The Dragon is the fifth of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, and the only one that is not a real animal. Recent Dragon years are 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 and 2024, and the next begins on January 28, 2036. Each starts on Lunar New Year, not January 1. The sign is traditionally said to be ambitious, energetic and charismatic.
What years are Dragon years?
The Dragon's turn comes every 12 years. The table shows when each Dragon year began and ended, and which element it carries.
| Dragon year | First day | Last day | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | January 23, 1928 | February 9, 1929 | Earth |
| 1940 | February 8, 1940 | January 26, 1941 | Metal |
| 1952 | January 27, 1952 | February 13, 1953 | Water |
| 1964 | February 13, 1964 | February 1, 1965 | Wood |
| 1976 | January 31, 1976 | February 17, 1977 | Fire |
| 1988 | February 17, 1988 | February 5, 1989 | Earth |
| 2000 | February 5, 2000 | January 23, 2001 | Metal |
| 2012 | January 23, 2012 | February 9, 2013 | Water |
| 2024 | February 10, 2024 | January 28, 2025 | Wood |
| 2036 | January 28, 2036 | February 14, 2037 | Fire |
Born in January or February? You may not be a Dragon
The zodiac year begins on Lunar New Year, which lands between January 21 and February 20. That leaves a stretch at the start of every calendar year that still belongs to the animal before.
- Born on January 15, 2000? The new millennium had begun, but the Dragon year had not. You are a Rabbit.
- Born on February 5, 2024? Also a Rabbit. The Dragon year started on February 10.
- Born on January 20, 2025? You are a Dragon, even though most people born in 2025 are Snakes. The Dragon year lasted until January 28.
Put a birthday into the tool below and it returns the animal and element for that date. It lives on the Birthday Profile page as well.
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What is the Dragon's personality said to be?
Eleven of the zodiac animals could be met on a farm or in a forest. The Dragon could not, and it carries the grandest reputation of the 12. People born in a Dragon year are traditionally said to be ambitious, energetic and charismatic. National Museums Liverpool calls it the most famous sign and describes it as strong and independent: a born leader who, for all that, still looks for support from others.
It helps to know which dragon is meant. The Victoria and Albert Museum stresses that the Chinese dragon is an auspicious creature and not the fire-breathing monster of European stories. Dragons on an emperor's robes were a sign that his reign would bring the country good fortune.
Traits commonly attached to the sign:
- Said to be strengths: confidence, drive, enthusiasm, a talent for inspiring others.
- Said to be weaknesses: pride, impatience, a certain eccentricity, difficulty in accepting second place.
The prestige belongs to the symbol and not to anyone's birth certificate. The V&A also notes that linking character to birth year is a fairly recent development, missing from old Chinese texts. One person in 12 is born in a Dragon year, with the usual range of temperaments.
What are the five types of Dragon?
Each year has an element in addition to its animal: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water. The elements follow a cycle of ten "heavenly stems" running beside the 12 animals, so the same pairing, such as Wood and Dragon, returns only after 60 years.
Dragon years end in an even number. The last digit tells you the element.
| Type | Years | Year ends in | The element is traditionally linked with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Dragon | 1964, 2024 | 4 | Growth, generosity and cooperation |
| Fire Dragon | 1976, 2036 | 6 | Passion, energy and leadership |
| Earth Dragon | 1928, 1988 | 8 | Stability, patience and practicality |
| Metal Dragon | 1940, 2000 | 0 | Determination, discipline and strength |
| Water Dragon | 1952, 2012 | 2 | Flexibility, intuition and communication |
According to the tradition, the element modifies the sign. An Earth Dragon is described as a calmer, more practical Dragon and a Water Dragon as a more flexible one. That is folklore too.
Why did the Dragon come only fifth in the Great Race?
It had the best chance of winning and gave it away. In the legend, the Jade Emperor held a race across a river to fix the order of the years. The Dragon could fly, so the river was no obstacle. But on the way it stopped to bring rain to farmers whose crops needed it. Then, in one telling, it saw the Rabbit stranded on a log and blew it to the bank. The Dragon landed fifth, right behind the animal it had helped.
It is a folktale, and details differ between versions. Read the rest on our page about Chinese New Year animals.
The animals stand for an older series of counters, the 12 "earthly branches." The Dragon's branch is the fifth, written 辰 (chen), and the animal is 龙 (long). On the traditional clock the branch covers 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
What does a Dragon year mean if you are a Dragon?
Babies born from January 28, 2036 to February 14, 2037 will be Fire Dragons. For those born in earlier Dragon years, 2036 brings their own sign around again, at age 12, 24, 36, 48 or 60. The people who turn 60 were born in the Fire Dragon year of 1976, and for them the element matches as well as the animal.
In folk belief, a person's own zodiac year, the ben ming nian, is not a lucky one. It is traditionally thought of as a hurdle, and wearing red is the custom that goes with it. Read it as a belief, not a forecast.
Which signs is the Dragon said to get along with?
Traditional lore puts the Dragon in a group of three with the Rat and the Monkey, and pairs it with the Rooster. Its opposite, six places away in the cycle, is the Dog. These sets, and the reasons to treat them as folklore, are explained in our guide to Chinese zodiac compatibility.
In the cycle, the Dragon stands between the Rabbit and the Snake. The year that starts on February 6, 2027 belongs to a different sign: see Year of the Goat 2027.