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Chinese Calendar
Chinese Calendar
The Chinese Calendar runs in cycles of sixty years.
Each year is distinguished by two characters, one a
Celestial stem (Tian Gan) signifying one of ten planets,
the other a Terrestrial branch (Di Zhi) representing one
of twelve animals. The ten Celestial stems and the twelve
Terrestrial branches rotate in a regular sequence and, as
the lowest common multiple of ten and twelve is sixty, the
cycle recurs every sixty years.
The first cycle started in 2697BC with the reign of Huang Di
(Yellow Emperor) and the same reconking has continued ever since.
This year is the 78th cycle which can be calculated as follow:
2697 plus 1998 = 4695 divides by 60 = 78 and a remainder of 15.
The Ten Celestial Stems are:
Jia = first = 1
Yi = second = 2
Bing = third = 3
Ding = fourth = 4
Wu = fifth = 5
Si = sixth = 6
Geng = seventh = 7
Xin = eighth = 8
Ren = ninth = 9
Kui = tenth = 10
The Twelve Terrestrial Branches:
Zi = Rat = A
Chou = Ox = B
Ying = Tiger = C
Mao = Hare = D
Chen = Dragon = E
Ji = Snake = F
Wu = Horse = G
Wei = Sheep = H
Shen = Monkey = I
You = Cock = J
Shu = Dog = K
Hai = Boar = L
The calculation of the sixty cycles (from top to bottom
and from left to right) by using numbers and alphabet
to make it easier:
1A 1K 1I 1G 1E 1C
2B 2L 2J 2H 2F 2D
3C 3A 3K 3I 3G 3E
4D 4B 4L 4J 4H 4F
5E 5C 5A 5K 5I 5G
6F 6D 6B 6L 6J 6H
7G 7E 7C 7A 7K 7I
8H 8F 8D 8B 8L 8J
9I 9G 9E 9C 9A 9K
10J 10H 10F 10D 10B 10L
The next cycle begins from 1A 2B....
This year is Wu Ying year or 5C which can be calculated as:
The reign of Yellow Emperor started in 2697BC.
This year is 1998 which is added to 2697 = 4695.
4695 divides by 60 = 78 remainder of 15 i.e 78th cycle plus 15 year
is = to 5C or Wu Ying.
Please comment.
If time permits, will try to put it in English on how to calculate
the days and months of the Lunar Calendar.
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan. chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au