A 60-Year Cycle

Also named the sexagenary cycle or  the stem-branch cycle, the Chinese 60-year calendar cycle is based on the combinations of a cycle of ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches. Each year is named by a pair of one stem and one branch. The Year of Jia Zi (Jia from the heavenly stems and Zi from the earthly branches) is the beginning of the sexagenary cycle. The next Jia Zi Year will come 60 years later. Jia Zi has had a figurative meaning a full lifespan in ancient times, similarly the 'threescore years and ten' in the Bible. People would be obviously blessed if they can meet the second Jia Zi in life. Therefore, the Chinese calendar 60-year cycle is also called a Jia Zi.
 

* A new Jia Zi begins from 1984, and so on.
* The Gregorian year is approximate here. The accurate division is the Beginning of Spring (first of the 24 Solar Terms), although some online calendars adopt Chinese New Year as the division.

 Related Reading:  Chinese Zodiac