{"id":43723,"date":"2026-07-16T10:00:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/?p=43723"},"modified":"2026-07-16T10:03:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:03:32","slug":"cheongan-jiji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/heavenly-stems-earthly-branches\/","title":{"rendered":"\ucc9c\uac04\uacfc \uc9c0\uc9c0: \uc758\ubbf8\uc640 \ud45c"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"43723\" class=\"elementor elementor-43723\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f94ec2c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"f94ec2c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6e72cbd e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6e72cbd\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fb8024d elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"fb8024d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-title.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Heavenly Stems &amp; Earthly Branches: Meaning &amp; Chart<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b1c8ee4 elementor-hidden-desktop elementor-hidden-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"b1c8ee4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Heavenly-Stems-and-Earthly-Branches-chart-with-60-Jiazi-cycle-Taijitu-and-Chinese-calendar-symbols-1024x768.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-43732\" alt=\"Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches chart with 60 Jiazi cycle Taijitu and Chinese calendar symbols\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Heavenly-Stems-and-Earthly-Branches-chart-with-60-Jiazi-cycle-Taijitu-and-Chinese-calendar-symbols-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Heavenly-Stems-and-Earthly-Branches-chart-with-60-Jiazi-cycle-Taijitu-and-Chinese-calendar-symbols-500x375.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Heavenly-Stems-and-Earthly-Branches-chart-with-60-Jiazi-cycle-Taijitu-and-Chinese-calendar-symbols-300x225.webp 300w, 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elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"author\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/author\/thechinajourney\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"elementor-avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cropped-the-china-journey-logo-mark-256w-centered-q78-center-96x96.webp\" alt=\"Picture of Anthony\" loading=\"lazy\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-author\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-post-info__item-prefix\">Written by <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnthony\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-daac7f3 elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-custom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLast update 7\uc6d4 16, 2026\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-57e5668 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"57e5668\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>\n  .breadcrumbs {\n    font-size: 16px;\n    font-weight: 500;\n    text-align: left;\n    color: black;\n    overflow-x: auto;\n    white-space: nowrap;\n  }\n\n  .breadcrumbs a {\n    color: black;\n    text-decoration: none;\n  }\n\n  .breadcrumbs span {\n    margin: 0 10px;\n  }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/\">The China Journey<\/a >\n    \n        <span>-<\/span>\n        \n          <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/culture\/\">Chinese Culture<\/a>\n       \n        <span>-<\/span>\n          \n        <a id=\"current-page\"><\/a >\n    <\/div>\n\n<script>\n  document.getElementById('current-page').textContent = document.title;\n<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-74666f0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-excerpt\" data-id=\"74666f0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-excerpt.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\tLearn the 10 Heavenly Stems, 12 Earthly Branches, 60 Jiazi cycle, historical origins, calendar uses, zodiac links, and later cultural systems.\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-321e322 e-con-full elementor-hidden-mobile e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"321e322\" 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data-settings=\"{&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;],&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;bullets&quot;,&quot;collapse_subitems&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;No headings were found on this page.&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;fas fa-circle&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;fa-solid&quot;,&quot;rendered_tag&quot;:&quot;&lt;svg class=\\&quot;e-font-icon-svg e-fas-circle\\&quot; viewBox=\\&quot;0 0 512 512\\&quot; xmlns=\\&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.w3.org\\\/2000\\\/svg\\&quot;&gt;&lt;path d=\\&quot;M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 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9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__eb8fc9b\" class=\"elementor-toc__body elementor-toc__list-items--collapsible\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32bd686 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"32bd686\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Quick Answer: What Are the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches?<\/h2><p>The Heavenly Stems (\u5929\u5e72, Ti\u0101ng\u0101n) and Earthly Branches (\u5730\u652f, D\u00eczh\u012b), collectively called Gan-Zhi (\u5e72\u652f), are two ordered sequences used in traditional Chinese chronology. Ten stems and twelve branches advance together to form sixty recurring pairs known as the 60 Jiazi (\u516d\u5341\u7532\u5b50), or sexagenary cycle.<\/p><p>The essential points are:<\/p><ul><li><p>The earliest securely attested written evidence comes from late Shang oracle-bone inscriptions, where Gan-Zhi primarily recorded days.<\/p><\/li><li><p>The system originally provided order and dates rather than fortune-telling interpretations.<\/p><\/li><li><p>The two sequences return to their shared starting point after sixty steps.<\/p><\/li><li><p>Yin-Yang, Five-Phase, zodiac, Na Yin, and BaZi correspondences developed or became systematized later.<\/p><\/li><li><p>The Yellow Emperor and Da Nao account is a traditional origin story, not a verified record of an individual inventor.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p>\u201cHeavenly Stems\u201d and \u201cEarthly Branches\u201d are conventional later terms and may not preserve the signs\u2019 original Shang meanings.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e6230e2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e6230e2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>The 10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches<\/h2>\n\n<h3>The 10 Heavenly Stems<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The ten Heavenly Stems follow a fixed order and, in later Chinese cosmology, each carries a Yin or Yang quality and one of the Five Phases (\u4e94\u884c, Wuxing).<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto; max-width:100%; max-height:800px;\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Order<\/th>\n<th>Stem<\/th>\n<th>Pinyin<\/th>\n<th>Yin or Yang<\/th>\n<th>Five Phase<\/th>\n<th>Later Traditional Image<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<td>\u7532<\/td>\n<td>Ji\u01ce<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Wood<\/td>\n<td>Large tree, upright growth, leadership<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2<\/td>\n<td>\u4e59<\/td>\n<td>Y\u01d0<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Wood<\/td>\n<td>Vine, flexible wood, gradual growth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<td>\u4e19<\/td>\n<td>B\u01d0ng<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Fire<\/td>\n<td>Sun, bright or intense fire<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4<\/td>\n<td>\u4e01<\/td>\n<td>D\u012bng<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Fire<\/td>\n<td>Lamp, candlelight, stars<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td>\u620a<\/td>\n<td>W\u00f9<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Earth<\/td>\n<td>Mountain, wall, solid earth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>6<\/td>\n<td>\u5df1<\/td>\n<td>J\u01d0<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Earth<\/td>\n<td>Field, cultivated or moist soil<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>7<\/td>\n<td>\u5e9a<\/td>\n<td>G\u0113ng<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Metal<\/td>\n<td>Blade, hard or unrefined metal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8<\/td>\n<td>\u8f9b<\/td>\n<td>X\u012bn<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Metal<\/td>\n<td>Jewelry, refined or delicate metal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>9<\/td>\n<td>\u58ec<\/td>\n<td>R\u00e9n<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Water<\/td>\n<td>River, ocean, powerful water<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10<\/td>\n<td>\u7678<\/td>\n<td>Gu\u01d0<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Water<\/td>\n<td>Rain, dew, small or gentle water<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Images such as \u201cJia is a large tree\u201d and \u201cBing is the Sun\u201d belong to later interpretive traditions, not proven Shang meanings. The earliest evidence presents the stems mainly as ordered calendrical signs.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">That ordinal function survives in modern Chinese. Jiafang (\u7532\u65b9) and Yifang (\u4e59\u65b9) mean Party A and Party B; Jia and Yi also distinguish grades, categories, disease types, and chemical terms such as methanol (\u7532\u9187) and ethanol (\u4e59\u9187).<\/p>\n\n<h3>The 12 Earthly Branches<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Later traditions connected the twelve Earthly Branches with zodiac animals, double hours, compass sectors, seasons, and other calendrical correspondences.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto; max-width:100%; max-height:800px;\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Order<\/th>\n<th>Branch<\/th>\n<th>Pinyin<\/th>\n<th>Yin or Yang<\/th>\n<th>Zodiac Animal<\/th>\n<th>Double Hour<\/th>\n<th>Traditional Compass Sector<\/th>\n<th>Seasonal Position<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<td>\u5b50<\/td>\n<td>Z\u01d0<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Rat<\/td>\n<td>23:00\u201301:00<\/td>\n<td>North<\/td>\n<td>Midwinter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2<\/td>\n<td>\u4e11<\/td>\n<td>Ch\u01d2u<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Ox<\/td>\n<td>01:00\u201303:00<\/td>\n<td>North-northeast<\/td>\n<td>Late winter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<td>\u5bc5<\/td>\n<td>Y\u00edn<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Tiger<\/td>\n<td>03:00\u201305:00<\/td>\n<td>East-northeast<\/td>\n<td>Early spring<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4<\/td>\n<td>\u536f<\/td>\n<td>M\u01ceo<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Rabbit<\/td>\n<td>05:00\u201307:00<\/td>\n<td>East<\/td>\n<td>Midspring<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td>\u8fb0<\/td>\n<td>Ch\u00e9n<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Dragon<\/td>\n<td>07:00\u201309:00<\/td>\n<td>East-southeast<\/td>\n<td>Late spring<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>6<\/td>\n<td>\u5df3<\/td>\n<td>S\u00ec<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Snake<\/td>\n<td>09:00\u201311:00<\/td>\n<td>South-southeast<\/td>\n<td>Early summer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>7<\/td>\n<td>\u5348<\/td>\n<td>W\u01d4<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Horse<\/td>\n<td>11:00\u201313:00<\/td>\n<td>South<\/td>\n<td>Midsummer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8<\/td>\n<td>\u672a<\/td>\n<td>W\u00e8i<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Goat<\/td>\n<td>13:00\u201315:00<\/td>\n<td>South-southwest<\/td>\n<td>Late summer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>9<\/td>\n<td>\u7533<\/td>\n<td>Sh\u0113n<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Monkey<\/td>\n<td>15:00\u201317:00<\/td>\n<td>West-southwest<\/td>\n<td>Early autumn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10<\/td>\n<td>\u9149<\/td>\n<td>Y\u01d2u<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Rooster<\/td>\n<td>17:00\u201319:00<\/td>\n<td>West<\/td>\n<td>Midautumn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>11<\/td>\n<td>\u620c<\/td>\n<td>X\u016b<\/td>\n<td>Yang<\/td>\n<td>Dog<\/td>\n<td>19:00\u201321:00<\/td>\n<td>West-northwest<\/td>\n<td>Late autumn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>12<\/td>\n<td>\u4ea5<\/td>\n<td>H\u00e0i<\/td>\n<td>Yin<\/td>\n<td>Pig<\/td>\n<td>21:00\u201323:00<\/td>\n<td>North-northwest<\/td>\n<td>Early winter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The Earthly Branches are not simply another name for the twelve zodiac animals. The branch sequence is older and also organizes hours, months, directions, seasons, and other calendrical relationships. The animals became its most recognizable popular layer.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">English readers should also distinguish Wu (\u620a, W\u00f9), the fifth Heavenly Stem, from Wu (\u5348, W\u01d4), the seventh Earthly Branch. \u620a is the Yang Earth stem; \u5348 is the Horse branch associated with midday.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The twelve animal signs follow the older sequence explained in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/chinese-zodiac\/\">Chinese Zodiac<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Heavenly Stems vs Earthly Branches<\/h3>\n\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto; max-width:100%; max-height:800px;\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Dimension<\/th>\n<th>Heavenly Stems<\/th>\n<th>Earthly Branches<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Number<\/td>\n<td>10<\/td>\n<td>12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Earliest Attested Role<\/td>\n<td>Ordered calendrical signs; also used in Shang royal ancestral names<\/td>\n<td>Ordered signs within the sexagenary day sequence<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Later Five-Phase Layer<\/td>\n<td>Two stems for each phase, one Yang and one Yin<\/td>\n<td>Each branch acquired seasonal, directional, and elemental associations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Zodiac Animals<\/td>\n<td>None<\/td>\n<td>Twelve animals were later paired with the branches<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Double Hours<\/td>\n<td>Help determine the hour stem but do not name the twelve periods<\/td>\n<td>Each branch names one traditional double hour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Four Pillars<\/td>\n<td>Forms the upper character of each pillar<\/td>\n<td>Forms the lower character of each pillar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Later BaZi Interpretation<\/td>\n<td>Sometimes described as visible or expressed Qi<\/td>\n<td>Sometimes described as rooted or concealed Qi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The final distinction belongs to later BaZi (\u516b\u5b57) interpretation. \u201cStems are external and branches are internal\u201d is not a historical definition of Gan-Zhi.<\/p>\n\n<h2>How the 60 Jiazi Cycle Works<\/h2>\n\n<h3>Why Are There 60 Pairs Instead of 120?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Ten stems and twelve branches could produce 120 combinations if every sign were freely matched. Gan-Zhi instead advances both sequences one position at a time:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Jia-Zi \u2192 Yi-Chou \u2192 Bing-Yin \u2192 Ding-Mao \u2192 Wu-Chen \u2192 Ji-Si \u2192 Geng-Wu \u2192 Xin-Wei \u2192 Ren-Shen \u2192 Gui-You<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-p=\"1\">After the tenth pair, the stems return to Jia while the branches continue. The two sequences return to their starting positions together after sixty steps because 60 is the least common multiple of 10 and 12.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Because the sequences move together, odd-numbered stems meet only odd-numbered branches, while even-numbered stems meet even-numbered branches. Later tradition describes this as Yang pairing with Yang and Yin with Yin. This does not independently remove sixty combinations; it interprets the parity already produced by the synchronized sequence.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The sixtieth pair is Gui-Hai (\u7678\u4ea5). The following step returns to Jia-Zi (\u7532\u5b50), completing the cycle.<\/p>\n\n<h3>How to Read a Stem-Branch Pair<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Consider Geng-Zi (\u5e9a\u5b50), the 37th pair:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Geng (\u5e9a)<\/strong> is the seventh Heavenly Stem and is later classified as Yang Metal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Zi (\u5b50)<\/strong> is the first Earthly Branch, associated with the Rat and Water.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Geng-Zi<\/strong> may therefore be called a Metal Rat year in popular usage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>At its foundation, however, Geng-Zi is position 37 in the repeating sequence.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The ordered pair came first; its elemental, zodiac, and interpretive meanings were added later.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Each stem carries a later classification explored in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/yin-and-yang\/\">Yin and Yang<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wuxing\/\">Five Elements<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Complete 60 Jiazi Chart<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">A group of ten consecutive pairs is called a xun (\u65ec). The full cycle contains six xun, each beginning with Jia.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto; max-width:100%; max-height:800px;\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Xun<\/th>\n<th>Ten Stem-Branch Pairs<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Jia-Zi Xun (\u7532\u5b50\u65ec)<\/td>\n<td>\u7532\u5b50 Jia-Zi, \u4e59\u4e11 Yi-Chou, \u4e19\u5bc5 Bing-Yin, \u4e01\u536f Ding-Mao, \u620a\u8fb0 Wu-Chen, \u5df1\u5df3 Ji-Si, \u5e9a\u5348 Geng-Wu, \u8f9b\u672a Xin-Wei, \u58ec\u7533 Ren-Shen, \u7678\u9149 Gui-You<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Jia-Xu Xun (\u7532\u620c\u65ec)<\/td>\n<td>\u7532\u620c Jia-Xu, \u4e59\u4ea5 Yi-Hai, \u4e19\u5b50 Bing-Zi, \u4e01\u4e11 Ding-Chou, \u620a\u5bc5 Wu-Yin, \u5df1\u536f Ji-Mao, \u5e9a\u8fb0 Geng-Chen, \u8f9b\u5df3 Xin-Si, \u58ec\u5348 Ren-Wu, \u7678\u672a Gui-Wei<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Jia-Shen Xun (\u7532\u7533\u65ec)<\/td>\n<td>\u7532\u7533 Jia-Shen, \u4e59\u9149 Yi-You, \u4e19\u620c Bing-Xu, \u4e01\u4ea5 Ding-Hai, \u620a\u5b50 Wu-Zi, \u5df1\u4e11 Ji-Chou, \u5e9a\u5bc5 Geng-Yin, \u8f9b\u536f Xin-Mao, \u58ec\u8fb0 Ren-Chen, \u7678\u5df3 Gui-Si<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Jia-Wu Xun (\u7532\u5348\u65ec)<\/td>\n<td>\u7532\u5348 Jia-Wu, \u4e59\u672a Yi-Wei, \u4e19\u7533 Bing-Shen, \u4e01\u9149 Ding-You, \u620a\u620c Wu-Xu, \u5df1\u4ea5 Ji-Hai, \u5e9a\u5b50 Geng-Zi, \u8f9b\u4e11 Xin-Chou, \u58ec\u5bc5 Ren-Yin, \u7678\u536f Gui-Mao<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Jia-Chen Xun (\u7532\u8fb0\u65ec)<\/td>\n<td>\u7532\u8fb0 Jia-Chen, \u4e59\u5df3 Yi-Si, \u4e19\u5348 Bing-Wu, \u4e01\u672a Ding-Wei, \u620a\u7533 Wu-Shen, \u5df1\u9149 Ji-You, \u5e9a\u620c Geng-Xu, \u8f9b\u4ea5 Xin-Hai, \u58ec\u5b50 Ren-Zi, \u7678\u4e11 Gui-Chou<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Jia-Yin Xun (\u7532\u5bc5\u65ec)<\/td>\n<td>\u7532\u5bc5 Jia-Yin, \u4e59\u536f Yi-Mao, \u4e19\u8fb0 Bing-Chen, \u4e01\u5df3 Ding-Si, \u620a\u5348 Wu-Wu, \u5df1\u672a Ji-Wei, \u5e9a\u7533 Geng-Shen, \u8f9b\u9149 Xin-You, \u58ec\u620c Ren-Xu, \u7678\u4ea5 Gui-Hai<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p data-p=\"1\">A full sixty-term cycle is also associated with the expression huajia (\u82b1\u7532). Reaching age sixty means completing one return of the year cycle.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Historical Origins of Gan-Zhi<\/h2>\n\n<h3>Late Shang Oracle-Bone Evidence<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The earliest securely attested written evidence for the stem-branch cycle comes from late Shang oracle-bone inscriptions of the late second millennium BCE. Some surviving bones contain complete sexagenary tables, while many divination inscriptions begin by identifying the day with a Gan-Zhi pair.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">A record might begin with a day label such as Gui-Wei (\u7678\u672a), followed by the divination statement. The pair functions as a date marker, showing that the sequence was already established when these inscriptions were made.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Heavenly Stems also appear in the ancestral names of Shang rulers, including Da Jia (\u5927\u7532), Wu Ding (\u6b66\u4e01), and Di Xin (\u5e1d\u8f9b). Their precise relationship to lineage, ritual scheduling, and royal organization remains debated, but the evidence places the stems in both calendrical and royal ancestral contexts.<\/p>\n\n<h3>From a Day Count to a Wider Cultural System<\/h3>\n\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto; max-width:100%; max-height:800px;\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Period<\/th>\n<th>Main Development<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Late Shang<\/td>\n<td>Mature 60-day sequence used in oracle-bone dates; stems also appeared in royal ancestral names<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn<\/td>\n<td>Gan-Zhi continued to identify dates in inscriptions, chronicles, and historical records<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Warring States to Han<\/td>\n<td>Yin-Yang, Five Phases, seasons, directions, and broader cosmological correspondences became increasingly systematic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Qin and Han<\/td>\n<td>Gan-Zhi use expanded across years, calendars, administration, astronomy, and additional time units<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Eastern Han and later<\/td>\n<td>The branch-animal sequence became standardized, while new calendrical, ritual, and divinatory applications developed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Medieval and later imperial periods<\/td>\n<td>Na Yin, Tai Sui, Four Pillars, branch relationships, and other technical systems became increasingly elaborate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p data-p=\"1\"><strong>The modern system therefore contains several historical layers:<\/strong> a Shang-era foundation of ordered day signs, later Yin-Yang and Five-Phase correspondences, and subsequent zodiac, BaZi, Na Yin, Tai Sui, and almanac applications.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Did the Yellow Emperor Invent Gan-Zhi?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Later traditional accounts attribute the creation of Jiazi to Da Nao (\u5927\u6320), a figure associated with the Yellow Emperor (\u9ec4\u5e1d). This story gives Gan-Zhi a place within Chinese cultural memory, while oracle bones provide the earliest securely datable physical evidence.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The inscriptions show that the cycle was mature by the late Shang period, but they do not identify one inventor or reveal exactly when the system began.<\/p>\n\n<h2>How Gan-Zhi Records Years, Months, Days, and Hours<\/h2>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Although Gan-Zhi is now closely associated with year names, its earliest clearly documented function was recording days. Its application to years, months, and hours developed over different historical periods.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto; max-width:100%; max-height:800px;\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Time Unit<\/th>\n<th>How Gan-Zhi Is Used<\/th>\n<th>Important Detail<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Year<\/td>\n<td>Each year receives one pair and repeats after 60 years<\/td>\n<td>Popular zodiac usage generally changes at Chinese New Year; some BaZi systems use Lichun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Month<\/td>\n<td>Each month receives a stem and branch; the sequence repeats every 60 months, or five years<\/td>\n<td>Branch months follow seasonal divisions; BaZi month pillars usually use solar-term boundaries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Day<\/td>\n<td>Each day advances one position through the 60-term cycle<\/td>\n<td>The sequence does not restart at the beginning of a month or year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Shichen \/ Double Hour (\u65f6\u8fb0)<\/td>\n<td>Each roughly two-hour period has a branch, while its stem depends on the day stem<\/td>\n<td>Sixty double hours equal five days<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Traditional branch months run from Yin (\u5bc5) through Chou (\u4e11), but calendrical and BaZi month boundaries often follow solar terms rather than the first day of a lunar month. Month stems derive from the year stem through the Five Tigers method (\u4e94\u864e\u9041), while hour stems follow the day stem through the Five Rats method (\u4e94\u9f20\u9041).<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The year, month, day, and hour pairs form the Four Pillars (\u56db\u67f1). Their eight characters constitute BaZi (\u516b\u5b57), a later specialized application of Gan-Zhi rather than its original purpose.<\/p>\n\n<h3>How to Read a Gan-Zhi Year<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">A known Jia-Zi year provides a simple reference point:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>1984:<\/strong> Jia-Zi (\u7532\u5b50)<\/li>\n<li><strong>1985:<\/strong> Yi-Chou (\u4e59\u4e11)<\/li>\n<li><strong>1986:<\/strong> Bing-Yin (\u4e19\u5bc5)<\/li>\n<li><strong>2020:<\/strong> Geng-Zi (\u5e9a\u5b50)<\/li>\n<li><strong>2044:<\/strong> Jia-Zi (\u7532\u5b50)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Both sequences advance by one position each year, and the same pair returns every sixty years. This is sufficient for following year names, but exact day and hour pillars require a reliable calendrical tool because local time, date boundaries, solar terms, and calculation conventions may affect the result.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/what-is-my-chinese-zodiac\/\">Chinese Zodiac Calculator<\/a> to identify a birth year\u2019s animal and Gan-Zhi pair.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Chinese New Year or Lichun?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Two boundary conventions appear in different contexts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Popular zodiac and Lunar New Year usage:<\/strong> The animal year usually changes on Chinese New Year, the first day of the first lunar month.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Some BaZi and solar-term systems:<\/strong> The year pillar changes at Lichun (\u7acb\u6625), the Start of Spring, usually around February 3\u20135.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-p=\"1\">People born between Lichun and Chinese New Year should check which convention a calendar, calculator, or practitioner follows.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Gan-Zhi is also not another name for the Chinese lunar calendar. The traditional Chinese calendar is a lunisolar system combining lunar months, solar terms, and leap-month rules; Gan-Zhi is a repeating system for naming and ordering units of time.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The broader calendar structure is explained in [Chinese Calendar] and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/the-twenty-four-solar-terms\/\">24 Solar Terms<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Gan-Zhi, the Chinese Zodiac, and Later Systems<\/h2>\n\n<h3>Earthly Branches and the Chinese Zodiac<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The Chinese zodiac assigns one animal to each Earthly Branch, but the branch sequence predates the standardized animal list. Early manuscripts preserve alternative pairings, while Eastern Han texts contain a sequence substantially matching the modern zodiac. Historically, the animals were attached to the branches rather than the branches being created from the animals.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The animals made the sequence easier to remember and use in age reckoning and popular culture, while the branches retained broader functions in timekeeping, directions, seasons, and calendrical systems.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The development of these pairings is explained in [Chinese Zodiac Origin].<\/p>\n\n<h3>Heavenly Stems, Yin-Yang, and the Five Phases<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\"><strong>Later tradition assigns two stems to each Five Phase:<\/strong> Jia and Yi to Wood, Bing and Ding to Fire, Wu and Ji to Earth, Geng and Xin to Metal, and Ren and Gui to Water. The first stem in each pair is Yang and the second is Yin.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">This framework became important in cosmology, medicine, divination, and BaZi, but it is a later interpretive layer rather than the proven original meaning of the Shang stem signs.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Later Systems Built on Gan-Zhi<\/h3>\n\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto; max-width:100%; max-height:800px;\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>System<\/th>\n<th>Relationship to Gan-Zhi<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>BaZi \/ Four Pillars (\u516b\u5b57\uff0f\u56db\u67f1)<\/td>\n<td>Uses the Gan-Zhi pairs of the birth year, month, day, and hour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hidden Stems (\u85cf\u5e72)<\/td>\n<td>Assigns one to three concealed Heavenly Stems to each Earthly Branch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Na Yin (\u7eb3\u97f3)<\/td>\n<td>Assigns one of thirty named elemental categories to each pair of consecutive Gan-Zhi combinations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Tai Sui (\u592a\u5c81)<\/td>\n<td>Connects the current year\u2019s stem-branch identity with annual ritual and astrological traditions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ben Ming Nian (\u672c\u547d\u5e74)<\/td>\n<td>Occurs when the current year branch matches a person\u2019s birth branch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Branch Relationships<\/td>\n<td>Includes combinations, clashes, punishments, harms, and breaks among the branches<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p data-p=\"1\">These traditions use Gan-Zhi as an underlying language, but they do not represent its earliest purpose. A calendar date, zodiac sign, BaZi chart, and Tai Sui interpretation may use the same characters while asking different questions.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The symbolic elemental names are covered in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/nayin-five-elements\/\">Na Yin Five Elements<\/a>, while annual branch relationships are discussed in [Tai Sui] and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ben-ming-nian\/\">Ben Ming Nian<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>How Gan-Zhi Shaped Chinese Culture<\/h2>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Gan-Zhi supplied a compact language for dates, periods, categories, historical events, and technical relationships across Chinese and East Asian cultures.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto; max-width:100%; max-height:800px;\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Field<\/th>\n<th>How Gan-Zhi Was Used<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Calendars<\/td>\n<td>Records days, years, months, and double hours within recurring cycles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Historical Events<\/td>\n<td>Names events such as the Jia-Wu War (\u7532\u5348\u6218\u4e89, 1894\u20131895) and Xin-Hai Revolution (\u8f9b\u4ea5\u9769\u547d, 1911) after their Gan-Zhi years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Inscriptions and Art<\/td>\n<td>Dates paintings, calligraphy, gravestones, contracts, and inscriptions with expressions such as suici (\u5c81\u6b21) followed by a year pair<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Traditional Time<\/td>\n<td>Uses Earthly Branches for twelve double hours and connects month pillars with seasonal and solar-term systems<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Traditional Medicine<\/td>\n<td>Appears in Five Movements and Six Qi (\u4e94\u8fd0\u516d\u6c14) and other historical medical correspondences<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Almanacs and Date Selection<\/td>\n<td>Uses branch combinations and clashes in traditional auspicious-date systems<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Divinatory Arts<\/td>\n<td>Provides a shared technical language for BaZi, Qimen Dunjia, Liu Ren, and related systems<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Modern Chinese<\/td>\n<td>Preserves Jia and Yi as labels for contracting parties, grades, categories, disease types, and chemical compounds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>East Asian Culture<\/td>\n<td>Was adapted historically in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam for calendars, inscriptions, dates, and technical terminology<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p data-p=\"1\"><strong>These uses fall into two broad categories:<\/strong> calendrical and documentary uses identify time and order, while astrological and divinatory uses interpret relationships among the signs. Both are historically important, but they are not the same function.<\/p>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Gan-Zhi is one of the foundational time systems covered in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/culture\/\">Chinese Culture<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Common Myths and Misunderstandings<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Myth:<\/strong> Gan-Zhi is the same as the Chinese zodiac.<br \/>The zodiac animals are attached only to the twelve Earthly Branches. Gan-Zhi also includes ten stems and broader calendrical functions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Myth:<\/strong> Stems and branches were created only to name years.<br \/>Their earliest securely documented use was primarily for naming days in Shang oracle-bone inscriptions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Myth:<\/strong> Ten stems times twelve branches should produce 120 pairs.<br \/>The two sequences advance together rather than combining freely, so they return to their shared starting point after sixty steps.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Myth:<\/strong> Five-Phase and zodiac meanings existed fully formed in the Shang period.<br \/>The earliest evidence supports ordered day signs. Elemental, animal, and cosmological correspondences developed later.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Myth:<\/strong> The Yellow Emperor\u2019s invention of Gan-Zhi is verified history.<br \/>It is an influential traditional account. Late Shang oracle bones provide the earliest securely attested physical evidence.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Myth:<\/strong> Gan-Zhi is another name for the lunar calendar.<br \/>Gan-Zhi is a cyclical naming system; the Chinese calendar is lunisolar and includes lunar months, solar terms, and leap months.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Myth:<\/strong> Every tradition changes the year on Chinese New Year.<br \/>Popular zodiac usage generally follows Chinese New Year, while some BaZi systems use Lichun.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Myth:<\/strong> \u201cHeavenly\u201d and \u201cEarthly\u201d reveal the signs\u2019 original Shang meanings.<br \/>These are later traditional names and translations; the signs\u2019 earliest meanings remain debated.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Myth:<\/strong> Wu (\u620a) and Wu (\u5348) are the same sign.<br \/>\u620a is the fifth Heavenly Stem and is pronounced W\u00f9; \u5348 is the seventh Earthly Branch and is pronounced W\u01d4.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Myth:<\/strong> BaZi explains the only real purpose of stems and branches.<br \/>BaZi is one later application. Gan-Zhi first functioned as a system of order and time notation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2>Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p data-p=\"1\"><strong>The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are best understood as a layered system:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Foundation:<\/strong> An ancient ordered sequence and 60-day cycle securely attested in late Shang writing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cosmological layer:<\/strong> Yin-Yang, Five Phases, directions, seasons, and zodiac animals added or systematized later.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Application layer:<\/strong> BaZi, Na Yin, Tai Sui, almanacs, date selection, and other technical traditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-p=\"1\">This explains how the same signs can appear in an oracle-bone date, the names Jia-Wu War and Xin-Hai Revolution, a modern contract\u2019s Party A and Party B, and a BaZi chart without serving the same purpose in each context.<\/p>\n\n<h2>FAQs About Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches<\/h2>\n\n<h3>What are the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">They are two ordered Chinese sign systems: ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches. The sequences advance together to form sixty recurring pairs used to identify days, years, months, hours, and later cultural correspondences.<\/p>\n\n<h3>What are the 10 Heavenly Stems in order?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The sequence is Jia (\u7532), Yi (\u4e59), Bing (\u4e19), Ding (\u4e01), Wu (\u620a), Ji (\u5df1), Geng (\u5e9a), Xin (\u8f9b), Ren (\u58ec), and Gui (\u7678).<\/p>\n\n<h3>What are the 12 Earthly Branches in order?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The sequence is Zi (\u5b50), Chou (\u4e11), Yin (\u5bc5), Mao (\u536f), Chen (\u8fb0), Si (\u5df3), Wu (\u5348), Wei (\u672a), Shen (\u7533), You (\u9149), Xu (\u620c), and Hai (\u4ea5).<\/p>\n\n<h3>What does Gan-Zhi mean?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Gan-Zhi (\u5e72\u652f) is the shortened Chinese name for the combined Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch system. The conventional English terms reflect later terminology and may not preserve the signs\u2019 original Shang meanings.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Why are there 60 Jiazi pairs instead of 120?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">The ten stems and twelve branches advance simultaneously rather than combining freely. Their sequences return to the first positions together after sixty steps, the least common multiple of ten and twelve.<\/p>\n\n<h3>What does Jiazi mean?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Jia-Zi (\u7532\u5b50) is the first pair in the cycle: Jia is the first Heavenly Stem and Zi is the first Earthly Branch. The term can also refer more broadly to the complete sixty-pair sequence.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Are the Earthly Branches the same as the Chinese zodiac?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">No. Zodiac animals are later cultural correspondences attached to the branches. Earthly Branches also organize traditional hours, months, directions, seasons, and stem-branch dates.<\/p>\n\n<h3>How are the Heavenly Stems related to the Five Elements?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Later tradition assigns Jia and Yi to Wood, Bing and Ding to Fire, Wu and Ji to Earth, Geng and Xin to Metal, and Ren and Gui to Water. Each pair contains one Yang stem and one Yin stem.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Are Gan-Zhi signs used for days and hours as well as years?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Yes. Gan-Zhi records years, months, days, and double hours. Day dating is its earliest securely documented use, while four pairs for a birth time form the Four Pillars or Eight Characters.<\/p>\n\n<h3>What is the difference between Gan-Zhi and BaZi?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Gan-Zhi is the underlying system of stems, branches, and sixty recurring pairs. BaZi is a later divinatory system that analyzes the four pairs assigned to a person\u2019s birth year, month, day, and hour.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Does a Gan-Zhi year begin at Chinese New Year or Lichun?<\/h3>\n<p data-p=\"1\">Popular zodiac and Lunar New Year usage generally changes at Chinese New Year. Some BaZi and solar-term traditions change the year pillar at Lichun. 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elementor-card-shadow-yes elementor-posts__hover-gradient elementor-widget elementor-widget-posts\" data-id=\"52b7006\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;cards_columns&quot;:&quot;3&quot;,&quot;cards_columns_tablet&quot;:&quot;2&quot;,&quot;cards_columns_mobile&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;cards_row_gap&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:35,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;cards_row_gap_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;cards_row_gap_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"posts.cards\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-posts-container elementor-posts elementor-posts--skin-cards elementor-grid\" role=\"list\">\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-5050 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-attraction tag-attraction tag-attraction-travel-guide tag-lhasa tag-palace tag-tibet tag-unesco-site\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__card\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/potala-palace\/\" tabindex=\"-1\" ><div class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Potala-Palace-against-a-mountainous-backdrop-Lhasa-1024x768.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-5055\" alt=\"Potala Palace against a mountainous backdrop Lhasa\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Potala-Palace-against-a-mountainous-backdrop-Lhasa-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Potala-Palace-against-a-mountainous-backdrop-Lhasa-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Potala-Palace-against-a-mountainous-backdrop-Lhasa-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Potala-Palace-against-a-mountainous-backdrop-Lhasa-16x12.webp 16w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Potala-Palace-against-a-mountainous-backdrop-Lhasa.webp 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__badge\">Attraction<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/potala-palace\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tPotala\u00a0Palace\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__excerpt\">\n\t\t\t<p>Experience the majestic beauty of Potala Palace, Tibet&#8217;s iconic landmark in Lhasa. Discover its rich history, stunning architecture, and spiritual significance.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-918 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-city tag-capital-city tag-city tag-city-basic-info tag-jiangsu tag-nanjing tag-popular-city\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__card\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/nanjing\/\" tabindex=\"-1\" ><div class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Scenic-view-of-Nanjings-Qinhuai-River-at-night-with-traditional-Chinese-architecture-and-brightly-lit-boats-along-the-water-1-e1745328878392-1024x576.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-511\" alt=\"Scenic view of Nanjings Qinhuai River at night with traditional Chinese architecture and brightly lit boats along the water\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Scenic-view-of-Nanjings-Qinhuai-River-at-night-with-traditional-Chinese-architecture-and-brightly-lit-boats-along-the-water-1-e1745328878392-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Scenic-view-of-Nanjings-Qinhuai-River-at-night-with-traditional-Chinese-architecture-and-brightly-lit-boats-along-the-water-1-e1745328878392-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Scenic-view-of-Nanjings-Qinhuai-River-at-night-with-traditional-Chinese-architecture-and-brightly-lit-boats-along-the-water-1-e1745328878392-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Scenic-view-of-Nanjings-Qinhuai-River-at-night-with-traditional-Chinese-architecture-and-brightly-lit-boats-along-the-water-1-e1745328878392-18x10.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Scenic-view-of-Nanjings-Qinhuai-River-at-night-with-traditional-Chinese-architecture-and-brightly-lit-boats-along-the-water-1-e1745328878392-150x84.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Scenic-view-of-Nanjings-Qinhuai-River-at-night-with-traditional-Chinese-architecture-and-brightly-lit-boats-along-the-water-1-e1745328878392.webp 1408w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__badge\">City<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/nanjing\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tNanjing\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__excerpt\">\n\t\t\t<p>Explore Nanjing, a city where rich history meets modern vibrancy. Discover its ancient landmarks, scenic beauty, and thriving urban culture.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-14030 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-fortune category-zodiac-year tag-175 tag-fate tag-fortune tag-fortune-telling tag-ox tag-wuxing tag-zodiac\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__card\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/1961-zodiac-fate-and-fortune\/\" tabindex=\"-1\" ><div class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1961-Born-Zodiac-Forecast-for-2026-1024x683.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-33588\" alt=\"1961 Born Zodiac Forecast for 2026\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1961-Born-Zodiac-Forecast-for-2026-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1961-Born-Zodiac-Forecast-for-2026-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1961-Born-Zodiac-Forecast-for-2026-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1961-Born-Zodiac-Forecast-for-2026-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1961-Born-Zodiac-Forecast-for-2026-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/1961-Born-Zodiac-Forecast-for-2026.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__badge\">Fortune<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/1961-zodiac-fate-and-fortune\/\" >\n\t\t\t\t1961 Zodiac Metal Ox &amp; Forecast for 2026\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__excerpt\">\n\t\t\t<p>A structured 2026 forecast for people born in 1961, covering career, wealth, relationships, health, and practical guidance for a steady, harmonious year.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-27960 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-faqs tag-shenzhen tag-why\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__card\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/why-is-shenzhen-so-famous\/\" tabindex=\"-1\" ><div class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Modern-Shenzhen-Nanshan-CBD-skyline-reflecting-evening-city-lights-and-sunset-sky-1024x682.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-26704\" alt=\"Modern Shenzhen Nanshan CBD skyline reflecting evening city lights and sunset sky\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Modern-Shenzhen-Nanshan-CBD-skyline-reflecting-evening-city-lights-and-sunset-sky-1024x682.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Modern-Shenzhen-Nanshan-CBD-skyline-reflecting-evening-city-lights-and-sunset-sky-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Modern-Shenzhen-Nanshan-CBD-skyline-reflecting-evening-city-lights-and-sunset-sky-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Modern-Shenzhen-Nanshan-CBD-skyline-reflecting-evening-city-lights-and-sunset-sky-1536x1023.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Modern-Shenzhen-Nanshan-CBD-skyline-reflecting-evening-city-lights-and-sunset-sky-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Modern-Shenzhen-Nanshan-CBD-skyline-reflecting-evening-city-lights-and-sunset-sky-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Modern-Shenzhen-Nanshan-CBD-skyline-reflecting-evening-city-lights-and-sunset-sky.webp 1621w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__badge\">FAQs<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/why-is-shenzhen-so-famous\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tWhy is Shenzhen so famous?\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__excerpt\">\n\t\t\t<p>From fishing village to tech giant, Shenzhen is famous for China\u2019s reform miracle, thriving innovation, vibrant culture, and global economic influence.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-1079 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-guide tag-attraction tag-attraction-travel-guide tag-city tag-guangxi tag-guilin tag-top-10-attraction\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__card\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/guilin-scenery\/\" tabindex=\"-1\" ><div class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Panoramic-view-of-Guilin-mountains-and-river-on-a-sunny-day-banner-background-1024x768.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1140\" alt=\"Panoramic view of Guilin mountains and river on a sunny day banner background\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Panoramic-view-of-Guilin-mountains-and-river-on-a-sunny-day-banner-background-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Panoramic-view-of-Guilin-mountains-and-river-on-a-sunny-day-banner-background-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Panoramic-view-of-Guilin-mountains-and-river-on-a-sunny-day-banner-background-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Panoramic-view-of-Guilin-mountains-and-river-on-a-sunny-day-banner-background.webp 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__badge\">Travel Guide<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/guilin-scenery\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tGuilin\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__excerpt\">\n\t\t\t<p>Discover the Great Wall of China: its history, cultural significance, top sections to visit, and nearby attractions.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-41849 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-guide tag-food tag-harbin tag-harbin-travel-guide tag-what-to-eat\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__card\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/what-to-eat-in-harbin\/\" tabindex=\"-1\" ><div class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"441\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-to-Eat-in-Harbin-infographic--Guobaorou-iron-pot-stew-red-sausage-lieba-bread-kvass-frozen-fruit-collage-1024x564.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-41856\" alt=\"What to Eat in Harbin infographic Guobaorou iron pot stew red sausage lieba bread kvass frozen fruit collage\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-to-Eat-in-Harbin-infographic--Guobaorou-iron-pot-stew-red-sausage-lieba-bread-kvass-frozen-fruit-collage-1024x564.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-to-Eat-in-Harbin-infographic--Guobaorou-iron-pot-stew-red-sausage-lieba-bread-kvass-frozen-fruit-collage-500x275.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-to-Eat-in-Harbin-infographic--Guobaorou-iron-pot-stew-red-sausage-lieba-bread-kvass-frozen-fruit-collage-300x165.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-to-Eat-in-Harbin-infographic--Guobaorou-iron-pot-stew-red-sausage-lieba-bread-kvass-frozen-fruit-collage-768x423.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-to-Eat-in-Harbin-infographic--Guobaorou-iron-pot-stew-red-sausage-lieba-bread-kvass-frozen-fruit-collage-1536x846.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-to-Eat-in-Harbin-infographic--Guobaorou-iron-pot-stew-red-sausage-lieba-bread-kvass-frozen-fruit-collage-18x10.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-to-Eat-in-Harbin-infographic--Guobaorou-iron-pot-stew-red-sausage-lieba-bread-kvass-frozen-fruit-collage-150x83.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-to-Eat-in-Harbin-infographic--Guobaorou-iron-pot-stew-red-sausage-lieba-bread-kvass-frozen-fruit-collage.webp 1690w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__badge\">Travel Guide<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ko\/what-to-eat-in-harbin\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tWhat to Eat in Harbin: Local Food Guide\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__excerpt\">\n\t\t\t<p>Discover what to eat in Harbin, from Guobaorou and red sausage to hot stews, Russian-style snacks, street food, and winter eating tips.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\uc2ed\uac04, \uc2ed\uc774\uc9c0, \uc721\uc2ed\uac11\uc790 \uc8fc\uae30, \uc5ed\uc0ac\uc801 \uae30\uc6d0, \uc5ed\ubc95\uc5d0\uc11c\uc758 \ud65c\uc6a9, \uc2ed\uc774\uc9c0\uc640\uc758 \uad00\uacc4 \ubc0f \ud6c4\ub300 \ubb38\ud654 \uccb4\uacc4\ub97c \uc54c\uc544\ubcf4\uc138\uc694.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[28,539],"class_list":["post-43723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-culture","tag-heavenly-stems-earthly-branches"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 5.0.1.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover what to eat in Harbin, from Guobaorou and red sausage to hot stews, Russian-style snacks, street food, and winter eating tips.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anthony\"\/>\n\t<meta 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