The Dragon is the fifth of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Recent and coming Dragon years include 2000 (from 5 February 2000), 2012 (from 23 January 2012) and 2024 (from 10 February 2024). A Dragon year begins on the lunar new year and not on 1 January, so a Dragon birthday in January or February may belong to the animal before.
Folklore, not science, is the right frame: a Dragon year says nothing certain about the people born in it. This page sets out the Dragon as the tradition describes it, with every Dragon year and its exact start date, and you can check a birth date with the Chinese zodiac calculator.
Years of the Dragon
These Dragon years run from 1948 to 2047, with dates from the Hong Kong Observatory’s table, as in the calculator. Each Dragon year begins on the lunar new year in China and Hong Kong and ends the day before the next. The element column is the element of that particular year, and the last column names it in the sixty-year cycle, where the Dragon is always paired with the branch chen.
| Chinese year | Begins | Ends | Element | Stem and branch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 27 January 1952 | 13 February 1953 | Yang Water | Ren-chen |
| 1964 | 13 February 1964 | 1 February 1965 | Yang Wood | Jia-chen |
| 1976 | 31 January 1976 | 17 February 1977 | Yang Fire | Bing-chen |
| 1988 | 17 February 1988 | 5 February 1989 | Yang Earth | Wu-chen |
| 2000 | 5 February 2000 | 23 January 2001 | Yang Metal | Geng-chen |
| 2012 | 23 January 2012 | 9 February 2013 | Yang Water | Ren-chen |
| 2024 | 10 February 2024 | 28 January 2025 | Yang Wood | Jia-chen |
| 2036 | 28 January 2036 | 14 February 2037 | Yang Fire | Bing-chen |
For example, someone born on 26 January 2000 was born before the lunar new year of 2000, which began on 5 February 2000, so that person is a Rabbit and not a Dragon. If a Dragon birthday falls within a day of the new year, check the family date, since the time zone can move it.
Its place in the zodiac
In the Great Race the Dragon, who could fly, was expected to win. The story says it stopped to bring rain to a parched village and to help the Rabbit across the river, and so came fifth. The tale is told as an example of kindness mattering more than speed.
In the older calendar of earthly branches the Dragon is chen (辰), branch number 5. It is Yang, its fixed element is Earth, its double-hour is 7 am to 9 am and its compass direction is east-south-east. That fixed element stays the same in every Dragon year, whereas the year element changes.
What the tradition says
The Dragon is described as confident, energetic, generous and ambitious, with a taste for big plans. It is the only imaginary creature in the cycle, and in Chinese culture it stands for power, good fortune and the life-giving rain. The shadow side described is being demanding of others.
- Vision. Seeing a large plan and inspiring others to join it.
- Energy. Plenty of drive for a project that matters.
- Generosity. Willingness to share credit and resources.
- Presence. An ease in taking the lead in a room.
Growth edges
Descriptions of the Dragon note impatience with detail and with slower people, and a pride that can find criticism hard. The suggested practice is to ask a trusted colleague for honest feedback each quarter, and to finish a small task before starting a grand one.
In relationships
In close relationships the Dragon is pictured as warm, loyal and larger than life, and as someone who enjoys admiring and being admired. The growth point is listening and sharing the spotlight. This is a prompt to consider your own habits and nothing more.
In work
Traditional descriptions link the Dragon with leadership, business, the arts, entrepreneurship and public life. These describe a style found in any field, and they say nothing about whether anyone will succeed.
The Dragon with each element
The Dragon returns every twelve years while the elements turn in a cycle of ten, so Dragon years carry five different year elements, and the tradition reads each as a variation on the Dragon. Across 1948 to 2047 they fall as follows.
- Wood Dragon, in 1964 and 2024: the Dragon’s confident ambition with a year that the tradition calls cooperative, idealistic and growth-minded. Read about Wood.
- Fire Dragon, in 1976 and 2036: the Dragon’s confident ambition with a year that the tradition calls energetic, enthusiastic and expressive. Read about Fire.
- Earth Dragon, in 1988: the Dragon’s confident ambition with a year that the tradition calls patient, practical and loyal. Read about Earth.
- Metal Dragon, in 2000: the Dragon’s confident ambition with a year that the tradition calls determined, precise and self-disciplined. Read about Metal.
- Water Dragon, in 1952 and 2012: the Dragon’s confident ambition with a year that the tradition calls intuitive, adaptable and thoughtful. Read about Water.
Compatibility in the tradition
The tradition compares animals by a handful of old pairings. For the Dragon the list is:
- Trine allies: Rat and Monkey, with the Dragon in the visionary and resourceful trine.
- Secret friend (six harmonies): Rooster.
- Opposite (a clash): Dog.
- Harm: Rabbit.
- Penalty: no other animal. The Dragon is also on the list of self-penalty animals.
None of these is a verdict on a Dragon’s relationships. The compatibility overview explains each pairing, and the Chinese zodiac compatibility tool compares a Dragon with anyone, from two birth dates.
Names and variations
In Chinese the Dragon is long, a benevolent creature quite unlike the fire-breathing dragon of European myth. In the Thai zodiac the Naga, a serpent being, takes its place. The Dragon is also one of four animals the tradition calls self-penalty.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Which years are Years of the Dragon?
Recent and upcoming Dragon years are 2000, 2012, 2024. The next one begins on 28 January 2036 and is a Yang Fire year (Bing-chen). Every Dragon year to 2047 is in the table above, with its end date.
↳ I was born in January or February: am I A Dragon?
Only if your birth date falls on or after the lunar new year that opens a Dragon year. For the Dragon year 2000 the new year was 5 February 2000, so a birth before that date counts as the Rabbit. The calculator checks a Dragon birthday, or any date from 1901 to 2100.
↳ Is the Year of the Dragon lucky?
The Dragon is the most prized animal in Chinese tradition, and its year is often linked with ambition and, in some places, with a rise in the number of births. That is a custom, and no study shows a year's animal changing individual luck.
↳ Who is the Dragon most compatible with?
By the traditional pairings, the Dragon's trine allies are Rat and Monkey, and its secret friend is Rooster. The tradition gives no score, and a Dragon can do well or badly with any animal.
Return to the Chinese zodiac hub, or read about the Rabbit and the Snake.