"What year is it?" In stem-branch terms, 2026 is Bing Wu and 2025 is Yi Si. In BaZi each year's stem-branch is called the annual pillar (liu nian). Here is where the system comes from and how to calculate it yourself.
Origin of the sixty-year cycle
Ten heavenly stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui. Twelve earthly branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. Paired in order from Jia Zi to Gui Hai they make sixty combinations — the sixty-year cycle (jiazi). Stem-branch day counting appears widely on Shang-dynasty oracle bones; year counting became standard around the Eastern Han and is still used.
The annual pillar is the year's Tai Sui
"This year's Tai Sui is Bing Wu" and "this year's annual pillar is Bing Wu" mean the same thing. Branches also map to zodiac animals, so a Wu year is a Horse year.
Formula from the Gregorian year
Stem: (year − 3) ÷ 10, take the remainder — 1 Jia, 2 Yi, 3 Bing, 4 Ding, 5 Wu, 6 Ji, 7 Geng, 8 Xin, 9 Ren, 0 Gui.
Branch: (year − 3) ÷ 12, take the remainder — 1 Zi, 2 Chou, 3 Yin, 4 Mao, 5 Chen, 6 Si, 7 Wu, 8 Wei, 9 Shen, 10 You, 11 Xu, 0 Hai.
Check: 2026 − 3 = 2023; 2023 ÷ 10 leaves 3 → Bing; 2023 ÷ 12 leaves 7 → Wu. So 2026 is Bing Wu. For 1984: 1981 leaves 1 and 1 → Jia Zi, as recorded.
Recent years
- 2020 Geng Zi (Rat)
- 2021 Xin Chou (Ox)
- 2022 Ren Yin (Tiger)
- 2023 Gui Mao (Rabbit)
- 2024 Jia Chen (Dragon)
- 2025 Yi Si (Snake)
- 2026 Bing Wu (Horse)
- 2027 Ding Wei (Goat)
- 2028 Wu Shen (Monkey)
- 2029 Ji You (Rooster)
- 2030 Geng Xu (Dog)
Key detail: the year changes at Lichun
People usually treat Chinese New Year as the change of year, but BaZi uses Lichun, around 4 February, while New Year moves between late January and mid-February. So:
- After 1 January but before Lichun: still the previous year's stem-branch.
- After Lichun but before New Year: already the new year in BaZi, though not yet in the lunar calendar.
The same rule affects the zodiac sign in BaZi; folk custom often uses New Year instead, and both conventions coexist.
How BaZi uses it
The annual pillar is the same for everyone, but its role differs by chart: which Ten God its stem is to the Day Master, whether its branch clashes or combines with the chart and luck pillar, and how its element affects balance.
Summary
The annual pillar is the year's stem-branch in a sixty-year cycle. Subtract 3, divide by 10 and 12, and remember that BaZi changes years at Lichun.
This article is for cultural reference only and is not advice for any decision.