Chinese zodiac · 辰 Chén
Year of the Dragon
The Dragon is the fifth of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, the animal of the earthly branch Chén. Each Dragon year starts at Lì Chūn, the Start of Spring, around February 4, not on January 1.
At a glance
- In Chinese
- 龙 (lóng); the branch 辰 (chén)
- Dragon years
- 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036
- Next Dragon year
- 2036, from Lì Chūn at 2:19 pm on February 4, Beijing time (Lunar New Year: January 28, 2036)
- The branch's own element
- Earth
- Dragon hour
- 7 am to 9 am, by the sun
- Dragon month
- From 清明 (Clear and Bright), about April 4, to 立夏 (Start of Summer), about May 5
- Matches in tradition
- Six combination: Rooster (酉). Three harmony: Monkey (申) and Rat (子).
- Clash in tradition
- Dog (戌)
- 2027 almanac lists
- On neither list
Every Dragon year, with exact dates
| Year | Name | By Lunar New Year | By Lì Chūn (Beijing time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | 戊辰, Earth Dragon | 23 Jan 1928 to 9 Feb 1929 | 5 Feb 1928, 9:16 am to 4 Feb 1929, 3:08 pm |
| 1940 | 庚辰, Metal Dragon | 8 Feb 1940 to 26 Jan 1941 | 5 Feb 1940, 7:07 am to 4 Feb 1941, 12:50 pm |
| 1952 | 壬辰, Water Dragon | 27 Jan 1952 to 13 Feb 1953 | 5 Feb 1952, 4:52 am to 4 Feb 1953, 10:46 am |
| 1964 | 甲辰, Wood Dragon | 13 Feb 1964 to 1 Feb 1965 | 5 Feb 1964, 3:04 am to 4 Feb 1965, 8:46 am |
| 1976 | 丙辰, Fire Dragon | 31 Jan 1976 to 17 Feb 1977 | 5 Feb 1976, 12:39 am to 4 Feb 1977, 6:33 am |
| 1988 | 戊辰, Earth Dragon | 17 Feb 1988 to 5 Feb 1989 | 4 Feb 1988, 10:43 pm to 4 Feb 1989, 4:27 am |
| 2000 | 庚辰, Metal Dragon | 5 Feb 2000 to 23 Jan 2001 | 4 Feb 2000, 8:40 pm to 4 Feb 2001, 2:29 am |
| 2012 | 壬辰, Water Dragon | 23 Jan 2012 to 9 Feb 2013 | 4 Feb 2012, 6:22 pm to 4 Feb 2013, 12:13 am |
| 2024 | 甲辰, Wood Dragon | 10 Feb 2024 to 28 Jan 2025 | 4 Feb 2024, 4:26 pm to 3 Feb 2025, 10:10 pm |
| 2036 | 丙辰, Fire Dragon | 28 Jan 2036 to 14 Feb 2037 | 4 Feb 2036, 2:19 pm to 3 Feb 2037, 8:11 pm |
Take a made-up birth on February 5, 2024. Lì Chūn had come at 4:26 pm on February 4, Beijing time, so in BaZi that baby is a Dragon. Lunar New Year didn't come until February 10, 2024, so many zodiac calendars still say a Rabbit. Both answers are in use; this site counts from Lì Chūn.
Check your birthday
Your animal is one character of eight. Enter your birth date to check your animal and see the type BaZi reads from your birth day. It's worked out in your browser and sent nowhere.
The Dragon's five elements
Wood Dragon, 甲辰: 1964, 2024. Na Yin: Covered Lamp Fire (覆灯火).
Fire Dragon, 丙辰: 1976, 2036. Na Yin: Sandy Earth (沙中土).
Earth Dragon, 戊辰: 1928, 1988. Na Yin: Great Forest Wood (大林木).
Metal Dragon, 庚辰: 1940, 2000. Na Yin: White Wax Metal (白蜡金).
Water Dragon, 壬辰: 1952, 2012. Na Yin: Long-Flowing Water (长流水).
The element comes from the year's heavenly stem, so it changes every two years and comes back every ten. The Na Yin is a second element that tradition gives each of the sixty pairs.
The Dragon in folk tradition
In the folk tale of the great race, the Dragon helped the Rabbit over the last stretch, and came in fifth.
Popular lore describes people born in a Dragon year as energetic, ambitious and confident.
These are folk descriptions, not facts about anyone born in a Dragon year.
Dragon compatibility in tradition: matches and clashes
Six combination (六合) with the Rooster (酉): each branch has one partner of this kind.
Three harmony (三合) with the Monkey (申) and the Rat (子): together, the three make the Water trio.
Clash (冲) with the Dog (戌): the branch opposite on the circle of twelve.
Harm (害) with the Rabbit (卯); punishment (刑) with itself (自刑); break (破) with the Ox (丑).
These are relations between two year branches, one character of eight in each chart. They're tradition, not a verdict on a couple. A full comparison reads both whole charts.
The Dragon in 2027
2027 is a Fire Goat year, 丁未, from Lì Chūn on February 4, 2027.
- The 2027 almanac's two lists: Tai Sui, and combining with the year
- On neither list
These two lists are printed here as the almanac gives them, with no verdict attached: being on either one, or on neither, says nothing about how the year goes.
The other animals
Sources
MiraCosta College Library, China Culture, China Daily (2013), China Daily (2023), Asian Art Museum, CGTN
A traditional reading for entertainment, reflection and cultural interest, not a prediction or professional advice. Disclaimer
Last updated: 2026-11-13