Enter only known details
Example: a family remembers a birth in Shanghai on 15 June 2000, but not the hour. Select that date and Asia/Shanghai, leaving time blank. This illustrative record is not a visitor’s data; the interface does not replace the blank with noon. Use the birthplace’s historical timezone for other locations.
Inspect the definite parts
Read the year, month and day results under the displayed boundary conventions; the hour stays unknown. Check for date or solar-term alternatives before reading definite stems and relations. Hour-dependent comparisons and cycle starting ages cannot be filled in from three pillars. Recalculate if the hour becomes known.
A solar-term date may have alternatives
A date-only record on Lichun may fall before or after the term, producing alternative year and month pillars. Retain both while looking for a record. Entering 12:00 selects an assumption; it does not resolve the missing information.
Software settings and the traditional text
Ziping Zhenquan examines season, the day master and interacting stems and branches; element counts alone do not settle favorable factors. With an unknown hour, inspect the calendar and definite relations while retaining missing conditions and the selected day-boundary convention.
Sources and further reading
Explanations are written by this site; original excerpts are labeled separately. See the source catalogue for editions and scope.
Reviewed: 2026-10-09