Chinese Zodiac · 辰 · 龍
Year of the Dragon
Energetic, generous and visionary
In 2027 (丁未, Fire Goat)
2027 · the Fire Goat year →No special relation with the year — move at your own pace.
2027 is a 丁未 year: fire (丁) over earth (未).
The Dragon's branch, hour and season
- Earthly Branch
- 辰 · YangEarth
- Double hour
- 辰時 · 07:00–09:00
- Solar month
- 辰月 · 清明 → 立夏 (about April 5 to May 6)
- Season
- Spring
- Hidden stems (藏干)
- 戊 乙 癸
- Direction
- 120° on the compass (子 is due north)
These correspondences belong to the branch itself, so they are the same in every Year of the Dragon. The same branch also names an hour of the day and a solar month, which is how it appears in the hour and month pillars of a BaZi chart.
Traditional matches
古籍
From the classics
Wang Chong's Lùn Héng (1st century AD) is the earliest text that pairs each Earthly Branch with its animal.
辰為龍，巳為蛇，辰巳之位在東南。Chen is the dragon, Si is the snake; the places of Chen and Si lie in the south-east.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
The classical Chinese is the authoritative text. Translations are iching.tools' own from the Chinese unless another translator is named; several attributions are traditional rather than historical (託名).
Years of the Dragon
Each year begins at the Start of Spring (立春), around 4 February. Born before that moment? You belong to the previous animal. Ages count from the year listed; someone born the following January, before 立春, is a year younger.
| Year | Pillar | Element | Starts (Start of Spring, Beijing time) | Age in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | 戊辰 | Earth Dragon | 1928-02-05 09:16 | 98 (虛歲 99) |
| 1940 | 庚辰 | Metal Dragon | 1940-02-05 07:07 | 86 (虛歲 87) |
| 1952 | 壬辰 | Water Dragon | 1952-02-05 04:52 | 74 (虛歲 75) |
| 1964 | 甲辰 | Wood Dragon | 1964-02-05 03:04 | 62 (虛歲 63) |
| 1976 | 丙辰 | Fire Dragon | 1976-02-05 00:39 | 50 (虛歲 51) |
| 1988 | 戊辰 | Earth Dragon | 1988-02-04 22:42 | 38 (虛歲 39) |
| 2000 | 庚辰 | Metal Dragon | 2000-02-04 20:40 | 26 (虛歲 27) |
| 2012 | 壬辰 | Water Dragon | 2012-02-04 18:22 | 14 (虛歲 15) |
| 2024 | 甲辰 | Wood Dragon | 2024-02-04 16:27 | 2 (虛歲 3) |
| 2036 | 丙辰 | Fire Dragon | 2036-02-04 14:19 | — |
Year of the Dragon: common questions
- How old are people born in the Year of the Dragon?
- In 2026: 2 if born in 2024 (虛歲 3), 14 if born in 2012 (虛歲 15), 26 if born in 2000 (虛歲 27), 38 if born in 1988 (虛歲 39), 50 if born in 1976 (虛歲 51), and 62 if born in 1964 (虛歲 63). 虛歲 is the traditional Chinese count, in which a baby is one at birth and everyone gains a year together at New Year.
- Which years are Years of the Dragon?
- Recent Years of the Dragon are 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, and 2024. Each begins at 立春 (Start of Spring, around 4 February), not on 1 January or at Chinese New Year.
- Which signs go well with the Dragon?
- By the traditional branch relations, the Dragon's Six Harmony (六合) partner is the Rooster, and it forms a Three Harmony (三合) group with the Monkey and Rat. Its opposite (六沖) is the Dog; tradition reads that as contrasting rhythms rather than a bad match.
- Does the Dragon offend Tai Sui in 2027?
- No. The Dragon has no special relation to the year branch 未 in 2027, so tradition says to go at your own pace.
- I was born in January or early February. Am I a Dragon?
- Only if you were born after 立春 (Start of Spring, about 4 February) of a Year of the Dragon. Someone born in January, or in February before 立春, belongs to the previous sign, the Rabbit. The zodiac calculator checks your birth against the exact 立春 instant.