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jiǎ-zǐ · the first of 60 pairs
Ten stems, twelve branches, sixty pairs, three thousand years. The sixty-term cycle — the original Chinese calendar, older than Rome — is a grammar for time, space, and transformation that links oracle bones to the present day.
This page explains the historical Ganzhi system. For personal readings and predictions, try the fortune tools linked below.
The oldest continuously-running calendar in the world isn't Roman or Egyptian — it's Chinese, and it's still ticking.
You've probably seen it without realising. The year 2024 is a “Wood Dragon” (甲辰 jiǎ-chén). The Dragon Boat Festival is called Double Fifth (端午 Duānwǔ). The revolution that ended imperial China is the Xīnhài Revolution (辛亥革命). All of these names come from the same system: the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (天干地支 Tiān Gān Dì Zhī).
Heavenly Stems (天干) are 10 symbols — 甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸. Think of them like letters A through J. Each carries a Five Element (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water) and a Yin or Yang polarity.
Earthly Branches (地支) are 12 symbols — 子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥. Think of them like numbers 1 through 12. Each carries an element, a zodiac animal, a double-hour, a compass direction, and a season.
Combine one stem with one branch and you get a pair — like matching a letter with a number. Yang pairs with Yang, Yin with Yin. That gives 60 unique combinations, forming the oldest continuously-running calendar in the world.
Once you know what to look for, you'll spot them everywhere:
2024 isn't just “Year of the Dragon” — it's a Wood Dragon (甲辰 jiǎ-chén). The stem (甲, Yang Wood) tells you which kind of Dragon year it is.
The Dragon Boat Festival (端午) is the Double Fifth — fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The Double Ninth Festival (重陽) is the ninth day of the ninth month. The numbers come from the lunar calendar.
The revolution of 1911 is the Xīnhài Revolution (辛亥革命). The Sino-Japanese War of 1894 is the Jiǎwǔ War (甲午战争). Major events are named by their stem-branch year — standard vocabulary for anyone reading Chinese history.
Daily Palm Oracle (Xiao Liu Ren) uses the twelve branches for hour-counting. Chinese Zodiac labels every year with a stem-branch pair. Ba Zi (Four Pillars) is built entirely from stem-branch combinations. This page is the foundation.
Each stem and branch is like a character in a game — it has an element (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water), a polarity (Yin or Yang), and other traits. The table below gives you the quick reference. Don't try to memorise it — just get a feel for the patterns.
These associations were standardised during the Han dynasty (c. 2nd century BCE) and have been used consistently ever since.
The rule is simple: Yang pairs with Yang, Yin with Yin. No mixing. 5 Yang stems × 6 Yang branches = 30 Yang pairs. Same for Yin = 30 pairs. Total: 60.
The cycle begins at 甲子 (jiǎ-zǐ) — the first stem paired with the first branch. It runs through all 60 combinations and then starts over. This is the clock that has ticked every single day for over 2,700 years.
Curious about your birth year? Enter your birth date below to find your stem-branch pair — the key to your Chinese zodiac sign, your ruling element, and your full Four Pillars chart.
Month and day are optional, but recommended — the Chinese zodiac year changes at Lunar New Year (late Jan / early Feb), not January 1.
Every person is born under a specific stem-branch year, month, day, and hour — together called the Four Pillars (四柱 Bā Zì). Your birth year's stem-branch is the starting point: it gives you your Chinese zodiac sign's full identity — not just “Dragon,” but “Wood Dragon” (甲辰) or “Water Dragon” (壬辰).
Why does the element matter? Because in Chinese metaphysics, your elemental makeup shapes your temperament, your strengths, your challenges, and how you interact with the world. A Wood person tends toward growth and idealism. A Fire person radiates warmth and intensity. An Earth person grounds and nurtures. A Metal person leans toward discipline and precision. A Water person flows with wisdom and adaptability. The system is not “good” or “bad” — it's a map. You still choose the road.
Ready to go deeper? The Chinese Zodiac tool tells you what your sign means. The Daily Palm Oracle gives you a reading based on today's stem-branch. And Ba Zi (Four Pillars) maps your full birth chart across all four pillars — try it in the reading tool.
The sixty-term day-count has been running since at least 722 BCE. Every day still gets a new stem-branch pair. Here is today's:
Each day carries its own elemental character. Today's combination sets the energetic backdrop — the weather of time itself.
Powered by the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. Refreshes on every visit.
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