1971 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Pig
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Animal
Pig 猪
Element
Yin Metal
Stem-branch
辛亥 Xin-Hai
Zodiac year
Jan 27, 1971 to Feb 14, 1972
The 1971 Year of the Yin Metal Pig (辛亥) began on Wednesday, January 27, 1971, and lasted until February 14, 1972. Births from January 1 to January 26, 1971, the first 26 days of 1971, belonged to the Metal Dog year. The lunar year has a leap 5th month, starting Jun 23, 1971, so it runs 384 days. It contains two Start of Spring terms (Feb 4, 1971 and Feb 5, 1972), which folk custom calls a "double spring" year.
Which animal for a 1971 birthday?
Popular rule: Chinese New Year. Four Pillars rule: Lichun, at 19:25 China Standard Time. How to check a January or February birthday.
| Born | New Year rule | Lichun rule |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 to Jan 26, 1971 | Metal Dog | Metal Dog |
| Jan 27 to Feb 4, 1971, before 19:25 | Metal Pig | Metal Dog |
| Feb 4, 1971, from 19:25, to Dec 31 | Metal Pig | Metal Pig |
Know the exact date and want the lunar date too? Use the lunar date converter.
Check a birth around Lichun 1971 by time and place
Chinese New Year rule (popular)
Metal Pig (1971)
Lichun rule (Four Pillars)
Metal Dog (1970)
Chinese New Year 1971: 1971-01-27. Lichun 1971: 1971-02-04 19:25 Beijing time. The New Year rule compares your birth date with the New Year date; the Lichun rule compares the exact moment, converted from your local time.
Lichun 1971 in other time zones
The same moment in local time. Under the Lichun rule, a birth at or after this local time takes the new animal.
Lichun 1971 was 19:25 Beijing time on February 4, 1971. In New York that was 06:25 on the same date.
| Place | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Feb 4, 1971 | 19:25 |
| Hong Kong | Feb 4, 1971 | 19:25 |
| Taipei | Feb 4, 1971 | 19:25 |
| Singapore | Feb 4, 1971 | 18:55 |
| Seoul | Feb 4, 1971 | 20:25 |
| Tokyo | Feb 4, 1971 | 20:25 |
| London | Feb 4, 1971 | 12:25 |
| New York | Feb 4, 1971 | 06:25 |
| Los Angeles | Feb 4, 1971 | 03:25 |
| Sydney | Feb 4, 1971 | 21:25 |
Local times use each place's official clock time in 1971, including daylight saving time where it applied. Born outside China.
Festivals in the 1971 lunar year
| Festival | Date |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | Jan 27, 1971 |
| Lantern Festival | Feb 10, 1971 |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | Apr 5, 1971 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | May 28, 1971 |
| Qixi Festival | Aug 27, 1971 |
| Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) | Sep 4, 1971 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Oct 3, 1971 |
| Double Ninth Festival | Oct 27, 1971 |
| Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi) | Dec 22, 1971 |
| Laba Festival | Jan 23, 1972 |
The Pig and 辛亥 in the calendar
The Pig is the Earthly Branch 亥 (Hai); it also marks the double hour from 9 pm to 11 pm, the direction North-northwest and the fixed element Water. 1971's own element, Metal, comes from the Heavenly Stem 辛. All Years of the Pig.
辛亥 is the 48th year of the 60-year cycle; the same stem-branch also falls in 1911 (see the Year of the Pig table), 2031 and 2091 (see the Year of the Pig table).
Lunar months of the 1971 lunar year
13 months, including a leap 5th month. How leap months work.
| Lunar month | Starts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1st month | Jan 27, 1971 | 29 |
| 2nd month | Feb 25, 1971 | 30 |
| 3rd month | Mar 27, 1971 | 29 |
| 4th month | Apr 25, 1971 | 29 |
| 5th month | May 24, 1971 | 30 |
| Leap 5th month | Jun 23, 1971 | 29 |
| 6th month | Jul 22, 1971 | 30 |
| 7th month | Aug 21, 1971 | 29 |
| 8th month | Sep 19, 1971 | 30 |
| 9th month | Oct 19, 1971 | 30 |
| 10th month | Nov 18, 1971 | 30 |
| 11th month | Dec 18, 1971 | 29 |
| 12th month | Jan 16, 1972 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 1971
Beijing time. The 12 terms marked with a month begin the solar months that the Four Pillars use; Lichun opens the year. What each term means.
| Solar term | Date | Time | Four Pillars month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor Cold 小寒 Xiaohan | Jan 6 | 07:45 | 丑 Ox month begins |
| Major Cold 大寒 Dahan | Jan 21 | 01:12 | |
| Start of Spring 立春 Lichun | Feb 4 | 19:25 | 寅 Tiger month begins |
| Rain Water 雨水 Yushui | Feb 19 | 15:26 | |
| Awakening of Insects 惊蛰 Jingzhe | Mar 6 | 13:34 | 卯 Rabbit month begins |
| Spring Equinox 春分 Chunfen | Mar 21 | 14:38 | |
| Pure Brightness 清明 Qingming | Apr 5 | 18:36 | 辰 Dragon month begins |
| Grain Rain 谷雨 Guyu | Apr 21 | 01:54 | |
| Start of Summer 立夏 Lixia | May 6 | 12:08 | 巳 Snake month begins |
| Grain Buds 小满 Xiaoman | May 22 | 01:14 | |
| Grain in Ear 芒种 Mangzhong | Jun 6 | 16:28 | 午 Horse month begins |
| Summer Solstice 夏至 Xiazhi | Jun 22 | 09:19 | |
| Minor Heat 小暑 Xiaoshu | Jul 8 | 02:51 | 未 Goat month begins |
| Major Heat 大暑 Dashu | Jul 23 | 20:14 | |
| Start of Autumn 立秋 Liqiu | Aug 8 | 12:40 | 申 Monkey month begins |
| End of Heat 处暑 Chushu | Aug 24 | 03:15 | |
| White Dew 白露 Bailu | Sep 8 | 15:30 | 酉 Rooster month begins |
| Autumn Equinox 秋分 Qiufen | Sep 24 | 00:44 | |
| Cold Dew 寒露 Hanlu | Oct 9 | 06:58 | 戌 Dog month begins |
| Frost's Descent 霜降 Shuangjiang | Oct 24 | 09:53 | |
| Start of Winter 立冬 Lidong | Nov 8 | 09:56 | 亥 Pig month begins |
| Minor Snow 小雪 Xiaoxue | Nov 23 | 07:13 | |
| Major Snow 大雪 Daxue | Dec 8 | 02:35 | 子 Rat month begins |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 Dongzhi | Dec 22 | 20:23 |
Dates are checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables; times are calculated. A dash means the term falls within minutes of midnight, where the calculated time and the Observatory's date disagree; the Observatory's date is shown.
FAQ
What Chinese zodiac sign is someone born in January 1971?
The Year of the Pig began on January 27, 1971. Anyone born from January 1 to January 26, 1971 belongs to the previous year, the Metal Dog (庚戌); anyone born on or after January 27, 1971 is a Metal Pig. That is the popular Chinese New Year rule; under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule the Pig year began at 19:25 China Standard Time on February 4, 1971 instead.
When was the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1971 lunar year?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, fell on Sunday, October 3, 1971. The next one, on September 22, 1972, comes 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar, because no leap month falls between the two.
Did the 1971 lunar year have a leap month?
Yes. A leap 5th month followed the regular 5th month, starting June 23, 1971 and lasting 29 days, so the lunar year has 13 months and 384 days.
What element is 1971 in the Chinese zodiac?
1971 is a Yin Metal year: its Heavenly Stem 辛 (Xin) carries Metal, and its Earthly Branch 亥 (Hai) is the Pig. Together they make 辛亥, the 48th year of the 60-year cycle.
What about birthdays between Lichun and Chinese New Year in 1971?
Chinese New Year came first. Births from January 27, 1971 until Lichun (February 4, 1971 at 19:25) are a Metal Pig under the popular New Year rule but a Metal Dog under the Four Pillars (Lichun) rule.
Nearby years
Dates are calculated with astronomical algorithms in China Standard Time (UTC+8) and checked against the Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table. Zodiac information describes the traditional calendar and is not a prediction.