Looking at
the diagram on the right, 1 Cycle of the lunar calendar consists of 180
years.[The Five Elements] - [Contents | Index | Prev | Home]
| Heavenly Stem | Element | Planet | Direction |
| Jia (hard wood) | Wood | Jupiter | East |
| Yi (soft wood) | Wood | Jupiter | East |
| Bing (sun fire) | Fire | Mars | South |
| Ding (kitchen fire) | Fire | Mars | South |
| Wu (mountain earth) | Earth | Saturn | Centre |
| Ji (sand earth) | Earth | Saturn | Centre |
| Geng (rough metal) | Metal | Venus | West |
| Xin (refined metal) | Metal | Venus | West |
| Ren (sea water) | Water | Mercury | North |
| Gui (rain water) | Water | Mercury | North |
| Earthly Branch | Element | Hour of Birth | Direction |
| Rat | Water | 11.00pm - 12.59am | North |
| Ox | Earth | 1.00am - 2.59am | North-East |
| Tiger | Wood | 3.00am - 4.59am | North-East |
| Rabbit | Wood | 5.00am - 6.59am | East |
| Dragon | Earth | 7.00am - 8.59am | South-East |
| Snake | Fire | 9.00am - 10.59am | South-East |
| Horse | Fire | 11.00am - 12.59pm | South |
| Ram | Earth | 1.00pm - 2.59pm | South-West |
| Monkey | Metal | 3.00pm - 4.59pm | South-West |
| Rooster | Metal | 5.00pm - 6.59pm | West |
| Dog | Earth | 7.00pm - 8.59pm | North-West |
| Pig | Water | 9.00pm - 10.59pm | North-West |
Looking at
the diagram on the right, 1 Cycle of the lunar calendar consists of 180
years.
Each cycle is divided into 3 groups: Upper, Middle and Lower. Each group comprise 3 periods. Each period is 20 years.
We are now in thePeriod 7 of the lower period.
In eight years time (2004), we will be entering PERIOD 8.
| Period | Year | Heavenly Stem | Earthly Branch | Period | Year | Heavenly Stem | Earthly Branch |
| 4 | 1 (1924) | Jia | Rat | 5 | 31 (1954) | Jia | Horse |
| 4 | 2 (1925) | Yi | Ox | 5 | 32 (1955) | Yi | Ram |
| 4 | 3 (1926) | Bing | Tiger | 5 | 33 (1956) | Bing | Monkey (Metal) |
| 4 | 4 (1927) | Ding | Rabbit | 5 | 34 (1957) | Ding | Rooster (Metal) |
| 4 | 5 (1928) | Wu | Dragon | 5 | 35 (1958) | Wu | Dog |
| 4 | 6 (1929) | Ji | Snake | 5 | 36 (1959) | Ji | Pig |
| 4 | 7 (1930) | Geng | Horse | 5 | 37 (1960) | Geng | Rat |
| 4 | 8 (1931) | Xin | Ram | 5 | 38 (1961) | Xin | Ox |
| 4 | 9 (1932) | Ren | Monkey (Metal) | 5 | 39 (1962) | Ren | Tiger |
| 4 | 10 (1933) | Ren | Rooster (Metal) | 5 | 40 (1963) | Ren | Rabbit |
| 4 | 11 (1934) | Jia | Dog | 6 | 41 (1964) | Jia | Dragon |
| 4 | 12 (1935) | Yi | Pig | 6 | 42 (1965) | Yi | Snake |
| 4 | 13 (1936) | Bing | Rat | 6 | 43 (1966) | Bing | Horse |
| 4 | 14 (1937) | Ding | Ox | 6 | 44 (1967) | Ding | Ram |
| 4 | 15 (1938) | Wu | Tiger | 6 | 45 (1968) | Wu | Monkey (Metal) |
| 4 | 16 (1939) | Ji | Rabbit | 6 | 46 (1969) | Ji | Rooster (Metal) |
| 4 | 17 (1940) | Geng | Dragon | 6 | 47 (1970) | Geng | Dog |
| 4 | 18 (1941) | Xin | Snake | 6 | 48 (1971) | Xin | Pig |
| 4 | 19 (1942) | Ren | Horse | 6 | 49 (1972) | Ren | Rat |
| 4 | 20 (1943) | Ren | Ram | 6 | 50 (1973) | Ren | Ox |
| 5 | 21 (1944) | Jia | Monkey (Metal) | 6 | 51 (1974) | Jia | Tiger |
| 5 | 22 (1945) | Yi | Rooster (Metal) | 6 | 52 (1975) | Yi | Rabbit |
| 5 | 23 (1946) | Bing | Dog | 6 | 53 (1976) | Bing | Dragon |
| 5 | 24 (1947) | Ding | Pig | 6 | 54 (1977) | Ding | Snake |
| 5 | 25 (1948) | Wu | Rat | 6 | 55 (1978) | Wu | Horse |
| 5 | 26 (1949) | Ji | Ox | 6 | 56 (1979) | Ji | Ram |
| 5 | 27 (1950) | Geng | Tiger | 6 | 57 (1980) | Geng | Monkey (Metal) |
| 5 | 28 (1951) | Xin | Rabbit | 6 | 58 (1981) | Xin | Rooster (Metal) |
| 5 | 29 (1952) | Ren | Dragon | 6 | 59 (1982) | Ren | Dog |
| 5 | 30 (1953) | Ren | Snake | 6 | 60 (1983) | Ren | Pig |
| Period | Year | Heavenly Stem | Earthly Branch | Period | Year | Heavenly Stem | Earthly Branch |
| 7 | 1 (1984) | Jia | Rat | 8 | 31 (2014) | Jia | Horse |
| 7 | 2 (1985) | Yi | Ox | 8 | 32 (2015) | Yi | Ram |
| 7 | 3 (1986) | Bing | Tiger | 8 | 33 (2016) | Bing | Monkey (Metal) |
| 7 | 4 (1987) | Ding | Rabbit | 8 | 34 (2017) | Ding | Rooster (Metal) |
| 7 | 5 (1988) | Wu | Dragon | 8 | 35 (2018) | Wu | Dog |
| 7 | 6 (1989) | Ji | Snake | 8 | 36 (2019) | Ji | Pig |
| 7 | 7 (1990) | Geng | Horse | 8 | 37 (2020) | Geng | Rat |
| 7 | 8 (1991) | Xin | Ram | 8 | 38 (2021) | Xin | Ox |
| 7 | 9 (1992) | Ren | Monkey (Metal) | 8 | 39 (2022) | Ren | Tiger |
| 7 | 10 (1993) | Ren | Rooster (Metal) | 8 | 40 (2023) | Ren | Rabbit |
| 7 | 11 (1994) | Jia | Dog | 9 | 41 (2024) | Jia | Dragon |
| 7 | 12 (1995) | Yi | Pig | 9 | 42 (2025) | Yi | Snake |
| 7 | 13 (1996) | Bing | Rat | 9 | 43 (2026) | Bing | Horse |
| 7 | 14 (1997) | Ding | Ox | 9 | 44 (2027) | Ding | Ram |
| 7 | 15 (1998) | Wu | Tiger | 9 | 45 (2028) | Wu | Monkey (Metal) |
| 7 | 16 (1999) | Ji | Rabbit | 9 | 46 (2029) | Ji | Rooster (Metal) |
| 7 | 17 (2000) | Geng | Dragon | 9 | 47 (2030) | Geng | Dog |
| 7 | 18 (2001) | Xin | Snake | 9 | 48 (2031) | Xin | Pig |
| 7 | 19 (2002) | Ren | Horse | 9 | 49 (2032) | Ren | Rat |
| 7 | 20 (2003) | Ren | Ram | 9 | 50 (2033) | Ren | Ox |
| 8 | 21 (2004) | Jia | Monkey (Metal) | 9 | 51 (2034) | Jia | Tiger |
| 8 | 22 (2005) | Yi | Rooster (Metal) | 9 | 52 (2035) | Yi | Rabbit |
| 8 | 23 (2006) | Bing | Dog | 9 | 53 (2036) | Bing | Dragon |
| 8 | 24 (2007) | Ding | Pig | 9 | 54 (2037) | Ding | Snake |
| 8 | 25 (2008) | Wu | Rat | 9 | 55 (2038) | Wu | Horse |
| 8 | 26 (2009) | Ji | Ox | 9 | 56 (2039) | Ji | Ram |
| 8 | 27 (2010) | Geng | Tiger | 9 | 57 (2040) | Geng | Monkey (Metal) |
| 8 | 28 (2011) | Xin | Rabbit | 9 | 58 (2041) | Xin | Rooster (Metal) |
| 8 | 29 (2012) | Ren | Dragon | 9 | 59 (2042) | Ren | Dog |
| 8 | 30 (2013) | Ren | Snake | 9 | 60 (2043) | Ren | Pig |
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