Start here: a first visit to YUAN
A short guide to the Chinese almanac, its date labels, and our English cultural guides.
YUAN introduces the Chinese calendar, Five Phases, yin and yang, and the eight trigrams to English readers. You can start without knowing Chinese, sharing personal information or buying anything.
A three-minute first visit
- Choose a date in the daily almanac. Read the lunar date and the most recently reached solar term. The calendar uses Beijing time, UTC+8, rather than your local midnight.
- Read the traditional labels in context. 宜 introduces activities traditionally favored; 忌 introduces those traditionally avoided. The cards show a small translated selection. Open the complete Chinese source record to see the full returned list.
- Take one question into your day. The reflection below the calendar is an editorial exercise. Use it to think about your own situation; it does not tell you what will happen.
Use the previous and next buttons to compare dates, or copy a date link to return to the same page later. The site supports dates from 1901 to 2099.
Choose what interests you
- The calendar: How our almanac works explains its software, date basis, translations and limits.
- Reading an entry: How to read Yi and Ji walks through the cards with a reproducible example.
- An overseas date question: Why the date can differ explains Beijing time and shared date links.
- Five Elements: A first look at Wuxing introduces the generating and controlling cycles.
- The symbols: How to read a Bagua diagram introduces the eight trigrams and two common arrangements.
- Everyday space: Nine thoughtful bedroom changes separates symbolic interpretations from practical choices.
- A broader idea: Yin and Yang explores relationships, contrast and change.
Questions readers often ask
Why is “today” different from the date where I live?
Today follows Asia/Shanghai, UTC+8. If you are overseas, the calendar day can change before or after your local midnight. The date basis is printed beside the tool.
Does “traditionally favored” mean an activity will succeed?
No. It describes a category returned by the source almanac, not a forecast. Traditions and editions differ. Choose travel, appointments and other practical plans using your actual circumstances.
Is the day's phase my personal element?
No. The label is derived only from the day's heavenly stem. It does not use your birth information, determine your personality or calculate a BaZi chart.
Is Kai a real practitioner?
Kai is an illustrated fictional guide. The editorial project uses AI-assisted drafting and source checks; it does not present a fictional character as a qualified human expert. Read our approach.
Are the articles available in Chinese?
The home-page interface switches between English and Chinese. The guides and information pages are currently written in English. The switch does not translate every article.
Do I need an account, subscription or paid reading?
No. The current website has no accounts, checkout, advertisements or paid readings. The date tool works in your browser.
How do I suggest a correction?
Use Contact and corrections. Include the page link, the wording in question, and a source if you have one. Please do not send birth records, identity documents or other sensitive personal details.