The Chinese tradition of checking one’s weight falls on Lixia, one of the 24 solar terms of the Lunar Calendar marking the beginning of Summer. (Photos: IC)

In the old days when air conditioning was unheard of, the Chinese would weigh themselves on the first day of Summer, and hope for a cool and pleasant season free of the heat that often threatens weight loss.

The weigh-in consisted of the person stepping into a basket on the scale as one would weigh vegetables at the market.

In this series of photos taken a day before Lixia, which falls on May 6, people reenact this tradition by weighing their children in baskets.