"Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads is an artwork by Chinese contemporary artist and political commentator, Ai Weiwei. The work comes in a small (gold) and large (bronze) version. Created in 2010, the zodiac heads (a Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig) are inspired by those which once comprised a water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace, which is a complex of palaces and gardens in Beijing that were constructed by the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty. The Old Summer Palace was eventually destroyed by French and British troops in"
"to the Chinese zodiac. Twelve (12) animals represent the 12 years in sequential order with the rat/mouse representing the first year. Buddha is believed to have invited animals from all over the world to visit, to which only 12 visited. In return, he honored them by naming the years in the order that they arrived. Koreans believe that specific zodiac animals bring specific resources and qualities. For example, the year 2014 was the year of the horse, and it was considered a good year in the money and career aspect of life. It is said that a person born in"
"stem/Earthly Branch year indicated by the characters 戊戌. It is the current year, until 5 February 2019. Dog (zodiac) The Dog (狗) is eleventh of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Dog is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 戌. The character 狗, also refers to the actual animal while 戌, also refers to the zodiac animal. People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the ""Year of the Dog"", while also bearing the following elemental sign: In the sexagenary"
"Dog (zodiac) The Dog (狗) is eleventh of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Dog is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 戌. The character 狗, also refers to the actual animal while 戌, also refers to the zodiac animal. People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the ""Year of the Dog"", while also bearing the following elemental sign: In the sexagenary cycle, 2018 (16 February 2018–4 February 2019, and every 60-year multiple before and after), is the Celestial"
"Rooster (zodiac) The Rooster () is the tenth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rooster is represented by the Earthly Branch symbol 酉. The name is also translated into English as Chicken; the characters 雞/鷄/酉/鸡/丁酉/鳥 also refer to the Chicken in general, both the males and the females. In the Tibetan zodiac and the Gurung zodiac, the bird is in place of the Rooster. Sometimes, the fenghuang will take the place of the Rooster. People born within these date ranges can be said to have"
"Ox (zodiac) The Ox (牛) is the second of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Ox is denoted by the Earthly Branch symbol 丑. The name is also translated into English as Cow; the characters 牛/丑 also refer to the Cow in general, both the males and the females. In the Vietnamese zodiac, the water buffalo occupies the position of the Ox. In the Gurung zodiac, the Ox is also replaced by the Cow. People born within these date ranges can be said to have been"
"been born in the ""Year of the Rooster"", while also bearing the following elemental signs: In the sexagenary cycle, 2017 (28 January 2017–15 February 2018, and every 60-year multiple before and after), is the Celestial stem/Earthly Branch year indicated by the characters 丁酉. Rooster (zodiac) The Rooster () is the tenth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rooster is represented by the Earthly Branch symbol 酉. The name is also translated into English as Chicken; the characters 雞/鷄/酉/鸡/丁酉/鳥 also refer to the Chicken in general,"
"the Gregorian calendar, the Lunar New Year begins at the new moon that falls between 21 January and 20 February. The Gregorian Calendar dates for Chinese New Year from 1912 to 2101 are below, along with the year's presiding animal zodiac and its Stem-branch. The traditional Chinese calendar follows a Metonic cycle, a system used by the modern Jewish Calendar, and returns to the same date in Gregorian calendar roughly. The names of the Earthly Branches have no English counterparts and are ""not"" the Chinese translations of the animals. Alongside the 12-year cycle of the animal zodiac there is a"
"normally refers specifically to a sheep in the Korean language (where a native Korean word 염소 ""yeomso"" is used to mean ""Goat""), although the Chinese source of the loanword ""yang"" may refer to any goat-antelope. The Japanese zodiac includes the ""Sheep"" (""hitsuji"") instead of the ""Goat"" (which would be ""yagi""), and the ""Wild boar"" (""inoshishi"", ""i"") instead of the ""Pig"" (""buta""). The Japanese have, since 1873, celebrated the beginning of the new year on January 1 as per the Gregorian calendar. The Vietnamese zodiac is almost identical to the Chinese zodiac except the second animal is the ""Water Buffalo"" instead"
"Tiger (zodiac) The Tiger (寅) is the third of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Tiger is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 寅. People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the ""Year of the Tiger"", while also bearing the following elemental sign: Among all the 12 mathematical animal signs, Tigers are also most compatible with the Dog as they are both straightfoward, honest, and free-spirited. Tigers are also most compatible with the energetic and jovial Horse. The Pig,"
"Goat (zodiac) The Goat () is the eighth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The sign is referred to as the ram and sheep sign, since the Chinese word ""yáng"" is more accurately translated as Caprinae, a taxonomic subfamily that includes both goats and sheep. The Year of the Goat is associated with the 8th Earthly Branch symbol, 未 (""wèi""). The Chinese word ""yáng"" also refers to both goats and sheep, whereas the terms ""shānyáng"" () and ""miányáng"" () also refer exclusively to both goats and sheep respectively. In"
"Pig (zodiac) The Pig (豬) is the twelfth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. In the continuous sexagenary cycle, every twelfth year corresponds to ""hai"", and is also commonly called the ""Year of the Pig"" 豬. There are also five types of Pigs, named after the Chinese elements. In order, they are: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. In the Japanese zodiac and the Tibetan zodiac, the Pig is replaced by the boar. In the Dai zodiac, the Pig is replaced by the elephant. In the Gurung zodiac, the"
"Dragon (zodiac) The Dragon () is the fifth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. It is also the only zodiac sign represented by a mythical creature, rather than a real life animal. The Year of the Dragon is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 辰, pronounced ""chen"". It has been proposed by one academic researcher that the Earthly Branch character may have been associated with scorpions; it may have symbolized the Star Antares. In the Buddhist calendar used in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, the Dragon is"
"born in the ""Year of the Ox"", while also bearing the following elemental sign: Ox (zodiac) The Ox (牛) is the second of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Ox is denoted by the Earthly Branch symbol 丑. The name is also translated into English as Cow; the characters 牛/丑 also refer to the Cow in general, both the males and the females. In the Vietnamese zodiac, the water buffalo occupies the position of the Ox. In the Gurung zodiac, the Ox is also replaced by"
"birth-year. As the Chinese New Year starts in late January to mid-February, the previous Chinese year dates through 1 January until that day in the new Gregorian year, remaining unchanged from the previous Gregorian year. For example, the 1989 year of the Snake began on 6 February 1989. The year 1989 is generally aligned with the year of the Snake. However, the 1988 year of the Dragon officially ended on 5 February 1989. This means that anyone born from 1 January to 5 February 1989 was actually born in the year of the Dragon rather than the year of the"
"of Cancer and so on. So the Chinese 12-year calendar is a solar-lunar-jovian calendar. The following table shows the twelve signs and their attributes. In Chinese astrology, the zodiac of twelve animal sign represents twelve different types of personality. The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat, and there are many stories about the Origins of the Chinese Zodiac which explain why this is so. When the twelve zodiac signs are part of the 60-year calendar in combination with the four elements, they are traditionally called the twelve Earthly Branches. The Chinese zodiac follows the lunisolar Chinese calendar"
"known as Huli jing. There are various types, such as the nine-tailed fox. Various dogs appear in the mythology of China, featuring more prominently in some ethnic cultures more than others. The zodiacal dog is featured in the Chinese zodiac. The Bovidae appearing in the mythologies of China include the Ox (including the common cow, buffalo), and the yak), sheep and goats, and perhaps antelopes (some times ""unicorns"" are thought to be types of antelopes). Oxen may includingrefer to the common cow, the buffalo), and the yak. The zodiacal ox is one of the twelve zodiacal signs in the twelve-year"
"have some similarities (the Mongolian calendar is a lunar calendar). Each year is symbolized by an animal, itself associated to a star of the constellation Great Bear. The first, Dubhe, corresponds to the Rat's year, the second, Merak, corresponds to the Ox and so on until the end of the Great Bear's tail where Alkaid symbolizes the year of the Horse. Then we come back to the first, the Goat year and we repeat the same way until the twelfth and latest year of the Chinese calendar, the one of the Pig. Therefore, the two stars at the end of"
"season, and birth hours, such as ""ziping"" and Zi Wei Dou Shu () are still used regularly in modern-day Chinese astrology. They do not rely on direct observations of the stars. The Korean zodiac is identical to the Chinese one. The Vietnamese zodiac is almost identical to Chinese zodiac except the second animal is the ""Water Buffalo"" instead of the ""Ox"", and the fourth animal is the ""Cat"" instead of the ""Rabbit"". The Japanese have since 1873 celebrated the beginning of the new year on 1 January as per the Gregorian calendar. The Thai zodiac begins, not at Chinese New"
"yet also to be clinging and of a nature resistant to change. People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the ""Year of the Goat"", while also bearing the following elemental sign: Goat (zodiac) The Goat () is the eighth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The sign is referred to as the ram and sheep sign, since the Chinese word ""yáng"" is more accurately translated as Caprinae, a taxonomic subfamily that includes both goats and sheep. The Year of the Goat is"
"despite the implication of the etymology of the word ""zodiac"". The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat. The following are the twelve zodiac signs (each with its associated Earthly Branch) in order and their characteristics. Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water as five nature elements. In Chinese astrology, the animal signs assigned by year represent how others perceive you or how you present yourself. It is a common misconception that the animals assigned by year are the only signs, and many Western descriptions of Chinese astrology draw solely on this system. In fact, there are also animal"
"not used; instead the sky is divided into Three Enclosures (三垣 sān yuán), and Twenty-Eight Mansions (二十八宿 èrshíbā xiù) in twelve Ci (). The Chinese zodiac of twelve animal signs is said to represent twelve different types of personality. It is based on cycles of years, lunar months, and two-hour periods of the day (the shichen). The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat, and the cycle proceeds through 11 other animals signs: the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Complex systems of predicting fate and destiny based on one's birthday, birth"
"yin, and thus only the negative aspects of the elements can be attached to them, thus only 5 kinds of Pigs are found in the zodiac. They are the following: People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the ""Year of the Pig"", while also bearing the following elemental sign: Since the Chinese zodiac follows the Lunar calendar, it also does not coincide with the Gregorian calendar years or months. Thus, a person born on 9 February 1899 still belongs to the preceding zodiac (i.e. the Dog) while those born on 31 January 1900"
"New Year was on Friday, 16 February, initiating the year of the Dog. Chinese New Year is one of the world's most prominent and celebrated festivals, and is the cause of the largest annual mass human migration in the world. It is a major holiday in Greater China and has strongly influenced the lunar new year celebrations of China's neighbouring cultures, including the Korean New Year (seol), the Tết of Vietnam, and the Losar of Tibet. It is also celebrated worldwide in countries with significant Overseas Chinese populations, these including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines and Mauritius, as"
"Festival. The Chinese New Year Parade marks the biggest annual celebration in Boston's Chinatown and each year a new animal of the Chinese zodiac is celebrated. The name Lion Dance comes from the costumes worn by those in the parade who often wear lions or dragon costumes. The dance is part of the parade each year. In China, this celebration begins on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar traditionally used in much of Asia. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, but it is different in Boston's Chinatown based on when spring begins. Another"
"already belongs to the following zodiac (i.e. the Rat). Aside from being assigned a year, the Pig is also assigned to govern a month in the Lunar calendar. As the lunar month cycle begins in spring, the Pig is also assigned to the 10th month, usually the time when winter begins. This lunar month corresponds to the Gregorian calendar as beginning from 7 November, and ending at 6 December. The first half of the month is called 立冬 (or in pinyin: Lìdōng). Literally, it means the ""Start of Winter"". It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 225°"
"Chinese calendar, was the first year of the cycle. The Japanese tradition of celebrating (literally 'return of calendar') reflects the influence of the sexagenary cycle as a count of years. The Tibetan calendar also counts years using a 60-year cycle based on 12 animals and 5 elements, but while the first year of the Chinese cycle is always the year of the Wood Rat, the first year of the Tibetan cycle is the year of the Fire Rabbit (—""dīng-mǎo"", year 4 on the Chinese cycle). <nowiki>*</nowiki>The names of several animals can be translated into English in several different ways. The"
"their order in a racing contest involving swimming across a river, in the so-called Great Race. The reason for the Dog finishing the race second from last despite generally being a talented swimmer is explained as being due to its playful nature: the Dog played and frolicked along the way, thus delaying completing the course and reaching the finishing line. As of 2012, the next Year of the Dog in the Chinese calendar is February 16, 2018 to February 4, 2019 (Year of the Yang Earth Dog). The personalities of people born in Dog years are popularly supposed to share"
"element would still be Yin Earth, not Yang Metal. Similarly, although 1990 was called the year of the Horse, anyone born from January 1 to January 26, 1990, was in fact born in the Year of the Snake (the sign of the previous year), because the 1990 Year of the Horse did not begin until January 27, 1990. For this reason, many online sign calculators (and Chinese restaurant place mats) may give a person the wrong sign if he/she was born in January or early February. The start of a new zodiac is also celebrated on Chinese New Year along"
"context with the other eleven zodiacal creatures shows how they have been imagined in the calendrical context. Snake (zodiac) The Snake (蛇) is the sixth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac and related to the Chinese calendar, as well as in related East asian zodiacal or calendrical systems. The Year of the Snake is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 巳. According to one legend, there is also a reason for the order of the 12 animals in the 12-year cycle. The story also goes that a race was held to cross a great"
"the reserved and contemplative Snake. Some Chinese Muslims will say that they were born in the year of the hai 亥 to avoid saying the Pig. Pig (zodiac) The Pig (豬) is the twelfth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. In the continuous sexagenary cycle, every twelfth year corresponds to ""hai"", and is also commonly called the ""Year of the Pig"" 豬. There are also five types of Pigs, named after the Chinese elements. In order, they are: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. In the Japanese zodiac and"
"a tendency to be somewhat unscrupulous. People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the ""Year of the Snake"", while also bearing the following elemental sign: Note that in Japan, the new sign of the zodiac also starts on 1 January, while in China it also starts, according to the traditional Chinese calendar, at the new moon that falls between 21 January and 20 February, so that persons born in January or February may also have two different signs in the two countries. Depictions of zodiacal Snakes are also either solo or in group"
"The rat (sometimes referred to as a mouse) is the first of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. People born in this year are expected to possess qualities associated with rats, including creativity, intelligence, honesty, generosity, ambition, a quick temper and wastefulness. People born in a year of the rat are said to get along well with ""monkeys"" and ""dragons"", and to get along poorly with ""horses"". In Indian tradition, rats are seen as the vehicle of Ganesha, and a rat's statue is always found in a temple of Ganesh. In the northwestern Indian city of Deshnoke, the rats"