Chinese zodiac · Year of the Dragon
The Fire Dragon: 1976, 2036, 2096
丙辰 · Bing chén · Yang Fire stem on the Earth branch
A Fire Dragon year pairs the Heavenly Stem 丙 (Bing, yang Fire) with the Earthly Branch 辰 (chén, the Dragon). The pair recurs every sixty years, so in the range AsterNym covers the Fire Dragon years are 1976, 2036, 2096. The animal is the same each time; the stem is what makes a Fire Dragon different from a Wood Dragon or a Earth Dragon. The popular zodiac begins each of these years at Lunar New Year and BaZi begins it at Li Chun, so both boundaries are given below for every year.
What a Fire Dragon is like
Popular Chinese zodiac tradition. For reflection, not prediction.
The Fire Dragon is the Dragon turned up: charismatic, demanding, impatient, and unforgettable either way.
1976 Fire Dragons are the Dragon turned up, and the tradition's charismatic, demanding, unforgettable Dragon describes a year that produced a remarkable number of them.
In BaZi terms the Fire stem feeds the Earth branch: Fire produces Earth in the generating cycle. Practitioners read the year as the stem spending itself on the branch, so the Dragon's qualities are well supported from above while the stem itself is drained. A generous year for the animal, at some cost to the element on top.
The rest of the Dragon’s character, in love, at work and the growing edge, is on the Year of the Dragon page.
Fire Dragon years and when each begins
The popular zodiac year begins at Lunar New Year; BaZi begins it at Li Chun, the start of spring. Both dates are given so a birth between them can be placed in either system.
| Year | Lunar New Year (popular zodiac) | Ends | Li Chun (BaZi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 31 January 1976 | 17 February 1977 | 5 February 1976 |
| 2036 | 28 January 2036 | 14 February 2037 | 4 February 2036 |
| 2096 | outside the table | … | 4 February 2096 |
The next Fire Dragon year is 2036. Check any birthday against the boundary with the finder.
Famous Fire Dragons
Public birth records, assigned by the Lunar New Year boundary.
Common questions
- When does the Year of the Fire Dragon start?
- The 1976 Fire Dragon year began at Lunar New Year on 31 January 1976 and ran to 17 February 1977. The 2036 Fire Dragon year began at Lunar New Year on 28 January 2036 and ran to 14 February 2037. 2096 is outside AsterNym's Lunar New Year table. BaZi turns the year at Li Chun instead (1976: 5 February 1976; 2036: 4 February 2036; 2096: 4 February 2096), so a birth between the two dates carries different year animals in the two systems.
- What is a Fire Dragon personality?
- The Fire Dragon is the Dragon turned up: charismatic, demanding, impatient, and unforgettable either way. In BaZi terms the Fire stem feeds the Earth branch: Fire produces Earth in the generating cycle. Practitioners read the year as the stem spending itself on the branch, so the Dragon's qualities are well supported from above while the stem itself is drained. A generous year for the animal, at some cost to the element on top.
- When is the next Fire Dragon year?
- 2036. The pair of stem 丙 and branch 辰 recurs every sixty years.