotion. This mapping has practical consequences for diet.

When ambient temperatures rise, the body's Yang qi expands outward to the surface — you sweat, your blood vessels dilate, your face flushes. TCM sees this as the body's fire element responding to the environment. The problem: this outward movement leaves the interior relatively depleted. The heart works harder, the digestive system (spleen and stomach) weakens, and the body becomes vulnerable to what TCM calls 暑邪 (shǔ xié) — summer heat pathogen.

There's a second threat. Summer heat naturally consumes body fluids (津液, jīn yè) and qi. Heavy sweating depletes both. This is why summer fatigue isn't just about sleep — it's about resource depletion. The Huangdi Neijing advises: "In the three months of summer, this is called luxuriant growth. The qi of Heaven and Earth intermingle and the ten thousand things flower and bear fruit."

The dietary strategy has three pillars:

1. Clear heat (清热) — remove excess internal heat before it damages organs
2. Generate fluids (生津) — replace what sweating depletes
3. Strengthen the spleen (健脾) — protect digestion from being overwhelmed by damp heat

For the seasonal framework that connects all four seasons, see our eating by season: the Chinese food therapy calendar.

The Core Dietary Principles for Summer

Bitter Flavor Takes Priority

The Huangdi Neijing states that bitter flavor enters the heart. In summer, moderate bitterness clears heart fire and dries dampness. This is the logic behind bitter melon (苦瓜) being China's most recommended summer vegetable — not because people enjoy the taste, but because TCM considers it medicine for the heart.

Bitter doesn't mean unpleasant. Chrysanthemum tea is mildly bitter. Lotus seed hearts (莲子心) are strongly bitter — just 2-3 grams steeped in hot water make a potent heart-clearing tea. Even certain greens like watercress and dandelion leaf carry the bitter profile TCM values in summer.

Light Over Heavy

Summer digestion runs weaker than any other season in TCM. The spleen, already taxed by environmental dampness (湿, shī), can't handle the same load it manages in cooler months. The Guangdong Provincial TCM Administration recommends meals that are "清淡" (qīng dàn) — light, plain, and easy to digest.

This means: more congee, more soup, more steamed vegetables, less fried food, less fatty meat, less rich sauce. The Nantong Municipal Hospital of TCM recommends "one tea, one soup, one congee, one cake" (一茶一汤一粥一糕) as a daily summer template.

The Cooling Paradox: Don't Overcool

Here's where TCM diverges sharply from Western instinct. Drinking ice water on a hot day feels logical. TCM says it's destructive. Cold drinks and ice cream "freeze" the spleen's Yang energy, impairing digestion and trapping heat inside the body instead of releasing it. The Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission warns: "Do not be greedy for cold foods — they damage spleen Yang."

The correct approach: drink warm or room-temperature fluids that have cooling nature (性, xìng) without being physically cold. Mung bean soup served warm clears more heat than ice water, according to TCM theory, because it works through its thermal nature rather than temperature.

For more on how TCM classifies thermal properties, see our guide to warming vs. cooling foods: the Chinese classification system.

8 Summer Yao Shan Recipes for Clearing Heat

1. Classic Mung Bean Soup (绿豆汤)

Source: Multiple Chinese provincial health commissions; Baidu Baike traditional formulation

Mung bean soup is to Chinese summer what lemonade is to American summer — except it's been in continuous use for over 2,000 years. The Compendium of Materia Medica (本草纲目) classifies mung beans as sweet in flavor and cool in nature, with functions of clearing heat, detoxifying, and quenching thirst. A 100-gram serving provides 24g protein, 4.5g fiber, and significant potassium (787mg).

Ingredients:

• Dried mung beans: 100 grams (about 1/2 cup)
• Water: 1.5 liters (6 cups)
• Rock sugar: 30 grams (about 2 tablespoons), or to taste
• Dried lily bulb (百合): 15 grams (optional, for extra heart-calming effect)

Method:

1. Rinse mung beans. Soak in water for 1 hour (optional but speeds cooking).
2. If using lily bulb, soak separately for 30 minutes.
3. Place beans and lily bulb in a pot. Add water.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low.
5. Simmer 30-40 minutes until beans split open and soup turns green.
6. Add rock sugar. Stir until dissolved.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature. Do not ice.

TCM function: Clears heat and detoxifies (清热解毒), quenches thirst, relieves summer heat. The green color of the soup matters — it indicates the cooling compounds are still active. Overcooked brownish soup has shifted toward a more neutral thermal nature.

Key tip from Chinese sources: For maximum heat-clearing effect, drink the soup when it's still green, within the first 30 minutes of cooking. For a more nourishing, spleen-friendly version, cook longer until beans break apart.

2. Winter Melon and Barley Soup (冬瓜薏米汤)

Source: Guangdong Provincial Health Commission; Huadu District Government health advisory

Winter melon (冬瓜) is sweet and bland in flavor, cool in nature. It clears heat, promotes urination, and reduces swelling. Combined with job's tears barley (薏米), which drains dampness and strengthens the spleen, this soup tackles the twin threats of summer: heat and humidity.

Ingredients:

• Winter melon: 500 grams (about 1 lb), with skin, seeded, cut into chunks
• Job's tears barley (薏米): 30 grams (about 2 tablespoons)
• Pork ribs: 300 grams (10 oz), optional
• Fresh ginger: 3 slices
• Salt: to taste

Method:

1. If using ribs, blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse.
2. Soak barley in water for 1 hour.
3. Place ribs (if using), barley, and ginger in a pot with 2 liters (8 cups) of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat. Simmer 45 minutes.
5. Add winter melon chunks. Continue simmering 20 minutes until melon is translucent.
6. Season with salt.

TCM function: Clears summer heat (清暑热), drains dampness (利湿), promotes urination. Particularly useful when summer humidity causes bloating, heavy limbs, or foggy thinking.

Note: Keep the winter melon skin on during cooking. Chinese sources emphasize that the skin (冬瓜皮) has stronger diuretic and heat-clearing properties than the flesh. Remove before eating if desired.

3. Sour Plum Drink (酸梅汤)

Source: Guangdong Provincial TCM Administration; Beijing Municipal Health Commission; Tongrentang classical formulation

This is China's original summer drink, with recipes dating to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) and standardized during the Qing Dynasty at the imperial court. The version most Chinese families know today traces to Tongrentang pharmacy's formulation. In 2023, Chinese social media saw a massive revival of DIY suan mei tang, with TCM hospital pharmacies across China reporting surges in ingredient orders.

Ingredients:

• Smoked black plums (乌梅): 25 grams (about 8-10 pieces)
• Dried hawthorn (山楂): 25 grams
• Dried tangerine peel (陈皮): 5 grams
• Licorice root (甘草): 3 grams
• Roselle/hibiscus flowers (洛神花): 5 grams (optional, adds color and tartness)
• Rock sugar: 50-80 grams, to taste
• Dried osmanthus flowers (桂花): 2 grams (garnish, added at end)

Method:

1. Rinse all herbs quickly. Soak in 2 liters (8 cups) cold water for 30 minutes.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low.
3. Simmer 40 minutes with lid slightly ajar.
4. Add rock sugar. Stir until dissolved. Simmer 5 more minutes.
5. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Discard solids.
6. Sprinkle dried osmanthus on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TCM function: Generates fluids and quenches thirst (生津止渴), calms the digestive system, disperses food stagnation. The sour flavor of black plums astringes — it helps the body hold onto fluids instead of losing them through excessive sweating.

Caution: The sour and cold nature of this drink makes it unsuitable for people with weak digestion (spleen qi deficiency). The hawthorn component has mild blood-activating properties, so pregnant women should consult a practitioner before consuming regularly.

For more on chen pi's role in cooking, see our ingredient guide on dried tangerine peel (chen pi) in cooking.

4. Lotus Seed and Lily Bulb Heart-Calming Soup (莲子百合养心汤)

Source: Beijing Wangfu Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine; Chongqing Tongnan District Health Commission

When summer heat disturbs the heart spirit, insomnia and restlessness follow. This soup targets that pattern directly. Lotus seeds (莲子) calm the spirit and strengthen the spleen. Lily bulb (百合) nourishes yin and clears heat from the heart and lungs. Together, they're one of TCM's most trusted combinations for summer sleep support.

Ingredients:

• Dried lotus seeds: 20 grams (about 2 tablespoons), soaked 2 hours
• Dried lily bulb (百合): 25 grams, soaked 30 minutes
• Pork heart: 100 grams (optional), sliced thin
• Rock sugar: to taste
• Water: 1.5 liters (6 cups)

Method:

1. Remove the bitter green embryo (莲心) from lotus seeds if you want a milder flavor. Leave them in for stronger heart-clearing effect.
2. If using pork heart, blanch slices in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain.
3. Place lotus seeds in a pot with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30 minutes.
4. Add lily bulb pieces and pork heart (if using). Simmer 15 more minutes.
5. Add rock sugar. Serve warm.

TCM function: Nourishes the heart and calms the spirit (养心安神), clears heart heat, benefits the lungs. Best for summer insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, irritability, and palpitations.

Serves: 2-3 people. Can be consumed 2-3 times per week during the hottest months.

For a deeper look at lotus seed preparations, see our guide to lotus seeds in TCM food therapy.

5. Bitter Melon Stir-Fry with Black Bean Sauce (豆豉苦瓜)

Source: Guangdong Provincial TCM Administration summer dietary advisory

Bitter melon (苦瓜) is the king of summer heat-clearing vegetables in TCM. Its bitter, cold nature directly targets heart fire and toxic heat. Nutritionally, it's exceptional: 100 grams provides 84mg of vitamin C (more than oranges), along with charantin and polypeptide-p, compounds studied for their effects on blood sugar regulation (per a 2019 review in Journal of Ethnopharmacology).

Ingredients:

• Bitter melon: 300 grams (about 10 oz), halved, seeded, sliced into thin half-moons
• Fermented black beans (豆豉): 1 tablespoon, rinsed and chopped
• Garlic: 3 cloves, minced
• Red chili: 1 small (optional, for balance)
• Cooking oil: 1 tablespoon
• Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon
• Sugar: 1 teaspoon (reduces bitterness)
• Salt: a pinch

Method:

1. Blanch bitter melon slices in salted boiling water for 1 minute. Drain. This reduces bitterness by about 40%.
2. Heat oil in a wok over high heat.
3. Add garlic, black beans, and chili. Stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add bitter melon slices. Stir-fry 2-3 minutes.
5. Add soy sauce and sugar. Toss to combine. Cook 1 more minute.
6. Serve immediately.

TCM function: Clears heat and detoxifies (清热解毒), brightens the eyes, cools the blood. The fermented black beans add a harmonizing warm element that prevents the bitter melon from being too cold for the spleen.

Tip: If you find bitter melon too intense, soak slices in salted water for 15 minutes before blanching. Chinese home cooks also add a beaten egg to the stir-fry, which mellows the bitterness further.

6. Chrysanthemum and Honeysuckle Cooling Tea (菊花金银花茶)

Source: National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission

When summer heat hits its peak (大暑, Major Heat, around July 22-23), Chinese health authorities recommend this tea as a daily cooler. Honeysuckle (金银花) is one of TCM's strongest heat-clearing and detoxifying herbs, classified as cold in nature. Paired with chrysanthemum, it addresses both internal heat and the inflammatory sore throats common in summer.

Ingredients:

• Chrysanthemum flowers: 5 grams
• Honeysuckle (金银花): 5 grams
• Rock sugar: a small piece (optional)
• Boiling water: 400 ml (about 1.75 cups)

Method:

1. Rinse herbs briefly.
2. Place in a teapot. Pour boiling water over herbs.
3. Cover and steep 10 minutes.
4. Add rock sugar if desired. Drink warm.
5. Refill 2-3 times throughout the day.

TCM function: Clears heat and detoxifies (清热解毒), clears summer heat from the head and eyes. Particularly effective for summer sore throat, red eyes, and acne flare-ups triggered by heat.

Caution: This is a cold-natured tea. People with spleen deficiency or cold constitutions should limit to 1-2 cups per day and avoid drinking on an empty stomach.

7.荷叶 Lotus Leaf Congee (荷叶粥)

Source: Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Museum; Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission

Fresh lotus leaf (荷叶) is available only in summer, making this a truly seasonal preparation. The leaf is bitter, neutral to slightly cool, and enters the liver, spleen, and stomach meridians. It lifts clear Yang qi while clearing summer dampness — a unique dual action that most cooling herbs can't match.

Ingredients:

• Fresh lotus leaf: 1 large leaf (or 10 grams dried)
• White rice: 100 grams (about 1/2 cup)
• Water: 1.5 liters (6 cups)
• Rock sugar or honey: to taste

Method:

1. If using fresh lotus leaf, rinse and tear into large pieces.
2. Place lotus leaf in a pot with water. Boil 15 minutes to extract flavor and color.
3. Remove the leaf pieces. The water should be faintly green.
4. Add rice to the lotus-infused water. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to low heat. Simmer 40-50 minutes until congee is thick.
6. Add sugar or honey. Serve warm.

TCM function: Awakens the spleen and opens the appetite (醒脾开胃), clears summer heat, generates fluids. The subtle fragrance of lotus leaf is believed to "lift the spirit" during the heavy, oppressive days of midsummer.

When to eat: Breakfast, daily during the hottest weeks. This is a staple congee, not a strong medicinal preparation.

For more medicinal congee recipes, explore our complete guide to congee therapy: medicinal porridge recipes.

8. Mung Bean, Kelp, and Winter Melon Bone Soup (绿豆海带冬瓜骨头汤)

Source: Dongguan Times health column; Huadu District Government health advisory

This is a serious, meal-replacement-level summer soup from Guangdong province, where summer humidity demands aggressive dampness-clearing strategies. It combines three of TCM's top summer ingredients in a rich, mineral-dense bone broth that nourishes while it cools.

Ingredients:

• Pork spine bones: 500 grams (about 1 lb)
• Mung beans: 50 grams (about 1/4 cup), soaked 2-3 hours
• Dried kelp (海带): 30 grams, soaked and cut into strips
• Winter melon: 300 grams (about 10 oz), with skin, cut into chunks
• Scallions: 2 stalks, cut into sections
• Ginger: 3 slices
• Salt: to taste

Method:

1. Blanch pork bones in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse, and remove any scum.
2. Place bones, scallions, ginger, mung beans, and kelp in a large pot.
3. Add 2.5 liters (10 cups) of water. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to low heat. Simmer 30 minutes until mung beans split and soup turns green.
5. Add winter melon chunks. Continue simmering 10-15 minutes until melon is translucent.
6. Season with salt. Remove scallions and ginger.

TCM function: Clears heat and detoxifies (清热解毒), drains dampness, softens hardness (from kelp), promotes urination. The bone broth base provides calcium and minerals to replenish what summer sweating depletes, while the three cooling ingredients prevent heat accumulation.

Serves: 3-4 people. Once or twice weekly during peak summer.

Summer Foods: What to Eat and What to Avoid

Best Summer Foods for Clearing Heat

Based on guidance from Chinese provincial health commissions and TCM hospital nutrition departments:

Cooling vegetables:

• Winter melon (冬瓜) — the most universally recommended summer vegetable in TCM. Sweet, bland, cool.
• Bitter melon (苦瓜) — strongest heat-clearing vegetable. Bitter, cold.
• Cucumber (黄瓜) — sweet, cool. Hydrating. Good raw or in cold dishes.
• Tomato (番茄) — sweet, slightly sour, slightly cold. Generates fluids.
• Lotus root (藕) — sweet, cool when raw (clearing heat), warm when cooked (nourishing blood). One of the few ingredients that changes thermal nature with cooking.

Cooling grains and seeds:

• Mung beans (绿豆) — sweet, cool. The number one summer legume.
• Job's tears barley (薏米) — sweet, bland, slightly cool. Drains dampness.
• Lotus seeds (莲子) — sweet, astringent, neutral. Calms the heart.
• Lily bulb (百合) — sweet, slightly cold. Nourishes lung and heart yin.

Summer fruits:

• Watermelon (西瓜) — TCM calls it "natural white tiger soup" (天然白虎汤), referring to a classical fever-reducing formula. Sweet, cold. Powerful heat-clearer but can damage spleen if eaten excessively.
• Pear (梨) — sweet, slightly sour, cool. Generates fluids.
• Mulberry (桑葚) — sweet, cold. Nourishes yin and blood.

Foods to Limit in Summer

• Ice-cold beverages and frozen desserts — The biggest disagreement between TCM and Western habit. Cold injures spleen Yang, trapping heat instead of clearing it.
• Greasy, fried foods — Spleen function is at its weakest in summer. Heavy foods create dampness and phlegm.
• Excessive spicy food — Moderate spice can actually help (capsaicin promotes sweating, which cools the body), but excess generates internal heat.
• Too much raw food — Raw vegetables and fruits are cool in nature, which is helpful, but large quantities burden weak summer digestion.

Understanding Summer's Two Sub-Seasons

TCM divides summer into two distinct periods, each requiring different dietary emphasis:

Early Summer (初夏, roughly May-June): Focus on Dampness

As temperatures rise but humidity hasn't peaked, the spleen is most vulnerable. The Sichuan Provincial TCM Administration recommends focusing on dampness-draining foods: barley, red bean (赤小豆), white hyacinth bean (白扁豆), and poria (茯苓). Congee with these ingredients protects digestive function before the real heat arrives.

This is also the period of the Grain Rain (谷雨) and Start of Summer (立夏) solar terms, traditionally marked by specific food practices. See our complete guide to jieqi (24 solar terms) TCM food traditions.

Late Summer (季夏/长夏, roughly July-August): Focus on Heat and Heart

Peak heat arrives. Heart fire rises. This is when bitter melon, lotus seed heart tea, mung bean soup, and sour plum drink become daily staples. The Shanghai-based publication The Paper reports that TCM hospitals in southern China see a 35% increase in prescriptions for heat-clearing herbs during this period.

Late summer is also when TCM's concept of "long summer" (长夏) overlaps — a fifth season associated with the spleen and earth element, characterized by extreme dampness. This demands dual-action foods that clear heat AND drain dampness simultaneously, like winter melon with barley.

For more on late summer's unique position in TCM, see our article on late summer TCM: the spleen-supporting season.

How TCM Body Types Affect Summer Cooling

Different body constitutions respond to summer heat differently, and the wrong cooling strategy can cause harm:

• Yang deficiency (阳虚): Be very cautious with cooling foods. Even in summer, people with Yang deficiency need warmth. Limit mung bean soup to once weekly. Add ginger to cooling dishes. Avoid raw foods and sour plum drink.
• Yin deficiency (阴虚): Summer is especially harsh — heat and sweating deplete already-low yin reserves. Prioritize lily bulb, snow fungus, and lotus seed preparations. Pear soup is ideal.
• Damp-heat (湿热): Summer amplifies this constitution's problems. Aggressive dampness-clearing is needed: barley water, winter melon soup, bitter melon daily. Avoid sugar and alcohol.
• Qi deficiency (气虚): Cooling foods can further weaken qi. Use moderate, not aggressive, cooling. Lotus seed and Chinese yam congee protects the spleen while gently clearing heat. Astragalus can be added to summer soups in small amounts (10g).

Take our TCM body type self-assessment to identify your pattern before applying these recommendations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really bad to drink ice water in summer according to TCM?

TCM consistently advises against it. The reasoning: physically cold substances cause the stomach and spleen to contract, impairing digestive function and trapping heat inside the body rather than allowing it to dissipate naturally. The Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission explicitly warns against "being greedy for cold" (贪凉). That said, this is a traditional perspective, not a universal medical consensus. If you're otherwise healthy with strong digestion, the occasional cold drink is unlikely to cause harm. But if you notice bloating, loose stools, or fatigue after cold drinks, TCM would say your spleen is telling you something.

Can I eat watermelon freely in summer?

In moderation, yes. TCM considers watermelon one of the most powerful summer heat-clearers — it even has the nickname "natural white tiger soup" after a famous fever-reducing formula. But watermelon is very cold in nature and high in natural sugars. Eating too much can damage spleen Yang, causing diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. Chinese sources recommend no more than 200-300 grams per sitting, eaten at room temperature (not straight from the refrigerator), and not late at night when digestive fire is already low.

How do I know if I have summer heat symptoms that need clearing?

Common signs of summer heat accumulation in TCM include: feeling hot but unable to cool down, excessive thirst, dark yellow urine, irritability and restlessness, difficulty sleeping, red face, increased acne or mouth ulcers, and a feeling of heaviness in the limbs (indicating accompanying dampness). A thick yellow coating on the tongue is a classic diagnostic marker. If you experience these, cooling foods like mung bean soup, chrysanthemum tea, and winter melon soup are appropriate starting points.

Are these summer recipes safe for children?

Most are safe in smaller portions, but with modifications. Mung bean soup, lotus leaf congee, and winter melon soup are gentle enough for children over 2 years old. Reduce serving sizes by half. Avoid strongly cold herbs like honeysuckle (金银花) for children under 5 unless guided by a practitioner. Bitter melon is generally too intense for young palates and constitutions. Sour plum drink is fine for children over 3 in small amounts. See our detailed guide on Chinese food therapy for children.

What if I live in a cool climate — do I still need summer cooling foods?

The principles scale with your actual environment. If your summer temperatures rarely exceed 25°C (77°F), aggressive cooling is unnecessary and could damage spleen Yang. Focus instead on the dampness-draining aspect (barley, poria) and gentle cooling (chrysanthemum tea, cucumber). If you work in air conditioning all day, your body may actually need warming — the artificial cold creates a different pattern than natural summer heat. TCM always adapts to the individual's actual condition, not a calendar date.

Sources

• Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Museum. "Summer Health Recipes." bowuguan.bucm.edu.cn
• National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. "How to Stay Cool in Summer." 2020. natcm.gov.cn
• Beijing Municipal Health Commission. "24 Solar Terms Dietary Guide — Summer Solstice." 2024. wjw.beijing.gov.cn
• Guangdong Provincial TCM Administration. "Summer Health Food Recipes." szyyj.gd.gov.cn
• Huadu District Government Health Advisory. "Seven Summer Soup Recipes from TCM Doctors." huadu.gov.cn
• Beijing Wangfu Hospital. "Summer Heart-Nourishing Medicinal Diet." rimh.cn
• Chongqing Tongnan District Health Commission. "Summer Heart Nourishment Through Food Therapy." 2024. cqtn.gov.cn
• Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission. "Summer TCM Health Tips." wjw.sz.gov.cn
• Nantong Municipal Hospital of TCM. "Four Summer Wellness Preparations." ntzyy.com
• Guangdong Provincial TCM Administration. "Classic Sour Plum Drink Recipe." szyyj.gd.gov.cn
• People's Daily. "Traditional Summer Sour Plum Drink." 2025. health.people.com.cn

— The Yao Shan Guide Team