The sexagenarian cycle, also known as the Gan-Zhi years and days or the Stems-and-Branches, have been used for two to three thousand years. It originated from the observation of celestial phenomena in ancient China. It was first used to record the day, and then gradually used to record the month, year, and time, that is, the year, month, day, and time, forming the unique Chinese calendar of ten days and twelve days. The earthly branches are matched in sequence, forming exactly sixty basic units, that is, sixty Jiazi. The earliest record of sixty Jiazi found so far is on oracle bone inscriptions. So heaven and earth matured at least 3300 years ago.
In ancient China, Chinese use Gan-Zhi to record the years, months, days and hours. It’s a cycle of sixty terms, each corresponding to one year, thus a total of sixty years for one cycle, historically used for recording time in China and the rest of the East Asian cultural sphere.
The ancient Yin-Yang principle constructed a fantastic system of 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches. the latter correspond to 12 animals with two symbolic functions. Heavenly stems and earthly branches are known as Stem-Branch or Gan-Zhi. The 10 heavenly stems are Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren and Gui. The 12 earthly branches are Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu and Hai. Each heavenly stem is paired with an earthly branch to form the Gan-Zhi／sexagenary cycle that starts with Jia-Zi.
Tabel-1 : Gan-Zhi / Sexagenary Cycle
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Jia-Zi (甲子) | Yi-Chou (乙丑) | Bing-Yin (丙寅) | Ding-Mao (丁卯) | Wu-Chen (戊辰) |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Ji-Si (己巳) | Geng-Wu (庚午) | Xin-Wei (辛未) | Ren-Shen (壬申) | Gui-You (癸酉) |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Jia-Xu (甲戌) | Yi-Hai (乙亥) | Bing-Zi (丙子) | Ding-Chou (丁丑) | Wu-Yin (戊寅) |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| Ji-Mao (己卯) | Geng-Chen (庚申) | Xin-Si (辛巳) | Ren-Wu (壬午) | Gui-Wei (癸未) |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| Jia-Shen (甲申) | Yi-You (乙酉) | Bing-Xu (丙戌) | Ding-Hai (丁亥) | Wu-Zi (戊子) |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Ji-Chou (己丑) | Geng-Yin (庚寅) | Xin-Mao (辛卯) | Ren-Chen (壬辰) | Gui-Si (癸巳) |
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 |
| Jia-Wu (甲午) | Yi-Wei (乙未) | Bing-Shen (丙申) | Ding-You (丁酉) | Wu-Xu (戊戌) |
| 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 |
| Ji-Hai (己亥) | Geng-Zi (庚子) | Xin-Chou (辛丑) | Ren-Yin (壬寅) | Gui-Mao (癸卯) |
| 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 |
| Jia-Chen (甲申) | Yi-Si (乙巳) | Bing-Wu (丙午) | Ding-Wei (丁未) | Wu-Shen (戊申) |
| 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
| Ji-You (己酉) | Geng-Xu (庚戌) | Xin-Hai (辛亥) | Ren-Zi (壬子) | Gui-Chou (癸丑) |
| 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 |
| Jia-Yin (甲寅) | Yi-Mao (乙卯) | Bing-Chen (丙辰) | Ding-Si (丁巳) | Wu-Wu (戊午) |
| 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
| Ji-Wei (己未) | Geng-Shen (庚申) | Xin-You (辛酉) | Ren-Xu (壬戌) | Gui-Hai (癸亥) |
You can check a Chinese Gan-Zhi year for specific western calendar year via the following converter or tables:
| Chinese Lunar Year: |
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Table-2 : Chinese Gan-Zhi Correspond to Western Calendar Years
| Jia-Zi (甲子) | Yi-Chou (乙丑) | Bing-Yin (丙寅) | Ding-Mao (丁卯) | Wu-Chen (戊辰) | Ji-Si (己巳) |
| 1804 1864 1924 1984 | 1805 1865 1925 1985 | 1806 1866 1926 1986 | 1807 1867 1927 1987 | 1808 1868 1928 1988 | 1809 1869 1929 1989 |
| Geng-Wu (庚午) | Xin-Wei (辛未) | Ren-Shen (壬申) | Gui-You (癸酉) | Jia-Xu (甲戌) | Yi-Hai (乙亥) |
| 1810 1870 1930 1990 | 1811 1871 1931 1991 | 1812 1872 1932 1992 | 1813 1873 1933 1993 | 1814 1874 1934 1994 | 1815 1875 1935 1995 |
| Bing-Zi (丙子) | Ding-Chou (丁丑) | Wu-Yin (戊寅) | Ji-Mao (己卯) | Geng-Chen (庚辰) | Xin-Si (辛巳) |
| 1816 1876 1936 1996 | 1817 1877 1937 1997 | 1818 1878 1938 1998 | 1819 1879 1939 1999 | 1820 1880 1940 2000 | 1821 1881 1941 2001 |
| Ren-Wu (壬午) | Gui-Wei (癸未) | Jia-Shen (甲申) | Yi-You (乙酉) | Bing-Xu (丙午) | Ding-Hai (丁亥) |
| 1822 1882 1942 2002 | 1823 1883 1943 2003 | 1824 1884 1944 2004 | 1825 1885 1945 2005 | 1826 1886 1946 2006 | 1827 1887 1947 2007 |
| Wu-Zi (戊子) | Yi-Chou (乙丑) | Geng-Yin (庚寅) | Xin-Mao (辛卯) | Ren-Chen (壬辰) | Gui-Si (癸巳) |
| 1828 1888 1948 2008 | 1829 1889 1949 2009 | 1830 1890 1950 2010 | 1831 1891 1951 2011 | 1832 1892 1952 2012 | 1833 1893 1953 2013 |
| Jia-Wu (甲午) | Yi-Wei (乙未) | Bing-Shen (丙申) | Ding-You (丁酉) | Wu-Xu (戊戌) | Ji-Hai (己亥) |
| 1834 1894 1954 2014 | 1835 1895 1955 2015 | 1836 1896 1956 2016 | 1837 1897 1957 2017 | 1838 1898 1958 2018 | 1839 1899 1959 2019 |
| Geng-Zi (庚子) | Xin-Chou (辛丑) | Ren-Yin (壬寅) | Gui-Mao (癸卯) | Jia-Chen (甲辰) | Ji-Si (己巳) |
| 1840 1900 1960 2020 | 1841 1901 1961 2021 | 1842 1902 1962 2022 | 1843 1903 1963 2023 | 1844 1904 1964 2024 | 1845 1905 1965 2025 |
| Bing-Wu (丙午) | Ding-Wei (丁未) | Wu-Shen (戊申) | Ji-You (己酉) | Geng-Xu (庚戌) | Xin-Hai (辛亥) |
| 1846 1906 1966 2026 | 1847 1907 1967 2027 | 1848 1908 1968 2028 | 1849 1909 1969 2029 | 1850 1910 1970 2030 | 1851 1911 1971 2031 |
| Ren-Zi (壬子) | Gui-Chou (癸丑) | Jia-Yin (甲寅) | Yi-Mao (乙卯) | Bing-Chen (丙辰) | Ding-Si (丁巳) |
| 1852 1912 1972 2032 | 1853 1913 1973 2033 | 1854 1914 1974 2034 | 1855 1915 1975 2035 | 1856 1916 1976 2036 | 1857 1917 1977 2037 |
| Wu-Wu (戊午) | Ji-Wei (己未) | Geng-Shen (庚申) | Xin-You (辛酉) | Ren-Xu (壬戌) | Gui-Hai (癸亥) |
| 1858 1918 1978 2038 | 1859 1919 1979 2039 | 1860 1920 1980 2040 | 1861 1921 1981 2041 | 1862 1922 1982 2042 | 1863 1923 1983 2043 |