The nose and ear massage with warmed hands is something we can learn from Emperor Qianlong, according to Hu Xiaofei, a professor at Beijing Sport University.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"But you must warm your hands by rubbing both of them together before you rub your face."

According to Hu, this is a good practice before going outdoors in the autumn, and can help improve blood circulation, as the outside is often cooler than indoors.

"Also, rubbing the nose with warmed hands is something we can learn from Emperor Qianlong," says Hu.

The nose massage can curb nasal inflammation, and keep the nasal cavity moist.

The warm and moist nose can help prevent cold air from entering the lungs directly, he says.

This year's Autumn Equinox is on Sept 23, when the day and night are of equal length.

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year using 24 solar terms, and the Autumn Exquinox is the 16th at the midpoint of autumn, when most parts of China officially experience cool weather.