The 60 Jiazi pillars
Last checked · images quoted from the San Ming Tong Hui on Chinese Wikisource
Compiled by the Fengshui Zen editors · About and method
The sixty pillars (六十甲子) are the stem-and-branch pairs that label every year, month, day and hour in the Chinese calendar. This year is 丙午 and today is 丁卯. Each pillar below links to a page with its image in the San Ming Tong Hui, the reason for its Na Yin, what its branch holds, and the years, months and days it labels.
All 60 pillars
| No. | Pillar | Year label | Na Yin | Image in the San Ming Tong Hui | Next year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 甲子 Jia Zi | Yang Wood Rat | 海中金 Sea Metal | a treasure | 2044 |
| 2 | 乙丑 Yi Chou | Yin Wood Ox | 海中金 Sea Metal | raw, unworked ore | 2045 |
| 3 | 丙寅 Bing Yin | Yang Fire Tiger | 炉中火 Furnace Fire | charcoal in the furnace | 2046 |
| 4 | 丁卯 Ding Mao | Yin Fire Rabbit | 炉中火 Furnace Fire | smoke from the furnace | 2047 |
| 5 | 戊辰 Wu Chen | Yang Earth Dragon | 大林木 Forest Wood | trees too gnarled to cut for timber, in mountain forests and wild hills | 2048 |
| 6 | 己巳 Ji Si | Yin Earth Snake | 大林木 Forest Wood | flowers and grass on the hilltop | 2049 |
| 7 | 庚午 Geng Wu | Yang Metal Horse | 路旁土 Roadside Earth | dry earth by the roadside | 2050 |
| 8 | 辛未 Xin Wei | Yin Metal Goat | 路旁土 Roadside Earth | earth holding countless treasures, waiting for the autumn harvest | 2051 |
| 9 | 壬申 Ren Shen | Yang Water Monkey | 剑锋金 Sword Metal | dagger-axes and halberds | 2052 |
| 10 | 癸酉 Gui You | Yin Water Rooster | 剑锋金 Sword Metal | metal hammers and chisels | 2053 |
| 11 | 甲戌 Jia Xu | Yang Wood Dog | 山头火 Mountain Fire | the place where fire rests | 2054 |
| 12 | 乙亥 Yi Hai | Yin Wood Pig | 山头火 Mountain Fire | the heat of fire | 2055 |
| 13 | 丙子 Bing Zi | Yang Fire Rat | 涧下水 Stream Water | rivers and lakes | 2056 |
| 14 | 丁丑 Ding Chou | Yin Fire Ox | 涧下水 Stream Water | still, clear water | 2057 |
| 15 | 戊寅 Wu Yin | Yang Earth Tiger | 城头土 City Wall Earth | dikes, mounds and city walls | 2058 |
| 16 | 己卯 Ji Mao | Yin Earth Rabbit | 城头土 City Wall Earth | broken dikes and ruined walls | 2059 |
| 17 | 庚辰 Geng Chen | Yang Metal Dragon | 白蜡金 White Wax Metal | tin and pewter | 2060 |
| 18 | 辛巳 Xin Si | Yin Metal Snake | 白蜡金 White Wax Metal | hidden metal, mixed with sand and stone | 2061 |
| 19 | 壬午 Ren Wu | Yang Water Horse | 杨柳木 Willow Wood | the trunk and knots of the willow | 2062 |
| 20 | 癸未 Gui Wei | Yin Water Goat | 杨柳木 Willow Wood | the root of the willow | 2063 |
| 21 | 甲申 Jia Shen | Yang Wood Monkey | 泉中水 Spring Water | a well of sweet water | 2064 |
| 22 | 乙酉 Yi You | Yin Wood Rooster | 泉中水 Spring Water | water in a shaded gully | 2065 |
| 23 | 丙戌 Bing Xu | Yang Fire Dog | 屋上土 Rooftop Earth | mounds and heaps of earth | 2066 |
| 24 | 丁亥 Ding Hai | Yin Fire Pig | 屋上土 Rooftop Earth | an open plain | 2067 |
| 25 | 戊子 Wu Zi | Yang Earth Rat | 霹雳火 Thunderbolt Fire | thunder | 2068 |
| 26 | 己丑 Ji Chou | Yin Earth Ox | 霹雳火 Thunderbolt Fire | lightning | 2069 |
| 27 | 庚寅 Geng Yin | Yang Metal Tiger | 松柏木 Pine and Cypress Wood | the trunk and knots of pine and cypress | 2070 |
| 28 | 辛卯 Xin Mao | Yin Metal Rabbit | 松柏木 Pine and Cypress Wood | the roots of pine and cypress | 2071 |
| 29 | 壬辰 Ren Chen | Yang Water Dragon | 长流水 Long River Water | dragon water | 2072 |
| 30 | 癸巳 Gui Si | Yin Water Snake | 长流水 Long River Water | water that never stops, flowing into the sea | 2073 |
| 31 | 甲午 Jia Wu | Yang Wood Horse | 沙中金 Sand Metal | refined metal, tempered a hundred times | 2074 |
| 32 | 乙未 Yi Wei | Yin Wood Goat | 沙中金 Sand Metal | metal left in the furnace embers | 2075 |
| 33 | 丙申 Bing Shen | Yang Fire Monkey | 山下火 Foot of the Mountain Fire | a wildfire sweeping through white thatch grass | 2076 |
| 34 | 丁酉 Ding You | Yin Fire Rooster | 山下火 Foot of the Mountain Fire | the uncanny echo of spirits, fire without a form | 2077 |
| 35 | 戊戌 Wu Xu | Yang Earth Dog | 平地木 Flatland Wood | withered mugwort | 2078 |
| 36 | 己亥 Ji Hai | Yin Earth Pig | 平地木 Flatland Wood | the grassy stalks of mugwort | 2079 |
| 37 | 庚子 Geng Zi | Yang Metal Rat | 壁上土 Earthen Wall Earth | earth hollow inside: a house | 2080 |
| 38 | 辛丑 Xin Chou | Yin Metal Ox | 壁上土 Earthen Wall Earth | a grave mound | 2081 |
| 39 | 壬寅 Ren Yin | Yang Water Tiger | 金箔金 Gold Leaf Metal | metal made into ornaments | 2082 |
| 40 | 癸卯 Gui Mao | Yin Water Rabbit | 金箔金 Gold Leaf Metal | rings, clasps and bells | 2083 |
| 41 | 甲辰 Jia Chen | Yang Wood Dragon | 覆灯火 Lamp Fire | a lamp | 2084 |
| 42 | 乙巳 Yi Si | Yin Wood Snake | 覆灯火 Lamp Fire | lamplight | 2085 |
| 43 | 丙午 Bing Wu | Yang Fire Horse | 天河水 Heavenly River Water | the disc of the moon | 2026 |
| 44 | 丁未 Ding Wei | Yin Fire Goat | 天河水 Heavenly River Water | the light of fire | 2027 |
| 45 | 戊申 Wu Shen | Yang Earth Monkey | 大驿土 Highway Earth | fields in autumn | 2028 |
| 46 | 己酉 Ji You | Yin Earth Rooster | 大驿土 Highway Earth | standing grain in autumn | 2029 |
| 47 | 庚戌 Geng Xu | Yang Metal Dog | 钗钏金 Hairpin Metal | what is left of blades and swords | 2030 |
| 48 | 辛亥 Xin Hai | Yin Metal Pig | 钗钏金 Hairpin Metal | bells and bronze cauldrons, solid things | 2031 |
| 49 | 壬子 Ren Zi | Yang Water Rat | 桑柘木 Mulberry Wood | wood harmed by too much water | 2032 |
| 50 | 癸丑 Gui Chou | Yin Water Ox | 桑柘木 Mulberry Wood | wood harmed by too little water | 2033 |
| 51 | 甲寅 Jia Yin | Yang Wood Tiger | 大溪水 Great Creek Water | rain | 2034 |
| 52 | 乙卯 Yi Mao | Yin Wood Rabbit | 大溪水 Great Creek Water | dew | 2035 |
| 53 | 丙辰 Bing Chen | Yang Fire Dragon | 沙中土 Sand Earth | embankments | 2036 |
| 54 | 丁巳 Ding Si | Yin Fire Snake | 沙中土 Sand Earth | boggy earth | 2037 |
| 55 | 戊午 Wu Wu | Yang Earth Horse | 天上火 Sky Fire | the disc of the sun | 2038 |
| 56 | 己未 Ji Wei | Yin Earth Goat | 天上火 Sky Fire | sunlight | 2039 |
| 57 | 庚申 Geng Shen | Yang Metal Monkey | 石榴木 Pomegranate Wood | pomegranate blossom | 2040 |
| 58 | 辛酉 Xin You | Yin Metal Rooster | 石榴木 Pomegranate Wood | pomegranate seeds | 2041 |
| 59 | 壬戌 Ren Xu | Yang Water Dog | 大海水 Great Sea Water | the sea | 2042 |
| 60 | 癸亥 Gui Hai | Yin Water Pig | 大海水 Great Sea Water | the hundred rivers | 2043 |
Highlighted: this year's and today's pillars. "Next year" is the first year from 2026 with that year pillar.
FAQ
What are the 60 Jiazi pillars?
The pairs formed when the ten Heavenly Stems and the twelve Earthly Branches run side by side, from 甲子 Jia Zi to 癸亥 Gui Hai. Each stem meets only the branches of the same polarity, so there are 60 pairs, not 120. The same cycle labels years, months, days and hours.
What is Na Yin?
A second element name given to each pair of pillars, 30 names in all, such as 海中金 Sea Metal for 甲子 and 乙丑. The San Ming Tong Hui explains how each name was chosen; each pillar page quotes that passage.
Which pillar is today and this year?
Today, Oct 20, 2026 (China Standard Time), is a 丁卯 day, and 2026 is a 丙午 year from Lichun.
Related
Source of the images: 三命通會 (San Ming Tong Hui), 卷一, on Chinese Wikisource. The book's likes, dislikes and star names for each pillar are fortune-telling and are not reproduced. This is not a reading, a prediction or advice.