What is the Chinese zodiac? How the ancient calendar shaped life for centuries
Long before Western astrology, the Chinese zodiac helped organize years, beliefs, and social life. Here’s how the system of 12 animals evolved over the centuries.
Are you a rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, or pig?
That question is central to the Chinese zodiac, an ancient astrological system still relevant in Chinese culture—and around the world—today. Rife with myth and legend, the system assigns different years and animals to people born in each year, then projects personality traits based on those animals’ behaviors.
The upcoming Chinese New Year of 2026 will kick off the reign of the horse.
But how did the zodiac come to be, and why is it still so important in modern China? Here’s what you need to know about the astrological system and its echoes in modern life.
The Chinese zodiac’s ancient origins
Also known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, the zodiac’s origin story is unclear. According to legend, the system resulted from a mythical animal race held by either the Buddha or the Jade Emperor, a god-like figure in Chinese folk religion.
One such myth explains that the Jade Emperor wanted to create a zodiac system based on animals, so he invited all animals to race for a spot in the system. The order in which they successfully crossed a river or showed up at court is reflected in the progression of animals each year, with every 12-year period beginning with the Year of the Rat and ending with the Year of the Pig. Various versions of the folktale exist, highlighting the different animals’ characteristics as the reason for their position in the zodiac. The crafty rat, for example, is first in the cycle because myths state it hitched a ride on the back of the next animal, the ox.
(The real history behind the legend of Sun Wukong.)
Other zodiac origin legends hold that the animals didn’t race at all, but rather attended a banquet held by the Buddha before he departed Earth. The order in which the animals showed up at the banquet is said to have influenced their order in the zodiac.
Though the exact timing of the zodiac’s emergence is unclear, its 12-animal groupings are thought to have been in use by the Zhan Guo or Warring States period of the fifth through third centuries B.C. Their popularity increased from there, and by the A.D. 550s the zodiac animals had been codified and became popular stereotypes that endure to this day.
A 12-year cycle
Though the 12-year, lunar calendar-based zodiac is the best-known zodiac system in China today, it isn’t the only such cycle in Chinese culture. The Twenty-Eight Mansions system follows the moon’s transit along the equator over the course of a year, producing 28 signs. One of China’s many calendar systems—the Stems and Branches system—is considered an important way to plan or predict auspicious events, too. Everything from a child’s given name to the date of a trip might be planned with the help of some or all of these calendar systems.
All three traditions stemmed from a longstanding practice of tying astronomical events to fate. As historian Endymion Porter Wilkinson notes, astronomers were important figures in ancient Chinese courts, where they also served as astrologers and scribes in service of the emperor. Their work was especially valuable because portents “were interpreted to indicate whether or not a ruler was in conformity with heaven,” and astronomers saw astrological symbols as “an extremely important symbol of [a ruler’s] legitimacy and the correctness of his rule.” Astronomy was so prized that only the ruling dynasty’s astronomers could set and distribute a calendar. Eventually, though, the Chinese zodiac filtered down to the wider populace, becoming a beloved folk tradition.
Though it is unclear how exactly ancient astrologers came up with these systems, some researchers believe the 12-year cycle of Sheng Xiao was inspired by sightings of Jupiter as it slowly moved through the night sky. The planet’s cycle eventually drifts, according to University of Pennsylvania East Asian expert Adam Smith.
Other cultures with Chinese influences use similar zodiacs, but the animals can vary. For example, Korean zodiacs use the sheep instead of the goat, while in Vietnam, the water buffalo replaces the ox. The Vietnamese version of the zodiac also includes the cat instead of the rabbit. (Cats were not introduced to China until about 1,400 years ago, after the zodiac had already emerged.)
(The fascinating history behind the popular ‘waving lucky cat’.)
The Chinese zodiac in modern culture
Despite its murky origin story, the 12-year zodiac has survived the centuries, and its importance to Chinese folk culture—and modern-day China—is undeniable. The zodiac is often used in naming, and a person’s zodiac year is popularly thought to be relevant to family life, personality, luck, and destiny. These zodiac beliefs are considered part of Chinese folk religion, and have increased in popularity in the years since the end of China’s Cultural Revolution, which repressed expressions of Chinese history and folk traditions in favor of the teachings of Mao Zedong. Though these traditions can be hard to quantify, one group of social scientists estimated 578 million adherents of folk religions in mainland China alone in 2012—about 55 percent of the population at the time.
The stereotypes represented by the zodiac animals are so prevalent their popularity can be measured indirectly in terms of dollars, cents, and even birthrates. In the 1990s, demographer Daniel Goodkind found that the 1976 and 1988 Years of the Dragon had seen surging fertility rates in China and Chinese-speaking countries—a result of people re-engaging with the widespread belief that a child born during a Year of the Dragon will have a lucky life. In the years since, the Year of the Dragon baby boom has been less pronounced.
(A storyteller retraced Mao Zedong's historic Long March through China—here's what he learned.)
Though no birth date or astrological sign has ever been proven to influence personality or luck, a belief in astrology does affect how people behave. The Chinese zodiac is no exception, and beliefs and stereotypes about birth years have historically affected matchmaking decisions, parental investment in their children, and even hiring in China.
Popular stereotypes about the signs even influence people’s willingness to take risks, studies suggest. One 2022 study in the Journal of Management Science, for example, found that survey respondents were two percentage points likelier to favor no-risk investments during their zodiac year, which is commonly associated with bad luck. This effect extended to corporate decision-making, the researchers found, with research investments and corporate acquisitions both declining during the zodiac year of company chairpersons.
2026: The Year of the Horse
In recent years, the zodiac has become better-known worldwide, and lunar new year celebrations worldwide often draw upon its symbolism. So, what’s in store for the upcoming Year of the Horse? The animal is associated with responsibility and stability, with a bit of a wild side and a fierce independent streak. Saddle up for 2026—a year that, according to the Chinese zodiac, could contain opportunity, strength, and adventure.
