| Dragon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.svg) "Dragon" in traditional (top) and simplified (bottom) Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 龍 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 龙 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thedragon (simplified Chinese:龙;traditional Chinese:龍;pinyin:lóng;Jyutping:lung;Cantonese Yale:lùhng) is the fifth of the 12-year cycle of animals that appear in theChinese zodiac related to theChinese calendar. TheYear of the Dragon is associated with theEarthly Branch symbol 辰 (pinyin:chén).
It has been proposed that the Earthly Branchcharacter may have been associated withscorpions; it may havesymbolized the starAntares.[1] In theBuddhist calendar used inThailand,Cambodia,Laos,Myanmar, andSri Lanka, the dragon is replaced by thenāga.[2] In theGurung zodiac, the dragon is replaced by the eagle.[3] In the Old Turkic calendar it is replaced by afish orcrocodile. EarlyPersian translations of the medieval period change the dragon to asea serpent, although in current times[when?] it is generally referred to aswhale.[4][5]
During China'sCultural Revolution, there was an attempt to replace the dragon with thegiant panda; however, the movement was short lived.[6][7]
People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in theYear of the Dragon, while bearing the followingelemental sign:
| Start date | End date | Heavenly branch |
|---|---|---|
| 23 January 1928 | 9 February 1929 | Earth dragon |
| 8 February 1940 | 26 January 1941 | Metal dragon |
| 27 January 1952 | 13 February 1953 | Water dragon |
| 13 February 1964 | 1 February 1965 | Wood dragon |
| 31 January 1976 | 17 February 1977 | Fire dragon |
| 17 February 1988 | 5 February 1989 | Earth dragon |
| 5 February 2000 | 28 January 2001 | Metal dragon |
| 23 January 2012 | 9 February 2013 | Water dragon |
| 10 February 2024 | 28 January 2025 | Wood dragon |
| 28 January 2036 | 14 February 2037 | Fire dragon |
| 14 February 2048 | 1 February 2049 | Earth dragon |
| 2 February 2060 | 20 January 2061 | Metal dragon |
| 19 February 2072 | 6 February 2073 | Water dragon |
| 6 February 2084 | 25 January 2085 | Wood dragon |
| 25 January 2096 | 11 February 2097 | Fire dragon |
There are typically marked spikes in the birth rates of countries that use theChinese zodiac orplaces with substantial Chinese populations during the Year of the Dragon, because these births are considered to be lucky and have desirable characteristics that supposedly lead to better life outcomes.[8][9] The relatively recent phenomenon of planning a child's birth in a Year of the Dragon has led to hospital capacity issues and even an uptick in infant mortality rates toward the end of these years due to strained neonatal resources.[citation needed]
| Sign | Best match or balance (firsttrine group) | Match | Non-match or rival (opposite sign) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon | Rooster,Rat | Monkey,Ox,Pig,Horse | Dog,Goat |
Cycle (trine group): Dragon needs Monkey, Monkey needs Rat, Rat needs Dragon; It is opposed to or rivals the Dog.
| Earthly Branches | chen |
| Five elements | earth |
| Yin yang | yang |
| Lunar month | April 6 to May 6 |
| Lucky numbers | 1, 6, and 7; avoid 2, 8, and 9 |
| Lucky flowers | hyacinths |
| Lucky colors | yellow, green, blue; avoid red |
| Season | spring |
| Lucky/Associated Countries: | China, United Kingdom, Argentina, Italy, Denmark, Iraq |
Media related toDragon (zodiac) at Wikimedia Commons
