--- title: "What Chinese Zodiac Is 1968? Year of the Earth Monkey" description: "1968 is the Year of the Earth Monkey in the Chinese zodiac, from January 30, 1968 to February 16, 1969. Personality, Lunar New Year dates and numerology." canonical: https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1968 last-updated: 2026-10-23 reviewed: false author: Unified Reading editorial --- # What Chinese Zodiac Is 1968? Year of the Earth Monkey In Chinese astrology, 1968 is the Year of the Earth Monkey, a Yang year. It began at Lunar New Year on January 30, 1968 and ended on February 16, 1969, so people born in 1968 before Jan 30 belong to the Fire Goat year. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Animal · element · polarity | Monkey · Earth · Yang | | Starts (Lunar New Year) | January 30, 1968 | | Ends | February 16, 1969 | | Born in 1968 before Jan 30 | Fire Goat (the 1967 year) | | Monkey's fixed element | Metal (Earth generates Metal) | | Other Earth Monkey years (1924-2044) | 2028 | | Stem-branch name | Wu-Shen | | Lunar New Year weekday · Sun sign | Tuesday · Aquarius | | Numerology year number | 6 | ## When the 1968 Earth Monkey year starts and ends The 1968 Earth Monkey year began at Lunar New Year on January 30, 1968 and lasted until February 16, 1969, the day before the next new year. Anyone born between January 1 and Jan 30 1968 therefore belongs to the Fire Goat year that started in 1967, while someone born in early 1969, up to Feb 16, is still a Earth Monkey. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, which is why the start date moves between January 21 and February 20 instead of staying on January 1. The same Earth Monkey combination also falls in 2028, sixty years apart, because five elements and twelve animals realign only once in each sixty-year cycle. Lunar New Year 1968 fell on a Tuesday, while the Western Sun was in Aquarius. ## Earth Monkey personality Reliable, practical and conscientious, the Earth Monkey turns clever ideas into working systems. Earth feeds the Monkey's Metal, which tradition reads as a quick mind given solid footing. People born in this year are often generous with knowledge and gentle in humour. A touch of self-importance is the usual caution, eased by seeking out people who think differently. Students and junior colleagues often remember them fondly for years afterwards. Earth sits at the centre of the five-element wheel, and an Earth year is traditionally said to give any animal steadiness, patience and a practical turn of mind. Descriptions associate it with reliability, honesty and a talent for holding things together, whether that means a family, a budget or a team in a difficult season. Earth-year people are often portrayed as grounded, fair and good at turning ideas into workable plans. The element is linked with nourishment and care, so it carries a quiet generosity. Its shadow, in most readings, is heaviness: worry, stubbornness and a reluctance to move until every risk has been weighed twice. ## 1968 in numerology and the twelve-year cycle In numerology the year's digits come to 6, linked with home, care and responsibility, so a 6 year is read as one centred on family and commitments. The digits of 1968 add up to 24, which reduces to 6. In the twelve-year cycle the Monkey is the ninth animal, earthly branch Shen, with Metal as its fixed element and Yang polarity. The year element is Earth, and in the five-element cycles earth generates Metal. The year before was the Fire Goat and the year after is the Earth Rooster. In the traditional sexagenary count the year is called Wu-Shen: Wu is the Earth heavenly stem and Shen is the Monkey's earthly branch. Stems and branches alternate between yang and yin together, which is why yang stems only ever meet yang animals. ## Frequently asked questions ### What Chinese zodiac is 1968? 1968 is the Year of the Earth Monkey. It started on January 30, 1968 and ended on February 16, 1969. ### What if I was born in January or February 1968? Check the date against Jan 30. Born before January 30, 1968, you are a Fire Goat; born on or after it, you are a Earth Monkey. ### What element is 1968 in the Chinese zodiac? Earth, a Yang year. The Monkey's own fixed element is Metal; the year element changes every two years, while the fixed element stays with the animal. ### What is the traditional Chinese name for 1968? Wu-Shen. The first part is the heavenly stem, which carries the year's element and polarity; the second is the earthly branch, which carries the animal. Almanacs, calendars and Four Pillars charts identify years this way rather than by animal alone. ### When is the next Earth Monkey year? 2028, sixty years later, when the five elements and twelve animals line up again; the table also has 2028. ## Related pages - [Earth Monkey](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/earth-monkey) - [Monkey](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/monkey) - [Chinese zodiac years](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/years) - [1967 (Fire Goat)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1967) - [1969 (Earth Rooster)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1969) - [1956 (Fire Monkey)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1956) - [1980 (Metal Monkey)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1980) - [2028 (Earth Monkey)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/2028) - [1944 (Wood Monkey)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1944) - [1992 (Water Monkey)](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac/1992) - [Chinese zodiac calculator](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac-calculator) - [Chinese zodiac](https://unifiedreading.com/chinese-zodiac) ## About Unified Reading Unified Reading combines Pythagorean numerology, the Western Sun sign (Moon and rising with a birth time), the Chinese zodiac and life-stage context in one reading. The preview is free at https://unifiedreading.com/#details; the full reading is $4.99, paid once through Stripe, with no subscription. A fictional sample is at https://unifiedreading.com/sample. With a birth time and place it adds whole sign houses and the chart ruler; it does not calculate planetary aspects or transits, and it is a framework for reflection, not a prediction.