chinesebazimethod
CNY vs Lichun: two Chinese year boundaries
Why popular Chinese animal years and BaZi solar years can differ for late January and early February birthdays.
Popular Chinese zodiac media often change animals at Lunar New Year (second new moon after winter solstice, roughly late Jan–mid Feb).
Many BaZi practitioners change the year pillar at Lichun (around February 4), a solar term — so early February births can show different year animals across tools.
AstroDual shows the popular CNY element–animal (e.g. Fire Tiger) as your year-type identity, and separately lists Lichun-based pillars in the BaZi-lite section.
When they differ, treat both as valid traditional conventions — document which boundary you are using rather than forcing a single “correct” answer.