The 28 Lunar Mansions in the Chinese Almanac

Every day in a Chinese almanac carries one of the 28 lunar mansions (xiu, 宿), such as Jiao (Horn) or Xin (Heart). The mansions began as 28 sectors of the sky used to track the sun, moon and planets; in date selection they take turns ruling one day each, and the ruling mansion is one of the factors in judging a day.

Each mansion has a three-character name: the mansion itself, one of the seven luminaries (Wood, Metal, Earth, Sun, Moon, Fire, Water) and an animal. Jiao Mu Jiao (角木蛟) is the Horn mansion, ruled by Wood, with the flood dragon as its animal. The 28-day cycle makes the luminaries repeat every 7 days in step with the days of the week: Sun mansions fall on Sundays, Moon mansions on Mondays, and so on.

The mansions form four groups of seven: the Azure Dragon of the east, the Black Tortoise of the north, the White Tiger of the west and the Vermilion Bird of the south. A traditional seasonal rule says Wood mansions suit spring and Earth mansions should be avoided then, Fire suits summer and Metal is avoided, Metal suits autumn and Wood is avoided, and Water suits winter and Fire is avoided.

The lucky and unlucky labels here follow the common almanac classification of fourteen lucky and fourteen unlucky mansions. A mansion is only one factor; the day officer, day spirits and stem-branch are weighed together.

See today’s mansion in the calendar ›

Azure Dragon (east)

Horn 角木蛟 · Wood, flood dragon · Lucky

First mansion of the Azure Dragon. Good for weddings, travel, making clothes, breaking ground, raising pillars and doors, and moving; burials are the exception.

Neck 亢金龍 · Metal, dragon · Unlucky

Building and burials are traditionally avoided, and some almanacs also advise against weddings; others allow planting and trading.

Root 氐土貉 · Earth, raccoon dog · Unlucky

Good for buying land and planting. Burials, building and weddings are avoided, and boat journeys are considered unlucky.

Room 房日兔 · Sun, hare · Lucky

Good for offerings, weddings, raising the ridge beam and moving, and associated with a thriving household. Buying land and making clothes are avoided.

Heart 心月狐 · Moon, fox · Unlucky

Major undertakings are usually avoided, especially making clothes, building and weddings; offerings, travel and moving are still acceptable.

Tail 尾火虎 · Fire, tiger · Lucky

Associated with fortune and a prosperous home. Good for weddings, building and burials; making clothes is avoided.

Winnowing Basket 箕水豹 · Water, leopard · Lucky

Good for building, digging ponds, installing doors, receiving money and repairing graves. Weddings and making clothes are avoided.

Black Tortoise (north)

Dipper 斗木獬 · Wood, xiezhi · Lucky

First mansion of the Black Tortoise, associated with gaining wealth. Good for making clothes, building, installing doors and opening channels.

Ox 牛金牛 · Metal, ox · Unlucky

Weddings and building are traditionally avoided, and caution is advised in general.

Girl 女土蝠 · Earth, bat · Unlucky

Good for learning a craft. Funerals, lawsuits and making clothes are avoided.

Emptiness 虛日鼠 · Sun, rat · Unlucky

The name means emptiness. Installing doors and opening channels are avoided; it is a day to hold steady rather than push ahead.

Rooftop 危月燕 · Moon, swallow · Unlucky

Good for travel and receiving money. Building tall structures, burials, installing doors and opening channels are avoided, and heights call for care.

Encampment 室火豬 · Fire, pig · Lucky

Good for weddings, moving, building, offerings and digging wells, and associated with family prosperity. Funerals are avoided.

Wall 壁水貐 · Water, yayu · Lucky

Good for weddings, building and burials, and associated with wealth and children. Long journeys to the south are traditionally avoided.

White Tiger (west)

Legs 奎木狼 · Wood, wolf · Unlucky

First mansion of the White Tiger. Good for travel, making clothes and house repairs; opening a business and burials are avoided.

Bond 婁金狗 · Metal, dog · Lucky

Good for weddings, house repairs and garden work, as well as installing doors and channels; associated with a harmonious, prosperous home.

Stomach 胃土雉 · Earth, pheasant · Lucky

Good for weddings, burials and official business, and associated with wealth and happy events.

Hairy Head 昴日雞 · Sun, rooster · Unlucky

Weddings, burials, installing doors and opening channels are avoided, and little is undertaken.

Net 畢月烏 · Moon, crow · Lucky

Good for building, burials, weddings, bridge building and digging wells, and associated with good harvests.

Turtle Beak 觜火猴 · Fire, monkey · Unlucky

Traditionally regarded as very unlucky; building, burials and other major events are avoided.

Three Stars 參水猿 · Water, ape · Lucky

Good for travel, installing gates and building; weddings and burials are avoided. Almanacs disagree on whether this mansion is lucky; this site follows the common classification and lists it as lucky.

Vermilion Bird (south)

Well 井木犴 · Wood, wild dog · Lucky

First mansion of the Vermilion Bird. Good for offerings, planting and building, and associated with success in examinations; making clothes and burials are avoided.

Ghost 鬼金羊 · Metal, goat · Unlucky

Good for burials. Building and weddings are avoided, as are journeys to the west.

Willow 柳土獐 · Earth, river deer · Unlucky

Installing doors and channels, burials and building are avoided; caution is advised.

Star 星日馬 · Sun, horse · Unlucky

Building a new house and weddings are acceptable, but burials, installing doors and opening channels are avoided.

Extended Net 張月鹿 · Moon, deer · Lucky

Good for weddings, opening a business, offerings, burials and building, and associated with marital harmony and income.

Wings 翼火蛇 · Fire, snake · Unlucky

Burials, weddings and building are avoided, and the day is considered unsuitable for most things.

Chariot 軫水蚓 · Water, earthworm · Lucky

Good for buying land, starting school, building, weddings and making clothes, and associated with lasting prosperity. Long journeys north are avoided.

Seasonal rule at a glance

See also: Day spirits · Almanac terms · 2026 Chinese almanac