The 12 zodiac animals

Each of the twelve animals matches one earthly branch, and the cycle repeats every twelve years. In the Eastern Han, Wang Chong’s Lunheng (chapter Wushi) already pairs animals such as the tiger and the dog with the branches. The Hong Kong Observatory’s English table calls the Rat year “Mouse.” A later folk tale has the animals race to decide the order. That story is a legend, not the dating rule. The year column lists only the Lunar New Year dates this site transcribed for 1996–2035.

See this year’s Lunar New Year date

These pages are cultural references. They are not a basis for feng shui, ancestral rites, or a visa decision.

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