The Chinese Leap Year
The Chinese Calendar has 13 months with a leap month added about every 3 years.
©iStockphoto.com/winhorse
The Chinese leap year has 13 months, with a leap month added about every 3 years. The name of a leap month is the same as previous lunar month. The leap month’s place in the The Chinese calendar varies from year to year. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, 2006 was a leap year in the Chinese calendar.
How is a Chinese leap month calculated?
To determine a leap year, calculate the number of new moons between the 11th month in one year and the 11th month in the following year. A leap month is inserted if there are 13 moons from the start of the 11th month in the first year to the start of the 11th month in the next year. The leap month does not contain a principal term (Zhongqi).The Chinese calendar has been used for centuries and observes the movement of the sun, moon and stars.
What is a Leap Year and when is the next one?
Leap Year in other calendars
- Jewish Leap Year
- Leap Year in Iran
- Leap Year in Islam
- Bahá'í Leap Year
- Hindu Leap Year
- Ethiopian Leap Year
More information
- When is the next Leap Year?
- Why Leap Years are Used
- About Leap Day – February 29
- Leap Day – Famous Birthdays and Events
- February 30 Was a Real Date
Further reading
Calendar tools
- Calendar for 2013
- Calendar Generator – Create a calendar for any year
- Repeating Calendars – Which years share the same calendar?
- Weekday Calculator – What Day is this Date? – Find the weekday for any date.