Chinese zodiac

For the 2012 film starring Jackie Chan, see CZ12.

Unless otherwise specified, Chinese text in this article is written in the format Simplified Chinese / Traditional Chinese, Pinyin. If the Simplified and Traditional Chinese characters are identical, they are written only once.

Chinese zodiac
Chinese	生肖
Hanyu Pinyin	shēngxiào
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin shēngxiào Bopomofo ㄕㄥ ㄒㄧㄠˋ Gwoyeu Romatzyh shengshiaw Wade–Giles sheng1-hsiao4 IPA [ʂə́ŋ.ɕjâʊ] Wu Romanization [sen平-siau去] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script (pos 4) (help) Hakka Romanization sensiau Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization sāangchiu Jyutping saang1 ciu3 IPA [saŋ˥.tsʰiw˧] Southern Min Hokkien POJ singsiàu Eastern Min Fuzhou BUC săng-ngá
Alternative Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	属相
Traditional Chinese	屬相
Hanyu Pinyin	shǔxiàng
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin shǔxiàng Bopomofo ㄕㄨˇ ㄒㄧㄤˋ Gwoyeu Romatzyh shuushianq Wade–Giles shu3-hsiang4 IPA [ʂù.ɕjâŋ] Wu Romanization [zoh入-sian平] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script (pos 4) (help) Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization suhkseung Jyutping suk6 soeng3 IPA [sʊk̚˨.sœŋ˧] Southern Min Hokkien POJ sio̍ksiùnn

The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the Chinese calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. The zodiac is very important in traditional Chinese culture and exists as a reflection of Chinese philosophy and culture. Chinese folkways held that one's personality is related to the attributes of their zodiac animal. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, and Thailand.

Identifying this scheme as a "zodiac" reflects superficial similarities to the Western zodiac: both divide time cycles into twelve parts, label the majority of those parts with animals, and are used to ascribe a person's personality or events in their life to the person's particular relationship to the cycle. The 12 Chinese zodiac animals in a cycle are not only used to represent years in China but are also believed to influence people's personalities, careers, compatibility, marriages, and fortunes.

For the starting date of a zodiac year, there are two schools of thought in Chinese astrology: Chinese New Year or the start of spring.

History

There are theories that suggest the twelve animals were chosen for their symbolic traits, based on their revered status in traditional Chinese culture. The selection process varied regionally before being standardized in the Han Dynasty (Cao, 2008). This standardization connected these animals into a cyclical timekeeping system, which is seen as a way to reflect personality traits and the broader society (Zhou, 2017).

The Chinese zodiac, as an essential part of Chinese culture, started to take shape during the Han Dynasty. This era formalizes a twelve-year cycle, where each year is associated with a specific animal, as part of a timekeeping system. This system, known as the zodiac cycle, combined the twelve Earthly Branches (地支) with the ten Heavenly Stems (天干) to create a total of a 60-year cycle. Each Earthly Branch was linked to an animal, and to the twelve zodiac signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

According to legend, the Jade Emperor held a contest to decide which animals would be lucky enough to be included in the calendar. The winner of the race – the rat – received the first year of the 12-year cycle, and so on.

However, according to historical records and research, the Chinese zodiac appeared after the establishment of the "Ganji Chronicle Law", and each of the twelve animals corresponded one of the twelve branches. People born in any given year have animals belonging to that branch of the earth, and accordingly, twelve animals are used for chronology and the genus of each person.

In the Eastern Han dynasty, Xu Shen said that the character si (巳) was the image of a snake, and the same was true for hai (亥) and shi (豕; 'pig'). Since the twelve Earthly Branches of the zodiac were easily confused, folks replaced them with animals and borrowed the ordinal symbols to match them with the Earthly Branches to form a chronological symbol system.

"Totem and celestial combination theory", suggests the zodiac is ancient animal totem worship combined with astronomical images in astronomy. Among them, the explanation of the totem and celestial combinations is more scientific.

Signs

A stone carving of the Chinese zodiac.

Ceramic figurines of calendar animals, from left to right: Tiger-headed, Dragon-headed, Snake-headed, Monkey-headed and Rooster-headed. Tang dynasty era. Musée Cernuschi

The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat. The following are the twelve zodiac signs in order, each with its associated characteristics (Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branch, yin/yang force, Trine, and nature element). The belief that everyone and every animal has a role to play in society conforms to Confucian beliefs in a hierarchical society. Just as Confucian beliefs persist in Asia today alongside more modern social views, so does zodiac use.

Number	English	Animal	Earthly branch	Yin/yang	Trine	Fixed element
1	Rat	鼠 shǔ	子 zǐ	Yang	1st	Water
2	Ox	牛 niú	丑 chǒu	Yin	2nd	Earth
3	Tiger	虎 hǔ	寅 yín	Yang	3rd	Wood
4	Rabbit	兔 tù	卯 mǎo	Yin	4th	Wood
5	Dragon	龍/龙 lóng	辰 chén	Yang	1st	Earth
6	Snake	蛇 shé	巳 sì	Yin	2nd	Fire
7	Horse	馬/马 mǎ	午 wǔ	Yang	3rd	Fire
8	Goat	羊 yáng	未 wèi	Yin	4th	Earth
9	Monkey	猴 hóu	申 shēn	Yang	1st	Metal
10	Rooster	雞/鸡 jī	酉 yǒu	Yin	2nd	Metal
11	Dog	狗 gǒu	戌 xū	Yang	3rd	Earth
12	Pig	豬/猪 zhū	亥 hài	Yin	4th	Water

In Chinese astrology the animal signs assigned by year represent self-presentation or perception by others. It is a common misconception that the animals assigned by year are the only signs, and many Western descriptions of Chinese astrology only reference this system. There are also animal signs assigned by month (called "inner animals"), by day (called "true animals"), and hours (called "secret animals"). The Earth is all twelve signs, with five seasons.

Michel Ferlus (2013) notes that the Old Chinese names of the earthly branches are of Austroasiatic origin. Some of Ferlus's comparisons are given below, with Old Chinese reconstructions cited from Baxter & Sagart (2014).

• 丑: Old Chinese *[n̥]ruʔ (compare Proto-Viet-Muong *c.luː 'water buffalo')
• 午: Old Chinese *[m].qʰˤaʔ (compare Proto-Viet-Muong *m.ŋəːˀ)
• 亥: Old Chinese *[g]ˤəʔ (compare Northern Proto-Viet-Muong *kuːrˀ)

There is also a lexical correspondence with Austronesian:

• 未: Old Chinese *m[ə]t-s (compare Atayal miːts)

The terms for the earthly branches are attested from Shang dynasty inscriptions and were likely also used before Shang times. Ferlus (2013) suggests that the terms were ancient pre-Shang borrowings from Austroasiatic languages spoken in the Yangtze River region.

Chinese calendar

Main article: Chinese calendar

Years

Main article: Sexagenary cycle

Within the Four Pillars, the year is the pillar representing information about the person's family background and society or relationship with their grandparents. The person's age can also be easily deduced from their sign, the current sign of the year, and the person's generational disposition (teens, mid-20s, and so on). For example, a person born a Tiger is 12, 24, 36, (etc.) years old in the year of the Tiger (2022); in the year of the Rabbit (2023), that person is one year older.

The following table shows the 60-year cycle matched up to the Gregorian calendar for 1924–2043. The sexagenary cycle begins at lichun about February 4 according to some astrological sources.

	Year	Year	Associated animal	Yin/yang	Associated element	Heavenly stem	Earthly branch
	1924–1983	1984–2043
1	Feb 05 1924–Jan 23 1925	Feb 02 1984–Feb 19 1985	Rat	Yang	Wood	甲	子
2	Jan 24 1925–Feb 12 1926	Feb 20 1985–Feb 08 1986	Ox	Yin	Wood	乙	丑
3	Feb 13 1926–Feb 01 1927	Feb 09 1986–Jan 28 1987	Tiger	Yang	Fire	丙	寅
4	Feb 02 1927–Jan 22 1928	Jan 29 1987–Feb 16 1988	Rabbit	Yin	Fire	丁	卯
5	Jan 23 1928–Feb 09 1929	Feb 17 1988–Feb 05 1989	Dragon	Yang	Earth	戊	辰
6	Feb 10 1929–Jan 29 1930	Feb 06 1989–Jan 26 1990	Snake	Yin	Earth	己	巳
7	Jan 30 1930–Feb 16 1931	Jan 27 1990–Feb 14 1991	Horse	Yang	Metal	庚	午
8	Feb 17 1931–Feb 05 1932	Feb 15 1991–Feb 03 1992	Goat	Yin	Metal	辛	未
9	Feb 06 1932–Jan 25 1933	Feb 04 1992–Jan 22 1993	Monkey	Yang	Water	壬	申
10	Jan 26 1933–Feb 13 1934	Jan 23 1993–Feb 09 1994	Rooster	Yin	Water	癸	酉
11	Feb 14 1934–Feb 03 1935	Feb 10 1994–Jan 30 1995	Dog	Yang	Wood	甲	戌
12	Feb 04 1935–Jan 23 1936	Jan 31 1995–Feb 18 1996	Pig	Yin	Wood	乙	亥
13	Jan 24 1936–Feb 10 1937	Feb 19 1996–Feb 06 1997	Rat	Yang	Fire	丙	子
14	Feb 11 1937–Jan 30 1938	Feb 07 1997–Jan 27 1998	Ox	Yin	Fire	丁	丑
15	Jan 31 1938–Feb 18 1939	Jan 28 1998–Feb 15 1999	Tiger	Yang	Earth	戊	寅
16	Feb 19 1939–Feb 07 1940	Feb 16 1999–Feb 04 2000	Rabbit	Yin	Earth	己	卯
17	Feb 08 1940–Jan 26 1941	Feb 05 2000–Jan 23 2001	Dragon	Yang	Metal	庚	辰
18	Jan 27 1941–Feb 14 1942	Jan 24 2001–Feb 11 2002	Snake	Yin	Metal	辛	巳
19	Feb 15 1942–Feb 04 1943	Feb 12 2002–Jan 31 2003	Horse	Yang	Water	壬	午
20	Feb 05 1943–Jan 24 1944	Feb 01 2003–Jan 21 2004	Goat	Yin	Water	癸	未
21	Jan 25 1944–Feb 12 1945	Jan 22 2004–Feb 08 2005	Monkey	Yang	Wood	甲	申
22	Feb 13 1945–Feb 01 1946	Feb 09 2005–Jan 28 2006	Rooster	Yin	Wood	乙	酉
23	Feb 02 1946–Jan 21 1947	Jan 29 2006–Feb 17 2007	Dog	Yang	Fire	丙	戌
24	Jan 22 1947–Feb 09 1948	Feb 18 2007–Feb 06 2008	Pig	Yin	Fire	丁	亥
25	Feb 10 1948–Jan 28 1949	Feb 07 2008–Jan 25 2009	Rat	Yang	Earth	戊	子
26	Jan 29 1949–Feb 16 1950	Jan 26 2009–Feb 13 2010	Ox	Yin	Earth	己	丑
27	Feb 17 1950–Feb 05 1951	Feb 14 2010–Feb 02 2011	Tiger	Yang	Metal	庚	寅
28	Feb 06 1951–Jan 26 1952	Feb 03 2011–Jan 22 2012	Rabbit	Yin	Metal	辛	卯
29	Jan 27 1952–Feb 13 1953	Jan 23 2012–Feb 09 2013	Dragon	Yang	Water	壬	辰
30	Feb 14 1953–Feb 02 1954	Feb 10 2013–Jan 30 2014	Snake	Yin	Water	癸	巳
31	Feb 03 1954–Jan 23 1955	Jan 31 2014–Feb 18 2015	Horse	Yang	Wood	甲	午
32	Jan 24 1955–Feb 11 1956	Feb 19 2015–Feb 07 2016	Goat	Yin	Wood	乙	未
33	Feb 12 1956–Jan 30 1957	Feb 08 2016–Jan 27 2017	Monkey	Yang	Fire	丙	申
34	Jan 31 1957–Feb 17 1958	Jan 28 2017–Feb 15 2018	Rooster	Yin	Fire	丁	酉
35	Feb 18 1958–Feb 07 1959	Feb 16 2018–Feb 04 2019	Dog	Yang	Earth	戊	戌
36	Feb 08 1959–Jan 27 1960	Feb 05 2019–Jan 24 2020	Pig	Yin	Earth	己	亥
37	Jan 28 1960–Feb 14 1961	Jan 25 2020–Feb 11 2021	Rat	Yang	Metal	庚	子
38	Feb 15 1961–Feb 04 1962	Feb 12 2021–Jan 31 2022	Ox	Yin	Metal	辛	丑
39	Feb 05 1962–Jan 24 1963	Feb 01 2022–Jan 21 2023	Tiger	Yang	Water	壬	寅
40	Jan 25 1963–Feb 12 1964	Jan 22 2023–Feb 09 2024	Rabbit	Yin	Water	癸	卯
41	Feb 13 1964–Feb 01 1965	Feb 10 2024–Jan 28 2025	Dragon	Yang	Wood	甲	辰
42	Feb 02 1965–Jan 20 1966	Jan 29 2025–Feb 16 2026	Snake	Yin	Wood	乙	巳
43	Jan 21 1966–Feb 08 1967	Feb 17 2026–Feb 05 2027	Horse	Yang	Fire	丙	午
44	Feb 09 1967–Jan 29 1968	Feb 06 2027–Jan 25 2028	Goat	Yin	Fire	丁	未
45	Jan 30 1968–Feb 16 1969	Jan 26 2028–Feb 12 2029	Monkey	Yang	Earth	戊	申
46	Feb 17 1969–Feb 05 1970	Feb 13 2029–Feb 02 2030	Rooster	Yin	Earth	己	酉
47	Feb 06 1970–Jan 26 1971	Feb 03 2030–Jan 22 2031	Dog	Yang	Metal	庚	戌
48	Jan 27 1971–Feb 14 1972	Jan 23 2031–Feb 10 2032	Pig	Yin	Metal	辛	亥
49	Feb 15 1972–Feb 02 1973	Feb 11 2032–Jan 30 2033	Rat	Yang	Water	壬	子
50	Feb 03 1973–Jan 22 1974	Jan 31 2033–Feb 18 2034	Ox	Yin	Water	癸	丑
51	Jan 23 1974–Feb 10 1975	Feb 19 2034–Feb 07 2035	Tiger	Yang	Wood	甲	寅
52	Feb 11 1975–Jan 30 1976	Feb 08 2035–Jan 27 2036	Rabbit	Yin	Wood	乙	卯
53	Jan 31 1976–Feb 17 1977	Jan 28 2036–Feb 14 2037	Dragon	Yang	Fire	丙	辰
54	Feb 18 1977–Feb 06 1978	Feb 15 2037–Feb 03 2038	Snake	Yin	Fire	丁	巳
55	Feb 07 1978–Jan 27 1979	Feb 04 2038–Jan 23 2039	Horse	Yang	Earth	戊	午
56	Jan 28 1979–Feb 15 1980	Jan 24 2039–Feb 11 2040	Goat	Yin	Earth	己	未
57	Feb 16 1980–Feb 04 1981	Feb 12 2040–Jan 31 2041	Monkey	Yang	Metal	庚	申
58	Feb 05 1981–Jan 24 1982	Feb 01 2041–Jan 21 2042	Rooster	Yin	Metal	辛	酉
59	Jan 25 1982–Feb 12 1983	Jan 22 2042–Feb 09 2043	Dog	Yang	Water	壬	戌
60	Feb 13 1983–Feb 01 1984	Feb 10 2043–Jan 29 2044	Pig	Yin	Water	癸	亥

Animal Trines

The Chinese zodiac's animal trines are deeply connected with ancient Chinese cosmology, reflecting the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and the natural order. Each animal trine has a specific elemental attribute and a celestial pattern, showing the combination of astronomy and philosophy in the system (Hui, n.d.).

Further information: Astrological aspect § Trine

First

The first Trine consists of the Rat, Dragon, and Monkey. These three signs are considered intense and powerful individuals capable of great good. They are associated with the element of water, seen as great leaders but are also known to be unpredictable. The three are intelligent, adaptive, generous, charismatic, charming, authoritative, confident, eloquent, and artistic. However, they can also exhibit traits such as being manipulative, jealous, selfish, aggressive, vindictive, and deceitful.

Second

The second Trine consists of the Ox, Snake, and Rooster. These three signs are said to possess endurance and application, with a slow accumulation of energy. They are associated with the element of metal, meticulous at planning but tend to hold fixed opinions. The three are described as intelligent, hard-working, modest, industrious, loyal, philosophical, patient, good-hearted, and morally upright. However, they can also exhibit traits such as being self-righteous, egotistical, vain, judgmental, narrow-minded, and petty.

Third

The third Trine consists of the Tiger, Horse, and Dog. These three signs are associated with the element of fire, said to seek true love, pursue humanitarian causes, and be idealistic and independent, but they tend to be impulsive. They are described as productive, enthusiastic, independent, engaging, dynamic, honorable, loyal, and protective. However, they can also display traits such as being rash, rebellious, quarrelsome, anxious, disagreeable, and stubborn.

Fourth

The fourth Trine consists of the Rabbit, Goat, and Pig. These three signs are associated with the element of wood, said to have a calm nature and a somewhat reasonable approach. They seek aesthetic beauty, are artistic, well-mannered, and compassionate, yet they can also be detached and resigned to their condition. The three are described as caring, self-sacrificing, obliging, sensible, creative, empathetic, tactful, and prudent. However, they can also exhibit traits such as being naive, pedantic, insecure, selfish, indecisive, and pessimistic.

These associations extend beyond just symbolism, they reflect ancient people’s deep understanding of the universe's cyclical nature. The trines are also linked to specific seasons and directions, as well as human activities with the Earth's patterns. For example, the Wood element's trine is more connected with spring and the east, meaning renewal and growth. This connection set a direction for agricultural practices and societal rituals, maintaining harmony between humanity and nature (Hui, n.d.).

In addition, the connection of the lunar calendar with the zodiac signs also reflects the importance of celestial movements in day-to-day life. The lunar times dictated the timing of holidays and agricultural events, further linking astronomical observations to cultural traditions. This implication of astronomy, philosophy, and daily life reflected the open worldview of ancient China, where timekeeping was not just a practical tool but a way to achieve a balance between cosmic and societal harmony.

Compatibility

Chinese Zodiac Compatibility-Conflict-Harm Grid in accordance to one's nature, characteristics, and elements

As the Chinese zodiac is derived according to the ancient Five Elements Theory, every Chinese sign is associated with five elements with relations, among those elements, of interpolation, interaction, over-action, and counter-action—believed to be the common law of motions and changes of creatures in the universe. Different people born under each animal sign supposedly have different personalities, and practitioners of Chinese astrology consult such traditional details and compatibilities to offer putative guidance in life or for love and marriage. A common way to explore zodiac compatibility is with a chart showing how each zodiac sign interacts other signs. For example, constellations that are considered compatible with each other may have similar values and interests, while incompatible constellations may have conflicting personalities and ways of communicating.

Chinese zodiac compatibility grid

Sign	Best match (compatible)	Average match (friendly)	Super bad (conflict)	Harmful (best avoid)
Rat	Dragon, Monkey, Ox	Pig, Tiger, Dog, Snake, Rabbit, Rooster, Rat	Horse	Goat
Ox	Snake, Rooster, Rat	Monkey, Dog, Rabbit, Tiger, Dragon, Pig, Ox	Goat	Horse
Tiger	Horse, Dog, Pig	Rabbit, Dragon, Rooster, Rat, Goat, Ox, Tiger	Monkey	Snake
Rabbit	Pig, Goat, Dog	Tiger, Monkey, Rabbit, Ox, Horse, Rat, Snake	Rooster	Dragon
Dragon	Rat, Monkey, Rooster	Tiger, Snake, Horse, Goat, Pig, Ox, Dragon	Dog	Rabbit
Snake	Ox, Rooster, Monkey	Horse, Dragon, Goat, Dog, Rabbit, Rat, Snake	Pig	Tiger
Horse	Dog, Tiger, Goat	Snake, Rabbit, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Monkey, Horse	Rat	Ox
Goat	Rabbit, Pig, Horse	Snake, Goat, Dragon, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Tiger	Ox	Rat
Monkey	Dragon, Rat, Snake	Monkey, Dog, Ox, Goat, Rabbit, Rooster, Horse	Tiger	Pig
Rooster	Ox, Snake, Dragon	Horse, Rooster, Goat, Pig, Tiger, Monkey, Rat	Rabbit	Dog
Dog	Tiger, Horse, Rabbit	Monkey, Pig, Rat, Ox, Snake, Goat, Dog	Dragon	Rooster
Pig	Rabbit, Goat, Tiger	Rat, Rooster, Dog, Dragon, Horse, Ox, Pig	Snake	Monkey

Origin stories

Many stories and fables explain the beginning of the zodiac. Since the Han dynasty, the twelve Earthly Branches have been used to record the time of day. However, for entertainment and convenience, they were replaced by the twelve animals, and a mnemonic refers to the behavior of the animals:

Earthly Branches may refer to a double-hour period. In the latter case it is the center of the period; for instance, 馬 mǎ (Horse) means noon as well as a period from 11:00 to 13:00.

Animal	Name of the period	Period	This is the time when...
Rat	子時 Zǐshí	23:00 to 00:59	Rats are most active in seeking food. Rats also have a different number of digits on front and hind legs, thus earning Rat the symbol of "turn over" or "new start"
Ox	丑時 Chǒushí	01:00 to 02:59	Oxen begin to chew the cud slowly and comfortably
Tiger	寅時 Yínshí	03:00 to 04:59	Tigers hunt their prey more and show their ferocity
Rabbit	卯時 Mǎoshí	05:00 to 06:59	The Jade Rabbit is busy pounding herbal medicine on the Moon according to the tale
Dragon	辰時 Chénshí	07:00 to 08:59	Dragons are hovering in the sky to give rain
Snake	巳時 Sìshí	09:00 to 10:59	Snakes are leaving their caves
Horse	午時 Wǔshí	11:00 to 12:59	The sun is high overhead and while other animals are lying down for a rest, horses are still standing
Goat	未時 Wéishí	13:00 to 14:59	Goats eat grass and urinate frequently
Monkey	申時 Shēnshí	15:00 to 16:59	Monkeys are lively
Rooster	酉時 Yǒushí	17:00 to 18:59	Roosters begin to get back to their coops
Dog	戌時 Xūshí	19:00 to 20:59	Dogs carry out their duty of guarding the houses
Pig	亥時 Hàishí	21:00 to 22:59	Pigs are sleeping sweetly

Great Race

This image depicts a scene from "The Great Race" folk story, in which the Ox carries the Rat across the river.

An ancient folktale called "The Great Race" tells of the Jade Emperor's decree that the years on the calendar would be named for each animal in the order they reached him. To get there, the animals would have to cross a river.

The Cat and the Rat were not good at swimming, but they were both quite intelligent. They decided that the best and fastest way to cross the river was to hop on the back of the Ox. The Ox, being kindhearted and naive, agreed to carry them both across. As the Ox was about to reach the other side of the river, the Rat pushed the Cat into the water, and then jumped off the Ox and rushed to the Jade Emperor. It was named as the first animal of the zodiac calendar. The Ox had to settle for second place.

The third animal to come was the Tiger. Even though it was strong and powerful, it admitted to the Jade Emperor that the currents were pushing it downstream.

Suddenly, a thump sound came from the distance, signaling the arrival of the Rabbit. It explained how it crossed the river: by jumping from one stone to another in a nimble fashion. Halfway through, it thought it might lose the race, but it was lucky enough to grab hold of a floating log that later washed it to shore. For that, it became the fourth animal in the zodiac cycle.

In fifth place was the flying Dragon. The Jade Emperor wondered why a swift, airborne creature such as the Dragon did not come in first place. The Dragon explained that it had to stop by a village and bring rain for all the people, and therefore it was held back. Then, on its way to the finish, it saw the helpless Rabbit clinging onto a log, so it did a good deed and gave a puff of breath in the poor creature's direction so that it could land on the shore. The Jade Emperor was astonished by the Dragon's good nature, and it was named as the fifth animal of the zodiac.

As soon as the Dragon arrived, there came a galloping sound, and the Horse appeared. Hidden on the Horse's hoof was the Snake, whose sudden appearance gave the Horse a fright, thus making it fall back and giving the Snake the sixth spot while the Horse placed seventh.

After a while, the Goat, Monkey, and Rooster came to the river blocking the heavenly gate. The Rooster found a raft, and the Monkey and the Goat tugged and pulled, trying to get all the weeds out of the way. With combined efforts, they managed to arrive to the other side. The Jade Emperor was pleased with their teamwork and decided to name the Goat as the eighth animal, followed by the Monkey and then the Rooster.

The eleventh animal placed in the zodiac cycle was the Dog. Although it should have been the best swimmer and runner, it spent its time playing in the river water. Its explanation for being late was that it needed a good bath after a long journey, but it almost did not make it to the finish line.

Right when the Jade Emperor was going to end the race, an oink sound was heard: it was the Pig. The Pig felt hungry in the middle of the race, so it stopped, ate something, and then fell asleep. After it awoke, it finished the race in twelfth place, making it the last animal to arrive.

The Cat eventually drowned and failed to become part of the zodiac. It is said that this is the reason why cats hate water. It is also the reason for the rivalry between the Cat and Rat, as it was the Rat's callous act to push the Cat into the river.

Variations

Another version of the folktale tells that the Rat deceived the Ox into letting it jump on its back by promising the Ox that it could hear the Rat sing, before jumping off at the finish line and finishing first. Another variant says that the Rat cheated the Cat out its place at the finish line, by hiding on the back of the Dog, who was too focused to notice that he had a stow-away. The Cat tried to attack the rat in retaliation, but hurt the Dog by accident. This is said to account for the antagonistic dynamic between cats and rats, beyond normal predator and prey behavior, and also why dogs and cats fight.

In Chinese mythology, a story tells that the cat was tricked by the Rat so it could not go to the banquet. This is why the Cat is ultimately not part of the Chinese zodiac.

In Buddhist legend Gautama Buddha summoned all animals of the Earth to come before him before his departure from this Earth, but only twelve animals came to bid him farewell. To reward the these animals, he named a year after each of them in the order they had arrived.

The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were developed in the early stages of Chinese civilization, so therefore it is difficult to investigate its real origins. Most historians agree that the Cat is not included, as cats had not yet been introduced to China from India with the arrival of Buddhism. However until recently, the Vietnamese moved away from their traditional texts and literature and, unlike all other countries who follow the Sino lunar calendar, include the Cat instead of the Rabbit as a zodiac animal. The most common explanation is that cats are worshipped by farmers in East Asia, believing that cats' luck and prosperity protects their crops. Another popular cultural reason is that the ancient word for rabbit (Mao) sounds like cat (Meo).

Adaptations

The Chinese zodiac signs are also used by cultures other than Chinese. For example, they usually appear on Korean New Year and Japanese New Year's cards and stamps. The United States Postal Service and several other countries' postal services issue a "Year of the ____" postage stamp each year to honor this Chinese heritage.

The zodiac is widely used in commercial culture, for example, in the Chinese New Year market, and popular zodiac-related products, such as crafts, toys, books, accessories, and paintings and Chinese lunar coins. The coins depict zodiac animals, inspired the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins, as well as varieties from Australia, South Korea, and Mongolia.

The Chinese zodiac is also used in some Asian countries that were under the cultural influence of China. However, some of the animals in the zodiac may differ by country.

Asian

Further information: Bulgar calendar and Vietnamese zodiac

The Korean zodiac includes the Sheep (yang) instead of the Goat (which would be yeomso), although the Chinese source of the loanword yang may refer to any goat-antelope.

The Japanese zodiac includes the Sheep (hitsuji) instead of the Goat (which would be yagi), and the Wild boar (inoshishi, i) instead of the Pig (buta). Since 1873, the Japanese have celebrated the beginning of the new year on 1 January as per the Gregorian calendar.

The Vietnamese zodiac varies from the Chinese zodiac with the second animal being the Water Buffalo instead of the Ox, and the fourth animal being the Cat instead of the Rabbit.

The Cambodian zodiac is exactly identical to that of the Chinese although the dragon is interchangeable with the Neak (nāga) Cambodian sea snake. Sheep and Goat are interchangeable as well. The Cambodian New Year is celebrated in April, rather than in January or February as it is in China and most countries.

The Cham zodiac uses the same order as the Chinese zodiac, but replaces the Monkey with the turtle (known locally as kra).

Similarly the Malay zodiac replaces the Rabbit with the mousedeer (pelanduk) and the Pig with the tortoise (kura or kura-kura). The Dragon (Loong) is normally equated with the nāga but it is sometimes called Big Snake (ular besar) while the Snake sign is called Second Snake (ular sani). This is also recorded in a 19th-century manuscript compiled by John Leyden.

The Thai zodiac includes a nāga in place of the Dragon and begins, not at the Chinese New Year, but either on the first day of the fifth month in the Thai lunar calendar, or during the Songkran New Year festival (now celebrated every 13–15 April), depending on the purpose of the use. Historically, Lan Na (Kingdom around Northern Thailand) also replaces pig with elephant. While modern Thai have returned to pig, its name is still กุน (gu̜n), retaining the actual word for elephant in the zodiac.

The Gurung zodiac in Nepal includes a Cow instead of an Ox, a Cat instead of Rabbit, an Eagle instead of a Dragon (Loong), a Bird instead of a Rooster, and a Deer instead of a Pig.

The Bulgar calendar used from the 2nd century and that has been only partially reconstructed uses a similar sixty-year cycle of twelve animal-named years groups.

The Old Mongol calendar uses the Mouse, the Ox, the Leopard, the Hare, the Crocodile, the Serpent, the Horse, the Sheep, the Monkey, the Hen, the Dog and the Hog.

The Tibetan calendar replaces the Rooster with the bird.

The Volga Bulgars, Kazars and other Turkic peoples replaced some animals by local fauna: Leopard (instead of Tiger), Fish or Crocodile (instead of Dragon/Loong), Hedgehog (instead of Monkey), Elephant (instead of Pig), and Camel (instead of Rat/Mouse).

In the Persian version of the Eastern zodiac brought by Mongols during the Middle Ages, the Chinese word lóng and Mongol word lū (Dragon) was translated as nahang meaning "water beast", and may refer to any dangerous aquatic animal both mythical and real (crocodiles, hippos, sharks, sea serpents, etc.). In the 20th century the term nahang is used almost exclusively as meaning Whale, thus switching the Loong for the Whale in the Persian variant.

In the traditional Kazakh version of the twelve-year animal cycle (Kazakh: мүшел, müşel), the Dragon is replaced by a snail (Kazakh: ұлу, ulw), and the Tiger appears as a leopard (Kazakh: барыс, barıs).

In the Kyrgyz version of the Chinese zodiac (Kyrgyz: мүчөл, müçöl) the words for the Dragon (Kyrgyz: улуу, uluu), Monkey (Kyrgyz: мечин, meçin) and Tiger (Kyrgyz: барс, bars) are only found in Chinese zodiac names, other animal names include Mouse, Cow, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Chicken, Dog and Wild boar.

Chinese Zodiac by Ethnic Group
Ethnic Group	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Chinese	Rat	Ox	Tiger	Rabbit	Dragon	Snake	Horse	Goat	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Pig
Korean	Rat	Ox	Tiger	Rabbit	Dragon	Snake	Horse	Sheep	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Pig
Japanese	Rat	Ox	Tiger	Rabbit	Dragon	Snake	Horse	Sheep	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Wild Boar
Vietnamese	Rat	Water Buffalo	Tiger	Cat	Dragon	Snake	Horse	Goat	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Pig
Cambodian	Rat	Ox	Tiger	Rabbit	Nāga	Snake	Horse	Sheep	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Pig
Cham	Rat	Ox	Tiger	Rabbit	Dragon	Snake	Horse	Goat	Turtle	Rooster	Dog	Pig
Malay	Rat	Ox	Tiger	Mousedeer	Nāga	Snake	Horse	Goat	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Tortoise
Thai	Rat	Ox	Tiger	Rabbit	Nāga	Snake	Horse	Goat	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Pig
Lanna (Thai)	Rat	Ox	Tiger	Rabbit	Nāga	Snake	Horse	Goat	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Elephant
Gurung	Rat	Cow	Tiger	Cat	Eagle	Snake	Horse	Goat	Monkey	Bird	Dog	Deer
Bulgar	Rat	Ox	Tiger/Wolf	Rabbit	Dragon	Snake	Horse	Ram	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Boar
Old Mongolian	Rat	Ox	Leopard	Hare	Crocodile	Serpent	Horse	Sheep	Monkey	Hen	Dog	Hog
Tibetan	Rat	Ox	Tiger	Rabbit	Dragon	Snake	Horse	Goat	Monkey	Bird	Dog	Pig
Kazars	Camel	Ox	Leopard	Rabbit	Fish/Crocodile	Snake	Horse	Goat	Hedgehog	Rooster	Dog	Elephant
Persian	Rat	Ox	Tiger	Rabbit	Whale	Snake	Horse	Goat	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Pig
Kazakhs	Rat	Ox	Leopard	Rabbit	Snail	Snake	Horse	Goat	Monkey	Rooster	Dog	Pig
Kyrgyz	Mouse	Cow	Tiger	Rabbit	Dragon	Snake	Horse	Sheep	Monkey	Chicken	Dog	Wild Boar
Turkmen	Mouse	Cow	Tiger	Rabbit	Dragon/Fish	Snake	Horse	Sheep	Monkey	Chicken	Dog	Pig

Chinese Zodiac by Ethnic Group (Native Names)
Ethnic Group	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Cham	Tikuh	Kubao	Rimaong	Tapay	Inagirai	Ulanaih	Athaih	Pabaiy	Kra	Manuk	Athau	Papwiy
	ꨓꨪꨆꨭꩍ	ꨆꨭꨯꨝꨱ	ꨣꨪꨠꨯꨱꨮ	ꨓꨚꩈ	꩓ꨘꨈꨪꨣꨰ	ꨂꨤꨘꨰꩍ	ꨀꨔꨰꩍ	ꨚꨝꨰꩈ	ꨆꨴ	ꨠꨘꨭꩀ	ꨀꨔꨭꨮ	ꨚꩇꨥꨪꩈ
Malay	Tikus	Kerbau	Harimau	Pelanduk	Naga	Ular	Kuda	Kambing	Monyet	Ayam Jantan	Anjing	Kura-kura
	تيکوس	کرباو	ريماو	ڤلندوق	اولر بسر	اولر ثاني	کودا	کمبيڠ	موڽيت	أيم	أنجيڠ	کورا
Bulgar	Somor	Shegor	Ver?	Dvan[sh]	Ver[eni]?	Dilom	Imen[shegor]?	Teku[chitem]?		Toh	Eth	Dohs
Turkmen	Syçan	Sygyr	Bars	Towşan	Luw~balyk	Ýylan	Ýylky	Goýun	Bijin	Towuk	It	Doňuz
	سیچان	سیغر	بارس	طاوشان	لو~بالیق	ییلان	یلقی	قویون	بیجین	طاویق	ایت	دونگغز

English translation

Due to confusion with synonyms during translation, some of the animals depicted by the English words did not exist in ancient China. For example:

• The term 鼠 Rat can be translated as Mouse, as there are no distinctive words for the two genera in Chinese. However, Rat is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms.
• The term 牛 Ox, a castrated Bull, can be translated interchangeably with other terms related to Cattle (male Bull, female Cow) and Buffalo. However, Ox is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms.
• The term 卯 Rabbit can be translated as Hare, as 卯 (and 兔) do not distinguish between the two genera of leporids. As hares are native to China and most of Asia and rabbits are not, this would be more accurate. However, in colloquial English Rabbit can encompass hares as well.
• The term 蛇 Snake can be translated as Serpent, which refers to a large species of snake and has the same behavior, although this term is rarely used.
• The term 羊 Goat can be translated as Sheep and Ram, a male Sheep. However, Goat is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms.
• The term 雞 Rooster can be translated interchangeably with Chicken, as well as the female Hen. However, Rooster is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms in English-speaking countries.

Gallery

• 
  A chart indicating good and bad bloodletting days and when to guard against demons. Detail: The chart contains a sme ba (9 figures symbolizing the elements in geomancy) in the center with the Chinese bagua (eight trigrams) surrounded by twelve animals of months and years.
• 
  Soyombo and several Buddhist, Tengrist, and Chinese zodiac symbols in a wall mosaic.
• 
  Twelve Chinese zodiac jade figurines. Capital Museum, Beijing, China.

See also

• Chinese astrology
• Four Pillars of Destiny
• Chinese spiritual world concepts
• Earthly Branches
• Astrology and science
• Chinese New Year

References

Sources

• Shelly H. Wu. (2005). Chinese Astrology. Publisher: The Career Press, Inc. ISBN 1-56414-796-7.

External links

• "The Year of the Rooster: On Seeing"
• "The Year of the Rooster, On Eating, Injecting, Imbibing & Speaking"
• "2016: The Golden Monkey, A Year to Remember"
• "The Dragon Raises its Head 龍抬頭"
• "2019 year of the Pig"
• "From the Year of the Ape to the Year of the Monkey Archived 2020-04-11 at the Wayback Machine" (on use of Zodiac figures for political criticism)
• Media related to Chinese zodiac at Wikimedia Commons