Dragon (zodiac)

The dragon (simplified Chinese: 龙; traditional Chinese: 龍; pinyin: lóng; Jyutping: lung; Cantonese Yale: lùhng) is the fifth of the 12-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Dragon is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 辰 (pinyin: chén). It has been proposed that the Earthly Branch character may have been associated with scorpions; it may have symbolized the star Antares. In the Buddhist calendar used in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, the dragon is replaced by the nāga. In the Gurung zodiac, the dragon is replaced by the eagle. In the Old Turkic calendar it is replaced by a fish or crocodile. Early Persian translations of the medieval period change the dragon to a sea serpent, although in current times it is generally referred to as whale. During China's Cultural Revolution, there was an attempt to replace the dragon with the giant panda; however, the movement was short lived.

Infobox

Traditional Chinese

龍

Simplified Chinese

龙

Transcriptions

TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinlóngWade–Gileslung2IPA[lʊ̌ŋ]HakkaRomanizationliùngYue: CantoneseYale RomanizationlùhngJyutpinglungIPA[lʊŋ˩]Southern MinHokkien POJlêngOld ChineseBaxter (1992)*C-rjongBaxter–Sagart (2014)*mə-roŋ

Hanyu Pinyin

lóng

Wade–Giles

lung2

IPA

[lʊŋ˩]

Romanization

liùng

Yale Romanization

lùhng

Jyutping

lung

Hokkien POJ

lêng

Baxter (1992)

C-rjong

Baxter–Sagart (2014)

mə-roŋ

Tables

· Years and the five elements

23 January 1928

Start date

23 January 1928

End date

9 February 1929

Heavenly branch

Earth dragon

8 February 1940

Start date

8 February 1940

End date

26 January 1941

Heavenly branch

Metal dragon

27 January 1952

Start date

27 January 1952

End date

13 February 1953

Heavenly branch

Water dragon

13 February 1964

Start date

13 February 1964

End date

1 February 1965

Heavenly branch

Wood dragon

31 January 1976

Start date

31 January 1976

End date

17 February 1977

Heavenly branch

Fire dragon

17 February 1988

Start date

17 February 1988

End date

5 February 1989

Heavenly branch

Earth dragon

5 February 2000

Start date

5 February 2000

End date

28 January 2001

Heavenly branch

Metal dragon

23 January 2012

Start date

23 January 2012

End date

9 February 2013

Heavenly branch

Water dragon

10 February 2024

Start date

10 February 2024

End date

28 January 2025

Heavenly branch

Wood dragon

28 January 2036

Start date

28 January 2036

End date

14 February 2037

Heavenly branch

Fire dragon

14 February 2048

Start date

14 February 2048

End date

1 February 2049

Heavenly branch

Earth dragon

2 February 2060

Start date

2 February 2060

End date

20 January 2061

Heavenly branch

Metal dragon

19 February 2072

Start date

19 February 2072

End date

6 February 2073

Heavenly branch

Water dragon

6 February 2084

Start date

6 February 2084

End date

25 January 2085

Heavenly branch

Wood dragon

25 January 2096

Start date

25 January 2096

End date

11 February 2097

Heavenly branch

Fire dragon

Start date	End date	Heavenly branch
23 January 1928	9 February 1929	Earth dragon
8 February 1940	26 January 1941	Metal dragon
27 January 1952	13 February 1953	Water dragon
13 February 1964	1 February 1965	Wood dragon
31 January 1976	17 February 1977	Fire dragon
17 February 1988	5 February 1989	Earth dragon
5 February 2000	28 January 2001	Metal dragon
23 January 2012	9 February 2013	Water dragon
10 February 2024	28 January 2025	Wood dragon
28 January 2036	14 February 2037	Fire dragon
14 February 2048	1 February 2049	Earth dragon
2 February 2060	20 January 2061	Metal dragon
19 February 2072	6 February 2073	Water dragon
6 February 2084	25 January 2085	Wood dragon
25 January 2096	11 February 2097	Fire dragon

· Compatibility

Dragon

Sign

Dragon

Best match or balance (first trine group)

Rooster, Rat

Match

Monkey, Ox, Pig, Horse

Non-match or rival (opposite sign)

Dog, Goat

Sign	Best match or balance (first trine group)	Match	Non-match or rival (opposite sign)
Dragon	Rooster, Rat	Monkey, Ox, Pig, Horse	Dog, Goat

· Basic astrology elements

Five elements

Earthly Branches

Five elements

chen

earth

Yin yang

Earthly Branches

Yin yang

chen

yang

Lunar month

Earthly Branches

Lunar month

chen

April 6 to May 6

Lucky numbers

Earthly Branches

Lucky numbers

chen

1, 6, and 7; avoid 2, 8, and 9

Lucky flowers

Earthly Branches

Lucky flowers

chen

hyacinths

Lucky colors

Earthly Branches

Lucky colors

chen

yellow, green, blue; avoid red

Season

Earthly Branches

Season

chen

spring

Lucky/Associated Countries:

Earthly Branches

Lucky/Associated Countries:

chen

China, United Kingdom, Argentina, Italy, Denmark, Iraq

Earthly Branches	chen
Five elements	earth
Yin yang	yang
Lunar month	April 6 to May 6
Lucky numbers	1, 6, and 7; avoid 2, 8, and 9
Lucky flowers	hyacinths
Lucky colors	yellow, green, blue; avoid red
Season	spring
Lucky/Associated Countries:	China, United Kingdom, Argentina, Italy, Denmark, Iraq

References

Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area
http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~rscook/socrates/public_html/html/LTBA-18.2.html
"Year of the Dragon – Naga – Thai Zodiac"
https://web.archive.org/web/20170708104841/http://www.thaiguidetothailand.com/magic-and-superstition/year-of-the-dragon-naga-thai-zodiac/
"Tamu (Gurung) Losar Festival"
https://web.archive.org/web/20170729174053/http://ecs.com.np/culture/tamu-gurung-losar-festival
Rasulid Hexaglot. P. B. Golden, ed., The King's Dictionary: The Rasūlid Hexaglot – Fourteenth Century Vocabularies in Ar
Jan Gyllenbok, Encyclopaedia of Historical Metrology, Weights, and Measures, Volume 1, 2018, p. 244.
R&S, December 30, 2005, 十三番目の干支はパンダだった!?, Excite News, Excite
https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/00091135660057/
Oriental Daily News, February 3, 2021, 子どもの出産時期にまで影響する中国の干支かつては「パンダ年」も, Agence France-Presse
https://www.afpbb.com/articles/-/3329721
Population and Development Review
https://doi.org/10.2307%2F1973601
Journal of Marriage and the Family
https://doi.org/10.2307%2F353736