Jewels
Album
Theology
Calendars
Culture
Family News
Neopets
Cookbook
NASCAR
Music & Movies
If the Chinese calendar started in 2637 B.C.E., why is the current year 60 years too late? (e.g., in 1999, the current year was 4697? and not 4637)?
The Chinese calendar does not use a continuous year count! They used a 60 year cycle and a system of regional years (starting with each emperor). Before the 1911 revolution, Sun Yat-sen wanted to establish a republican alternative to the imperial reign cycles. According to Chinese tradition, the first year of the Yellow Emperor was 2698 B.C.E., so he introduced a counting system based on this. Under this system, 2000 is year 4698. An alternative system is to start with the first historical record of the 60-day cycle from March 8, 2637 B.C.E. Based on this system, 2000 is year 4637.
Chinese
Christian
Indian
Islamic
Jewish
Ethiopian
Persian
Balinese
Baha'i
Ancient
French
Mayan
Roman
4693 4694 4695
4696
4697
4698
4699
4700
4701
4702
4703
4704
4705
4706
4707
4708
4709
4710
4711
4712
4713
4714
4715
4716
4717
4718
Boar Rat
Ox
Tiger
Hare/Rabbit
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Ram/Sheep
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Boar
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Hare/Rabbit
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Ram/Sheep
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Boar
Rat
January 31, 1995
February 19, 1996
February 7, 1997
January 28, 1998
February 16, 1999
February 5, 2000
January 24, 2001
February 12, 2002
February 1, 2003
January 22, 2004
February 9, 2005
January 29, 2006
February 18, 2007
February 7, 2008
January 26, 2009
February 10, 2010
February 3, 2011
January 23, 2012
February 10, 2013
January 31, 2014
February 19, 2015
February 9, 2016
January 28, 2017
February 16, 2018
February 5, 2019
January 25, 2020