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. In traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese zodiac is very important 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.
Chinese zodiac
A stone carving of the Chinese zodiac.
This image depicts a scene from "The Great Race" folk story, in which the Ox carries the Rat across the river.
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.
The traditional Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, combining the solar, lunar, and other cycles for various social and agricultural purposes.
More recently, in China and Chinese communities the Gregorian calendar has been adopted and adapted in various ways, and is generally the basis for standard civic purposes, though also incorporating traditional lunisolar holidays. Also, there are many types and subtypes of the Chinese calendar, partly reflecting developments in astronomical observation and horology, with over a millennium plus history. The major modern form is the Gregorian calendar-based official version of the Mainland China, though diaspora versions are also notable in other parts of China and Chinese-influenced cultures; however, aspects of the traditional lunisolar calendar remain popular, including the association of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac in relation to months and years.
Page of a Chinese calendar containing monthly information in the years Daoguang 14–16, corresponding to 1834–1836
Hubei military government founded ROC Gazette (中華民國公報), dated YE 4609-10-15 (黃帝紀元4609年10月15日, yyyy-mm-dd)