Chinese Years
Chinese Astrological Years are based on the lunar calendar, hence their start and end dates are inconsistent with the start of the Gregorian calendar year on 1st January. The dates given in the following table are Gregorian (Western) dates that define the lunar year.
| Year/Element | Animal | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 / Fire | 
| 19th February 1996 to 6th February 1997 |
| 1997 / Fire |  | 7th February 1997 to 27th January 1998 |
| 1998 / Earth | 
| 28th January 1998 to 15th February 1999 |
| 1999 / Earth |  | 16th February 1999 to 4th February 2000 |
| 2000 / Metal | 
| 5th February 2000 to 23rd January 2001 |
| 2001 / Metal |  | 24th January 2001 to 11th February 2002 |
| 2002 / Water | 
| 12th February 2002 to 31st January 2003 |
| 2003 / Water |  | 1st February 2003 to 21st January 2004 |
| 2004 / Wood | 
| 22nd January 2004 to 8th February 2005 |
| 2005 / Wood |  | 9th February 2005 to 28th January 2006 |
| 2006 / Fire | 
| 29th January 2006 to 17th February 2007 |
| 2007 / Fire |  | 18th February 2007 to 6th February 2008 |
| 2008 / Earth | | 7th February 2008 to 25th January 2009 |
| 2009 / Earth | | 26th January 2009 to 13th February 2010 |
The various programs on this site automatically convert Gregorian (Western) birth dates into the Chinese lunar calendar, taking account of 'leap months' as they occur. For more information on the lunar calendar, see Lunar/Solar Calendar.
