How to read today’s Chinese calendar
Separate your local date from the calendar used to label it.
Source-linked guide · Updated 28 September 2026The Today page first finds the current Gregorian date in your selected time zone. It then looks up that calendar date in the standard Chinese lunar calendar. Near midnight, people in different time zones may see different “today” dates.
The large numbers are the lunar day and month. “Leap month” appears explicitly when applicable. The lunar year is shown separately because it does not begin on January 1. Chinese characters preserve the date’s original calendar notation.
A solar term is shown only on its calculated calendar date. A festival label is a selected traditional observance, not a statement that businesses are closed. If you choose a custom date, the page stays on it; use “Use today” to return to a date that follows the clock.
Sources & further reading
Sources checked 21 September 2026. Written with AI assistance, reviewed by the owner, and checked against the linked material.