Chinese zodiac
The Dragon in the Chinese zodiac
The Dragon is the 5th animal of the Chinese zodiac, a yang sign whose fixed element is Earth. Tradition associates it with being ambitious, confident and charismatic — the only mythical animal of the twelve. Dragon years include 1988 (Earth), 2000 (Metal), 2012 (Water), 2024 (Wood).
| Order | 5 of 12 |
|---|---|
| Earthly branch | Chen 辰 |
| Chinese character | 龙 (龍) |
| Fixed element | Earth |
| Polarity | Yang |
| Best matches (San He trine) | Rat and Monkey |
| Secret friend (Liu He) | Rooster |
| Clash (Chong) | Dog |
| Harm (Liu Hai) | Rabbit |
| Solar month | about 5 April – 5 May |
| Double-hour | 07:00 – 09:00 |
Each year's element comes from its heavenly stem, so a Dragon year is Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water in turn and the same combination returns every sixty years. The start dates above are computed from the Sun's position: Li Chun is the moment it reaches 315° of ecliptic longitude.
A year does not begin on 1 January. The popular zodiac changes at Chinese New Year (between 21 January and 20 February); BaZi changes it at Li Chun, the start of spring, around 4 February. Anyone born in January or early February belongs to the previous year's animal.
In compatibility, the Dragon forms a San He trine with the Rat and Monkey, a Liu He pair ("secret friend") with the Rooster, clashes (Chong) with the Dog, the animal six places away, and harms (Liu Hai) the Rabbit.
The Dragon is also the Chen branch of the day, ruling the double-hour 07:00 – 09:00, and of the solar month that runs from about 5 April to 5 May. In a BaZi chart it can appear in any of the four pillars — year, month, day or hour — not only the year.
| Year | Element | Begins (Li Chun, Beijing time) |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Yang Metal | 5 Feb, 07:07 |
| 1952 | Yang Water | 5 Feb, 04:53 |
| 1964 | Yang Wood | 5 Feb, 03:05 |
| 1976 | Yang Fire | 5 Feb, 00:39 |
| 1988 | Yang Earth | 4 Feb, 22:43 |
| 2000 | Yang Metal | 4 Feb, 20:40 |
| 2012 | Yang Water | 4 Feb, 18:22 |
| 2024 | Yang Wood | 4 Feb, 16:27 |
Questions
What years are the Year of the Dragon?
1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024. Remember the year starts at Chinese New Year (or Li Chun, around 4 February, in BaZi), not on 1 January.
Who is the Dragon most compatible with?
The Rat and Monkey (its San He trine) and the Rooster (its Liu He secret friend). Its traditional clash is with the Dog, and it harms the Rabbit.
What element is the Dragon?
The Dragon's fixed element is Earth. Each Dragon year also has its own element from the heavenly stem — for example 2024 is a Wood Dragon.
What time is the hour of the Dragon?
07:00 – 09:00, the Chen hour. It gives the branch of the hour pillar in BaZi; many practitioners first correct clock time to local solar time.
In Plutto
Plutto reads all four of your animals — year, month, day and hour — in your BaZi chart. Background: Chinese astrology (BaZi).
Ask it something you actually want to know.