3 Yuan Twenty-Four Solar Terms-Stories, Rain Water

The Twenty-Four Solar Terms series draws from the ancient Chinese lunisolar calendar system formally inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016. Rain Water (雨水) marks the point when temperatures rise sufficiently for precipitation to shift from snow to rain — falling on or around February 19 each year — and has governed agricultural planning across the Yellow River basin for over two millennia. The People's Bank issued this as a small-denomination collector piece within a broader multi-year commemorative program rather than any circulating monetary need.