Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 1988
戊辰年 Year of the Earth Dragon
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 1988.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 1988 is the Year of the Dragon (Earth Dragon, 戊辰). Chinese New Year falls on 17 February 1988 and the lunar year ends on 5 February 1989, with no leap month, so 355 days. Mid-Autumn is on 25 September 1988.
Chinese festivals in 1988
Western dates for 1988. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan26Tue
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb16Tue
Chinese New Year’s Eve除夕
12th month, day 29 · 腊月廿九
Last day of the lunar year: reunion dinner and the CMG Spring Festival Gala.
- Feb17Wed
Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)春节
1st month, day 1 · 正月初一
First day of the lunar year and the biggest family holiday of the year.
- Mar2Wed
Lantern Festival元宵节
1st month, day 15 · 正月十五
Lanterns, riddles and tangyuan; it closes the New Year season.
- Apr4Mon
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)清明节
solar term · 2nd month, day 18 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun18Sat
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug18Thu
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug26Fri
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept25Sun
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct19Wed
Double Ninth Festival重阳节
9th month, day 9 · 九月初九
Climbing heights and honouring older people.
- Dec21Wed
Winter Solstice冬至
solar term · 11th month, day 13 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 1988
Lunar year 1988 runs from 17 February 1988 to 5 February 1989: 12 months, 355 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Wed 17 February 1988 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Fri 18 March 1988 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Sat 16 April 1988 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Mon 16 May 1988 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Tue 14 June 1988 | 30 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Thu 14 July 1988 | 29 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Fri 12 August 1988 | 30 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Sun 11 September 1988 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Tue 11 October 1988 | 29 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Wed 9 November 1988 | 30 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Fri 9 December 1988 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Sun 8 January 1989 | 29 |
The 24 solar terms in 1988
Solar terms (节气 jiéqì) mark the sun’s position, so their dates barely move from year to year. Dates are in Beijing time.
- 小寒Minor Cold6 Jan 1988
- 大寒Major Cold21 Jan 1988
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 1988
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 1988
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 1988
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 1988
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)4 Apr 1988
- 谷雨Grain Rain20 Apr 1988
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 1988
- 小满Grain Buds21 May 1988
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 1988
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 1988
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 1988
- 大暑Major Heat22 Jul 1988
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 1988
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 1988
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 1988
- 秋分Autumn Equinox23 Sept 1988
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 1988
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 1988
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 1988
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 1988
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 1988
- 冬至Winter Solstice21 Dec 1988
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 1988?
17 February 1988 (a Wednesday). It starts the Year of the Dragon; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 16 February 1988.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1988?
The Dragon (龙, lóng), a Earth Dragon year (戊辰). People born from 17 February 1988 to 5 February 1989 are a Dragon; those born earlier in 1988 belong to the Year of the Rabbit.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1988?
25 September 1988, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 1988?
18 June 1988, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.
Tools
Sources
- Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar calendar conversion table · accessed 28 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia, Chinese calendar · accessed 28 Oct 2026
Update log. 28 October 2026 — published. Dates computed in Beijing time and spot-checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables. Suggest a correction
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