Chinese zodiac · lóng
龍
The Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac
The luminous, fated original.
Personality and traits
The Dragon is the fifth of the twelve animals — a yang sign whose fixed element is Earth (土), at home in spring. Traditional readings call the Dragon charismatic, ambitious, visionary, proud, lucky.
Strengths
- · Bends rooms to a vision
- · Fearless on the big bet
- · Natural authority
Watch-outs
- · Arrogant
- · Impatient
- · Hates being small
Dragon years and their elements
Every Dragon year carries a different Heavenly Stem, so a Water Dragon is not a Wood Dragon. The year turns at Lìchūn (~February 4) — if you were born in January or early February, check your exact date with the free chart.
Compatibility
The Dragon’s strongest traditional allies are the Rat 鼠, the Monkey 猴 and the Rooster 雞. The pairing that costs the most effort is the Dog 狗, which sits against the Dragon’s grain — workable, but never free.
Lucky correspondences
Numbers: 1, 6, 7
Colors: Gold, Silver, Grayish white
Flowers: Bleeding heart vine, Larkspur
Directions: East, North, South
The Dragon in 2026 — A year to steer
Dragon has no fixed bond or clash with the Horse. The year neither carries you nor fights you. What you build this year is mostly what you choose to build.
Read the Dragon’s full 2026 outlookQuestions
What years is the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac?
Recent Dragon years are 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024. Each carries a different element: for example 2012 was a Water Dragon year. Note that the zodiac year begins at Lìchūn (around February 4), not at Lunar New Year — January and early-February birthdays often belong to the previous animal.
What is the Dragon's personality in Chinese astrology?
The luminous, fated original. Traditional readings describe the Dragon as charismatic, ambitious, visionary, proud, lucky — with strengths like bends rooms to a vision and fearless on the big bet, and watch-outs like being arrogant and impatient.
Who is the Dragon most compatible with?
The Dragon's strongest traditional matches are the Rat, the Monkey, the Rooster. The most challenging pairing is the Dog — not doomed, but a relationship that costs more effort to keep aligned.
How is 2026 for the Dragon?
2026 is the Yang Fire Horse year (丙午). For the Dragon: Dragon has no fixed bond or clash with the Horse. The year neither carries you nor fights you. What you build this year is mostly what you choose to build.
Your year animal is one third of the picture — the month and hour pillars complete it.