Chinese zodiac · Year of the Monkey
The Earth Monkey: 1968, 2028, 2088
戊申 · Wu shēn · Yang Earth stem on the Metal branch
A Earth Monkey year pairs the Heavenly Stem 戊 (Wu, yang Earth) with the Earthly Branch 申 (shēn, the Monkey). The pair recurs every sixty years, so in the range AsterNym covers the Earth Monkey years are 1968, 2028, 2088. The animal is the same each time; the stem is what makes a Earth Monkey different from a Wood Monkey or a Fire Monkey. 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 Earth Monkey is like
Popular Chinese zodiac tradition. For reflection, not prediction.
The Earth Monkey is the most reliable of the five, calm and studious, cleverness with a steady hand.
1968 Earth Monkeys are the reliable ones, cleverness with a steady hand, born into a year that was anything but steady.
In BaZi terms the Earth stem feeds the Metal branch: Earth produces Metal in the generating cycle. Practitioners read the year as the stem spending itself on the branch, so the Monkey'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 Monkey’s character, in love, at work and the growing edge, is on the Year of the Monkey page.
Earth Monkey 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 30 January 1968 | 16 February 1969 | 5 February 1968 |
| 2028 | 26 January 2028 | 12 February 2029 | 4 February 2028 |
| 2088 | outside the table | … | 4 February 2088 |
The next Earth Monkey year is 2028. Check any birthday against the boundary with the finder.
Famous Earth Monkeys
Public birth records, assigned by the Lunar New Year boundary.
Common questions
- When does the Year of the Earth Monkey start?
- The 1968 Earth Monkey year began at Lunar New Year on 30 January 1968 and ran to 16 February 1969. The 2028 Earth Monkey year began at Lunar New Year on 26 January 2028 and ran to 12 February 2029. 2088 is outside AsterNym's Lunar New Year table. BaZi turns the year at Li Chun instead (1968: 5 February 1968; 2028: 4 February 2028; 2088: 4 February 2088), so a birth between the two dates carries different year animals in the two systems.
- What is a Earth Monkey personality?
- The Earth Monkey is the most reliable of the five, calm and studious, cleverness with a steady hand. In BaZi terms the Earth stem feeds the Metal branch: Earth produces Metal in the generating cycle. Practitioners read the year as the stem spending itself on the branch, so the Monkey'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 Earth Monkey year?
- 2028. The pair of stem 戊 and branch 申 recurs every sixty years.