The most significant and outstanding counting
system in the Chinese Calendar is the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch.
There are 10 Stems and 12 Branches. Stem and Branch are used together.
The Stem is used in the front of (on the top of) the Branch.
Chinese call them Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch and use a specific sequence as
the counting system for the calendar years.
Sequence Order |
|
| Stems |  |
| Branches |  |
Character for year is 年 although it is used infrequently.
The easiest way to immediately know if a bottle has a date is to look for the character for month (月) as it is almost always present.
Full chart is below (month chart follows year chart)
OR
| 1869 | 1929 | 1989 | ji ( 6th Heavenly Stem) | 
| si (6th Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1870 | 1930 | 1990 | geng ( 7th Heavenly Stem) | 
| wu (7th Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1871 | 1931 | 1991 | xin ( 8th Heavenly Stem) | 
| wei (8th Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1872 | 1932 | 1992 | ren ( 9th Heavenly Stem) | 
| shen (9th Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1873 | 1933 | 1993 | gui ( 10th Heavenly Stem) | 
| you ( 10th Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1874 | 1934 | 1994 | jia ( 1st Heavenly Stem) | 
| xu (11th Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1875 | 1935 | 1995 | yi ( 2nd Heavenly Stem) | 
| hai (12th Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1876 | 1936 | 1996 | bing ( 3rd Heavenly Stem) | 
| zi (1st Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1877 | 1937 | 1997 | ding ( 4th Heavenly Stem) | 
| chou (2nd Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1878 | 1938 | 1998 | wu ( 5th Heavenly Stem) | 
| yin (3rd Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1879 | 1939 | 1999 | ji ( 6th Heavenly Stem) |
| mao (4th Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1880 | 1940 | 2000 | geng ( 7th Heavenly Stem) |
| chen (5th Earthly Branch) | 
|
| 1881 | 1941 | 2001 | xin ( 8th Heavenly Stem) |
| si (6th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1882 | 1942 | 2002 | ren ( 9th Heavenly Stem) |
| wu (7th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1883 | 1943 | 2003 | gui ( 10th Heavenly Stem) |
| wei (8th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1884 | 1944 | 2004 | jia ( 1st Heavenly Stem) |
| shen (9th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1885 | 1945 | 2005 | yi ( 2nd Heavenly Stem) |
| you ( 10th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1886 | 1946 | 2006 | bing ( 3rd Heavenly Stem) |
| xu (11th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1887 | 1947 | 2007 | ding ( 4th Heavenly Stem) |
| hai (12th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1888 | 1948 | 2008 | wu ( 5th Heavenly Stem) |
| zi (1st Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1889 | 1949 | 2009 | ji ( 6th Heavenly Stem) |
| chou (2nd Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1890 | 1950 | 2010 | geng ( 7th Heavenly Stem) |
| yin (3rd Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1891 | 1951 | 2011 | xin ( 8th Heavenly Stem) |
| mao (4th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1892 | 1952 | 2012 | ren ( 9th Heavenly Stem) |
| chen (5th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1893 | 1953 | 2013 | gui ( 10th Heavenly Stem) |
| si (6th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1894 | 1954 | 2014 | jia ( 1st Heavenly Stem) |
| wu (7th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1895 | 1955 | 2015 | yi ( 2nd Heavenly Stem) |
| wei (8th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1896 | 1956 | 2016 | bing ( 3d Heavenly Stem) |
| shen (9th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1897 | 1957 | 2017 | ding ( 4th Heavenly Stem) |
| you ( 10th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1898 | 1958 | 2018 | wu ( 5th Heavenly Stem) |
| xu (11th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1899 | 1959 | 2019 | ji ( 6thHeavenly Stem) |
| hai (12th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1900 | 1960 | 2020 | geng ( 7th Heavenly Stem) |
| zi (1st Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1901 | 1961 | 2021 | xin ( 8th Heavenly Stem) |
| chou (2nd Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1902 | 1962 | 2022 | ren ( 9th Heavenly Stem) |
| yin (3rd Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1903 | 1963 | 2023 | gui ( 10th Heavenly Stem) |
| mao (4th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1904 | 1964 | 2024 | jia ( 1st Heavenly Stem) |
| chen (5th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1905 | 1965 | 2025 | yi ( 2nd Heavenly Stem) |
| si (6th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1906 | 1966 | 2026 | bing ( 3rd Heavenly Stem) |
| wu (7th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1907 | 1967 | 2027 | ding ( 4th Heavenly Stem) |
| wei (8th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1908 | 1968 | 2028 | wu ( 5th Heavenly Stem) |
| shen (9th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1909 | 1969 | 2029 | ji ( 6th Heavenly Stem) |
| you ( 10th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1910 | 1970 | 2030 | geng ( 7th Heavenly Stem) |
| xu (11th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1911 | 1971 | 2031 | xin ( 8th Heavenly Stem) |
| hai (12th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1912 | 1972 | 2032 | ren ( 9th Heavenly Stem) |
| zi (1st Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1913 | 1973 | 2033 | gui ( 10th Heavenly Stem) |
| chou (2nd Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1914 | 1974 | 2034 | jia ( 1st Heavenly Stem) |
| yin (3rd Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1915 | 1975 | 2035 | yi ( 2nd Heavenly Stem) |
| mao (4th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1916 | 1976 | 2036 | bing ( 3rd Heavenly Stem) |
| chen (5th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1917 | 1977 | 2037 | ding ( 4th Heavenly Stem) |
| si (6th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1918 | 1978 | 2038 | wu ( 5th Heavenly Stem) |
| wu (7th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1919 | 1979 | 2039 | ji ( 6th Heavenly Stem) |
| wei (8th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1920 | 1980 | 2040 | geng ( 7th Heavenly Stem) |
| shen (9th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1921 | 1981 | 2041 | xin ( 8th Heavenly Stem) |
| you ( 10th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1922 | 1982 | 2042 | ren ( 9th Heavenly Stem) |
| xu (11th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1923 | 1983 | 2043 | gui ( 10th Heavenly Stem) |
| hai (12th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1924 | 1984 | 2044 | jia ( 1st Heavenly Stem) |
| zi (1st Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1925 | 1985 | 2045 | yi ( 2nd Heavenly Stem) |
| chou (2nd Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1926 | 1986 | 2046 | bing ( 3rd Heavenly Stem) |
| yin (3rd Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1927 | 1987 | 2047 | ding ( 4th Heavenly Stem) |
| mao (4th Earthly Branch) |
|
| 1928 | 1988 | 2048 | wu ( 5th Heavenly Stem) |
| chen (5th Earthly Branch) |
|
| Month | Yuè | 月 |
| Spring | Chūn | 春 |
| Summer | Xià | 夏 |
| Autumn/ Harvest time | Qiū | 秋 |
| Fall | Zhuì | 坠 |
| Winter | Dōng | 冬 |
| 一 | yī | one | January |
| 二 | èr | two | February |
| 三 | sān | three | March |
| 四 | sì | four | April |
| 五 | wǔ | five | May |
| 六 | liù | six | June |
| 七 | qī | seven | July |
| 八 | bā | eight | August |
| 九 | jiǔ | nine | September |
| 十 | shí | ten | October |
| 十一 | shí yī | eleven | November |
| 十二 | shí èr | twelve | December |