Lunar Calendar Converter — Solar to Chinese Lunar Dates

What is the Chinese lunar calendar?

The Chinese lunar calendar (农历) is a lunisolar calendar — not a purely lunar one. It tracks the moon's phases: each lunar month begins on the new moon and lasts 29 or 30 days. A 12-month lunar year totals about 354 days, roughly 11 days shorter than the solar year. To stay in sync with the seasons, a leap month (闰月) is inserted approximately every 3 years, making some years 13 months long. This system has been in continuous use for over 2,000 years and remains the basis for traditional Chinese festivals.

How lunar months relate to solar months

A solar month is fixed at 30 or 31 days (28 for February), while a lunar month alternates between 29 and 30 days. Over 12 lunar months, the calendar falls about 11 days behind the solar year. The leap month correction means that Chinese New Year — the first day of the lunar year — bounces between January 21 and February 20 on the Gregorian calendar. The exact date depends on when the second new moon after the winter solstice occurs.

The 24 solar terms (节气)

The 24 solar terms divide the sun's annual path into 24 segments of about 15 days each. They are based on the sun's ecliptic longitude, not the moon, and serve as a solar supplement to the lunar calendar. Key terms include 立春 (Start of Spring, around February 4), 夏至 (Summer Solstice, around June 21), 白露 (White Dew, around September 7), and 大寒 (Great Cold, around January 20). In 2016, UNESCO inscribed the 24 solar terms on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Calendar Shuttle displays the solar term name on its corresponding date.

How to convert solar dates to lunar dates

1. Visit calendar.shuttlelab.org — the current month displays by default.
2. Navigate to the target month using the left and right arrows.
3. Read the lunar date below each solar day number in the calendar grid.
4. Click any date to see the full lunar month name (e.g., 腊月), day name (e.g., 十四), solar term, and any festivals.

Traditional festivals on the lunar calendar

• Spring Festival (春节) — 1st day of the 1st lunar month. The most important Chinese holiday, marking the start of the new year.
• Lantern Festival (元宵节) — 15th of the 1st month. Celebrated with lantern displays and tangyuan (sweet rice balls).
• Dragon Boat Festival (端午节) — 5th of the 5th month. Commemorates the poet Qu Yuan with dragon boat races and zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).
• Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) — 15th of the 8th month. A harvest festival celebrated with mooncakes and family gatherings.
• Double Ninth Festival (重阳节) — 9th of the 9th month. A day for climbing heights and honoring elders.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Chinese lunar calendar?

The Chinese lunar calendar (农历) is a lunisolar calendar that tracks both the moon's phases and the sun's position. A lunar month starts on the new moon and lasts 29 or 30 days. To keep in sync with the solar year, a leap month (闰月) is added roughly every 3 years, making it a lunisolar system rather than a purely lunar one.

How do lunar months relate to solar months?

A lunar month is approximately 29.5 days, shorter than a solar month's 30–31 days. Over a 12-lunar-month cycle, the lunar year falls about 11 days short of the solar year. The leap month insertion keeps Chinese New Year falling between January 21 and February 20 each year.

How do I find today's lunar date?

Open Calendar Shuttle at calendar.shuttlelab.org. The current date is highlighted, and the lunar date is displayed below the solar day number. Click the date to see the full lunar month name (e.g., 腊月) and day name (e.g., 十四).

What are the 24 solar terms?

The 24 solar terms (节气) are markers based on the sun's ecliptic longitude, dividing the year into 24 segments of about 15 days each. They include 立春 (Start of Spring), 夏至 (Summer Solstice), 白露 (White Dew), and 大寒 (Great Cold). In 2016, UNESCO inscribed them on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Calendar Shuttle displays the solar term name on its corresponding date.

Why do some Chinese New Years fall in late January and others in mid-February?

Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the lunar year, which corresponds to the second new moon after the winter solstice. Because the lunar calendar uses a leap month to stay aligned with the solar year, the date shifts by about 11 days each year (or jumps forward ~19 days after a leap month). This places Chinese New Year between January 21 and February 20.

What lunar year is 2026?

2026 is the Year of the Horse (马年) in the Chinese zodiac. The zodiac cycle repeats every 12 years, with each year assigned an animal: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

How accurate is Calendar Shuttle's lunar conversion?

Calendar Shuttle uses the js-calendar-converter library (v0.0.7), based on the Shouxing calendar algorithm. It covers the years 1900 to 2100 — a 201-year range — with high accuracy. The conversion runs entirely in your browser.

What is the difference between 农历 and 阴历?

农历 (agricultural calendar) is the correct term for the Chinese lunisolar calendar. 阴历 (yin calendar) is a colloquial synonym often used in everyday speech. Technically, the Chinese calendar is lunisolar — not purely lunar — because it incorporates solar terms and leap months to stay aligned with the seasons.

Which traditional festivals use the lunar calendar?

Major lunar-calendar festivals include: Spring Festival (春节, 1st day of 1st month), Lantern Festival (元宵节, 15th of 1st month), Dragon Boat Festival (端午节, 5th of 5th month), and Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节, 15th of 8th month). Calendar Shuttle displays festival names on their corresponding dates.