What a BaZi calculator does
BaZi (八字, "eight characters"), also called the Four Pillars of Destiny, turns the moment you were born into four pairs of Chinese calendar signs — one pair each for the year, month, day and hour.
This calculator produces those eight characters and their basic relationships. It does not give readings or predictions.
The rules this calculator follows
The year changes at Start of Spring (立春, around February 4), not on January 1 or Lunar New Year.
The month changes at the exact moment of each of the 12 major solar terms. Term times are computed astronomically and checked against the Hong Kong Observatory's published times to within one minute.
The hour uses true solar time — your clock time corrected for your birthplace's longitude and the equation of time.
By default, births from 23:00 count as the next day's Zi hour (late Zi). You can switch this off above.
Historical time-zone rules and daylight saving for your birthplace are applied from the IANA time zone database.
How to read your chart
In each pillar the top character is the Heavenly Stem and the bottom one is the Earthly Branch. The stem of the day pillar is your Day Master; the small labels over the other stems are the Ten Gods, each stem's relationship to your Day Master.
Colors show the Five Elements: green Wood, red Fire, yellow Earth, grey Metal, blue Water.
FAQ
What if I don't know my birth time?
Tick "I don't know my birth time". The hour pillar stays empty and all 12 possible hour pillars are listed by time range. Guessing a time would give you someone else's chart.
Why does another calculator show a different chart?
Usually because of true solar time, the late Zi hour rule, or daylight saving. Open "How this was calculated" under your result to see the exact time and solar term used here.
I was born outside China or Korea.
Pick your city, or choose "Not listed" and enter your time zone and longitude. Daylight saving rules in force at the time are applied.
Is my birth data saved?
No. Everything is calculated inside this page in your browser and nothing is sent to any server.
This tool converts dates into the traditional calendar only. It does not give readings or predictions, and any decision based on the result is your own.