The sexagenary cycle (the zodiac signs) is used as a method of expressing the years in the East. The sexagenary cycle is composed of the ten Chinese calendar elements and the twelve animals.
The ten Chinese calendar elements are as follows. These items are called "Tian gan" in China.
| Jia. | Yi. | Bing. | Ding. | Wu. | Ji. | Geng. | Xin. | Ren. | Gui. |
The twelve animals are as follows. These items are called "Di zhi" in China.
| zi. | chou. | yin. | mao. | chen. | si. | wu. | wei. | shen. | you. | xu. | hai. |
| Rat. | Ox. | Tiger. | Hare. | Dragon. | Serpent. | Horse. | Sheep. | Monkey. | Cock. | Dog. | Boar. |
The ten Chinese calendar elements and the twelve animals make sixty combinations. These combinations are used as marks of expressing the years in turn.
| Jia zi. | Yi chou. | Bing yin. | Ding mao. | Wu chen. | Ji si. | Geng wu. | Xin wei. | Ren shen. | Gui you. |
| Jia xu. | Yi hai. | Bing zi. | Ding chou. | Wu yin. | Ji mao. | Geng chen. | Xin si. | Ren wu. | Gui wei. |
| Jia shen. | Yi you. | Bing xu. | Ding hai. | Wu zi. | Ji chou. | Geng yin. | Xin mao. | Ren chen. | Gui si. |
| Jia wu. | Yi wei. | Bing shen. | Ding you. | Wu xu. | Ji hai. | Geng zi. | Xin chou. | Ren yin. | Gui mao. |
| Jia chen. | Yi si. | Bing wu. | Ding wei. | Wu shen. | Ji you. | Geng xu. | Xin hai. | Ren zi. | Gui chou. |
| Jia yin. | Yi mao. | Bing chen. | Ding si. | Wu wu. | Ji wei. | Geng shen. | Xin you. | Ren xu. | Gui hai. |