Chinese Zodiac History

Legends and mythology are a big part of Chinese culture, especially in relation to the Chinese Zodiac. The 12 animals that appear on the Chinese Zodiac calendar include a rat, buffalo (ox), tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. It’s an unusual combination of animals and their appearance on the Chinese Zodiac is the topic of countless legends, and is deeply embedded in Chinese mythology.

Chinese Zodiac Animals

Most stories do seem to agree on one thing: the animals that make up the signs, or the 12 equal parts of the Chinese Zodiac, were the animals that appeared in response to an invitation. As a reward for appearing, these 12 animals were included in the Chinese Zodiac. As interesting as the story of the animals is, there is much more to the origin of the Chinese Zodiac than that.

Notes about Chinese Zodiac Animals in East Asia: The Korean zodiac is identical to the Chinese one. The Vietnamese zodiac is almost identical to the Chinese zodiac except that the second animal is the water buffalo instead of the ox, the fourth animal is the cat instead of the rabbit and the eighth animal is the Ram instead of the sheep. The Japanese zodiac includes the wild boar instead of the pig. The Thai zodiac includes a Naga in place of the dragon.

Chinese Zodiac Elements

Much of Chinese philosophy is built around the belief in the five elements and their abilities to interact with and create relationships between natural phenomena. The five elements have been part of Chinese culture almost from the beginning. Interestingly, few people outside the Asian world understand the importance of the five elements, especially how each relates to the workings of the Chinese Zodiac. These 5 elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth have been a driving force in Chinese culture for thousands of years.

Chinese Astrology

Astrology has for years played a significant role in Chinese culture. In Chinese astrology, the 12 signs of the zodiac are not for the positions of the celestial bodies in the sky, but on the celestial equator. In Chinese astrology the signs correspond to one of the two sets of 12 hours in a day and also to one of the 12 months. Each year is governed by a sign and combines with a system that is based on 5 elements of Chinese cosmology, which gives rise to a cycle of 60 years. The Chinese lunar calendar was built on the foundation of astronomy and Chinese astrology which has itself been in existence for over 5,000 years.