Common Concepts
What Is the Sexagenary Cycle (Liu Shi Jia Zi)?
Also called: Liu Shi Jia Zi, Gan-Zhi Cycle
Plain Explanation
The Sexagenary Cycle is the sequence of sixty Stem–Branch pairs formed by advancing the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches together. It begins with Jia–Zi (甲–子), ends with Gui–Hai (癸–亥), and then repeats.
Example
The two sequences advance together. After all ten Heavenly Stems have been used, the Stem sequence returns to Jia (甲); after all twelve Earthly Branches have been used, the Branch sequence returns to Zi (子). This produces sixty distinct pairs. The first six are shown below.
| Position | Stem–Branch pair |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jia–Zi (甲–子) |
| 2 | Yi–Chou (乙–丑) |
| 3 | Bing–Yin (丙–寅) |
| 4 | Ding–Mao (丁–卯) |
| 5 | Wu–Chen (戊–辰) |
| 6 | Ji–Si (己–巳) |
What It Is Used For
The Sexagenary Cycle assigns Stem–Branch names to years, months, days, and hours as a repeating system of traditional timekeeping. In BaZi, the birth time is recorded as four such pairs, and 10-Year Cycles and Annual Cycles use the same set of names.
Common Misunderstandings
The cycle does not include every possible Stem–Branch combination
Both sequences advance by one position at each step, so Jia–Zi (甲–子) is followed by Yi–Chou (乙–丑). Jia–Chou (甲–丑) is not part of this cycle. After the sixtieth pair, Gui–Hai (癸–亥), the sequence returns to Jia–Zi (甲–子).
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Updated 2026-10-16 · Editorial Policy