Chinese calendar
Chinese Calendar 2016
丙申年 Year of the Fire Monkey
Chinese New Year, every festival date, the lunar months and the 24 solar terms for 2016.
The answer
In the Chinese calendar, 2016 is the Year of the Monkey (Fire Monkey, 丙申). Chinese New Year falls on 8 February 2016 and the lunar year ends on 27 January 2017, with no leap month, so 355 days. Mid-Autumn is on 15 September 2016.
Chinese festivals in 2016
Western dates for 2016. Most festivals follow the lunar calendar; Qingming and the Winter Solstice follow the sun.
- Jan17Sun
Laba Festival腊八节
12th month, day 8 · 腊月初八
Laba congee; the start of the run-up to New Year.
- Feb7Sun
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.
- Feb8Mon
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.
- Feb22Mon
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 27 · 清明
Families visit and tidy ancestors’ graves. Set by the sun, not the moon.
- Jun9Thu
Dragon Boat Festival端午节
5th month, day 5 · 五月初五
Dragon-boat races and zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
- Aug9Tue
Qixi Festival七夕
7th month, day 7 · 七月初七
The cowherd and weaver-girl legend, often called Chinese Valentine’s Day.
- Aug17Wed
Ghost Festival中元节
7th month, day 15 · 七月十五
Offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits.
- Sept15Thu
Mid-Autumn Festival中秋节
8th month, day 15 · 八月十五
Mooncakes and family reunions under the full moon.
- Oct9Sun
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 23 · 冬至
Dumplings or tangyuan, depending on the region. Set by the sun.
Lunar months of the year 2016
Lunar year 2016 runs from 8 February 2016 to 27 January 2017: 12 months, 355 days.
| Month | Chinese | First day | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st month | 正月 | Mon 8 February 2016 | 30 |
| 2nd month | 二月 | Wed 9 March 2016 | 29 |
| 3rd month | 三月 | Thu 7 April 2016 | 30 |
| 4th month | 四月 | Sat 7 May 2016 | 29 |
| 5th month | 五月 | Sun 5 June 2016 | 29 |
| 6th month | 六月 | Mon 4 July 2016 | 30 |
| 7th month | 七月 | Wed 3 August 2016 | 29 |
| 8th month | 八月 | Thu 1 September 2016 | 30 |
| 9th month | 九月 | Sat 1 October 2016 | 30 |
| 10th month | 十月 | Mon 31 October 2016 | 29 |
| 11th month | 冬月 | Tue 29 November 2016 | 30 |
| 12th month | 腊月 | Thu 29 December 2016 | 30 |
The 24 solar terms in 2016
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 2016
- 大寒Major Cold20 Jan 2016
- 立春Start of Spring4 Feb 2016
- 雨水Rain Water19 Feb 2016
- 惊蛰Awakening of Insects5 Mar 2016
- 春分Spring Equinox20 Mar 2016
- 清明Pure Brightness (Qingming)4 Apr 2016
- 谷雨Grain Rain19 Apr 2016
- 立夏Start of Summer5 May 2016
- 小满Grain Buds20 May 2016
- 芒种Grain in Ear5 Jun 2016
- 夏至Summer Solstice21 Jun 2016
- 小暑Minor Heat7 Jul 2016
- 大暑Major Heat22 Jul 2016
- 立秋Start of Autumn7 Aug 2016
- 处暑End of Heat23 Aug 2016
- 白露White Dew7 Sept 2016
- 秋分Autumn Equinox22 Sept 2016
- 寒露Cold Dew8 Oct 2016
- 霜降Frost's Descent23 Oct 2016
- 立冬Start of Winter7 Nov 2016
- 小雪Minor Snow22 Nov 2016
- 大雪Major Snow7 Dec 2016
- 冬至Winter Solstice21 Dec 2016
Questions readers ask
When is Chinese New Year 2016?
8 February 2016 (a Monday). It starts the Year of the Monkey; New Year’s Eve, the reunion dinner night, is 7 February 2016.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 2016?
The Monkey (猴, hóu), a Fire Monkey year (丙申). People born from 8 February 2016 to 27 January 2017 are a Monkey; those born earlier in 2016 belong to the Year of the Goat.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2016?
15 September 2016, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival in 2016?
9 June 2016, 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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