16 September 2026

12 Chinese Zodiac Signs

Geng Xu · 庚戌

1970: Year of the Metal Dog

1970 is the year of the Metal Dog, from 6 Feb 1970 – 26 Jan 1971. A 1970 birth before 6 Feb 1970 belongs to the previous Earth Rooster year.

Animal
Dog
The earthly branch—the second Gan-Zhi character—supplies the year's animal.
Year-stem element
Yang Metal
The first Gan-Zhi character supplies this changing year coordinate.
Animal fixed element
Earth
The Dog branch keeps this element in every Dog year.
Gan-Zhi · what is this?
Geng Xu 庚戌
A heavenly stem plus an earthly branch: the traditional two-character year name.
Na Yin · what is this?
钗钏金 · Metal
A separate named classification for a two-year Gan-Zhi pair.
Age reached in 2026
Born in 1970, a person turns 56 in 2026
Age attained in Gregorian 2026; the birthday sets the exact day.

The year's complete signature

What is specific to 1970

The Metal year stem and the Dog's fixed Earth branch are different coordinates. Their element dynamic is Earth generates Metal. In the Five Phases cycle, Earth feeds Metal.

The complete 庚戌 pillar carries Na Yin 钗钏金, a Metal classification.

Na Yin
钗钏金 · Metal
Stem–branch element dynamic
Earth generates Metal
Lunar leap month
None — twelve lunar months
Li Chun · Start of Spring
4 February 1970 at 13:45 UTC+8
Clashing animal
Dragon
Ben ming nian
Own animal year for people born under Dog

One year, two boundary conventions

Chinese New Year and Li Chun in 1970

Site convention

Chinese New Year

6 February 1970

Dog from this lunar-calendar boundary.

Solar convention

Li Chun 立春

4 February 1970 at 13:45 China Standard Time (UTC+8)

Dog from this solar-term boundary.

Between the two boundaries, Chinese New Year assigns Rooster; Li Chun assigns Dog. On 4 February 1970, the solar answer changes at 4 February 1970 at 13:45 UTC+8.

The moving New Year boundary

Born early in 1970? You may be Rooster, not Dog

Chinese New Year 1970 fell on 6 February 1970. Anyone born between 1 January 1970 and 5 February 1970 — a window of 36 days — belongs to the 1969 zodiac year, the Yin Earth Rooster, and not to the Dog.

Check an exact birth date against the 6 February 1970 boundary.

Exact 1970 zodiac year dates

The 1970 lunar year ran its ordinary twelve months, 355 days in total.

Zodiac year beginsThe Chinese New Year boundary used for this site's animal sign.
6 February 1970
Zodiac year endsThe day before the next Chinese New Year begins a new animal year.
26 January 1971
Complete year namePolarity, year-stem element, and animal read together.
Yang Metal DogOpen this year type →
Day the year beganThe weekday on which this year's Chinese New Year fell.
Friday
Lunar-year lengthLeap months occasionally add a thirteenth lunar month.
355 days · twelve lunar months
Previous zodiac yearThe animal year immediately before this boundary.
1969 · Yin Earth RoosterOpen the previous record →
Next zodiac yearThe animal year that starts at the following Chinese New Year.
1971 · Yin Metal PigOpen the next record →

The Gregorian year's solar clock

All 24 solar terms in Gregorian 1970

These are the calculated seasonal markers from January through December1970, shown in China Standard Time (UTC+8). Jie terms open solar months; qi terms fall between them.

SpringWood season · six markers

The Tiger, Rabbit, and Dragon branch months form the spring meeting. Start of Spring opens it; the Spring Equinox is its midpoint.

  1. Start of Spring 立春

    Jie · month opening

    Opens traditional spring and the Tiger solar month. Four Pillars calendars also use this instant as their change of astrological year.

    Read the term guide →
  2. Rain Water 雨水

    Qi · month midpoint

    Names the early-spring turn toward rain and moisture. It is the Qi midpoint of the Tiger solar month.

    Read the term guide →
  3. Awakening of Insects 惊蛰

    Jie · month opening

    Evokes hibernating life stirring as spring advances. This Jie opens the Rabbit solar month.

    Read the term guide →
  4. Spring Equinox 春分

    Qi · month midpoint

    The equinox at the middle of traditional spring, when day and night are close to equal in length.

    Read the term guide →
  5. Pure Brightness 清明

    Jie · month opening

    Names the clear, bright interval of later spring. This Jie opens the Dragon solar month and also names the Qingming observance.

    Read the term guide →
  6. Grain Rain 谷雨

    Qi · month midpoint

    The final spring term, named for rains associated with the growth of grain. It is the Qi midpoint of Dragon month.

    Read the term guide →
SummerFire season · six markers

The Snake, Horse, and Goat branch months form the summer meeting. Start of Summer opens it; the Summer Solstice is its midpoint.

  1. Start of Summer 立夏

    Jie · month opening

    Opens traditional summer and the Snake solar month, before the June solstice rather than on it.

    Read the term guide →
  2. Grain Buds 小满

    Qi · month midpoint

    Describes grain beginning to fill without yet being fully ripe. It is the Qi midpoint of Snake month.

    Read the term guide →
  3. Grain in Ear 芒种

    Jie · month opening

    Names the time of awned grains in the seasonal sequence. This Jie opens the Horse solar month.

    Read the term guide →
  4. Summer Solstice 夏至

    Qi · month midpoint

    The June solstice and midpoint of traditional summer, with the longest daylight of the Northern Hemisphere year.

    Read the term guide →
  5. Minor Heat 小暑

    Jie · month opening

    Introduces the hotter part of the traditional calendar. This Jie opens the Goat solar month.

    Read the term guide →
  6. Major Heat 大暑

    Qi · month midpoint

    The closing term of traditional summer, named for the season's strongest heat and placed at the midpoint of Goat month.

    Read the term guide →
AutumnMetal season · six markers

The Monkey, Rooster, and Dog branch months form the autumn meeting. Start of Autumn opens it; the Autumn Equinox is its midpoint.

  1. Start of Autumn 立秋

    Jie · month opening

    Opens traditional autumn and the Monkey solar month, well before the September equinox.

    Read the term guide →
  2. End of Heat 处暑

    Qi · month midpoint

    Its name marks summer heat beginning to withdraw. It is the Qi midpoint of Monkey month.

    Read the term guide →
  3. White Dew 白露

    Jie · month opening

    Evokes the more visible dew of cooler early-autumn nights. This Jie opens the Rooster solar month.

    Read the term guide →
  4. Autumn Equinox 秋分

    Qi · month midpoint

    The equinox at the middle of traditional autumn, when day and night are close to equal in length.

    Read the term guide →
  5. Cold Dew 寒露

    Jie · month opening

    Names the deepening chill signalled by cold dew. This Jie opens the Dog solar month.

    Read the term guide →
  6. Frost Descent 霜降

    Qi · month midpoint

    The final autumn term, named for the arrival of frost in the traditional seasonal vocabulary and placed at the midpoint of Dog month.

    Read the term guide →
WinterWater season · six markers

The Pig, Rat, and Ox branch months form the winter meeting. Start of Winter opens it; the Winter Solstice is its midpoint. In a Gregorian-year record, its January terms appear before the four markers in November and December.

  1. Minor Cold 小寒

    Jie · month opening

    Begins the final solar month of winter. This Jie opens the Ox month near the start of January.

    Read the term guide →
  2. Major Cold 大寒

    Qi · month midpoint

    The twenty-fourth term closes the traditional winter sequence before Start of Spring begins it again.

    Read the term guide →
  3. Start of Winter 立冬

    Jie · month opening

    Opens traditional winter and the Pig solar month, before the December solstice rather than on it.

    Read the term guide →
  4. Minor Snow 小雪

    Qi · month midpoint

    Introduces snow imagery into the winter sequence. It is the Qi midpoint of Pig month, not a promise of local snowfall.

    Read the term guide →
  5. Major Snow 大雪

    Jie · month opening

    Names a deeper-cold stage in the traditional calendar. This Jie opens the Rat solar month.

    Read the term guide →
  6. Winter Solstice 冬至

    Qi · month midpoint

    The December solstice and midpoint of traditional winter, with the shortest daylight of the Northern Hemisphere year.

    Read the term guide →

The repeating earthly branch

Follow Dog years through the cycle

The Dog branch repeats every twelve years. Across five returns, the year stem moves through all five elements; the exact Yang Metal Dog signature comes back after sixty years.

12Years between Dog returns
5Elements across five returns
60Years to the same signature
19702018Selected pass · 5 Dog returns

Each point is twelve years apart. Element names describe the changing heavenly stem; the animal branch remains Dog. Open a year or complete name for its full record.

  1. Begins6 February 1970Ends26 January 1971

    Yang Metal Dog This page
  2. Begins25 January 1982Ends12 February 1983

    Yang Water Dog
  3. Begins10 February 1994Ends30 January 1995

    Yang Wood Dog
  4. Begins29 January 2006Ends17 February 2007

    Yang Fire Dog
  5. Begins16 February 2018Ends4 February 2019

    Yang Earth Dog

The exact pairing 庚戌Yang Metal Dog — returns only once every sixty years: 1910, 2030, 2090. Open the complete Dog year history →