What is Tong Shu — The Ancient Chinese Almanac
Tong Shu (通書, literally "Book of Wisdom") is a Chinese almanac with over 4,000 years of history, forming the foundation of practical Feng Shui. It originated during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) as a daily planning system for emperors and officials.
Each day in the Tong Shu almanac is assigned a unique set of energetic properties, determined by three main systems:
• 12 Day Officers (建除十二神) — a 12-day cycle of officers rotating through the year
• 28 Lunar Mansions (二十八宿) — the Moon's position against constellations
• Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (干支) — the 60-year Chinese calendar cycle
These three systems overlap to create a unique "energy signature" for each day.
Chinese Zodiac Sign and Ba Zi Element — How to Calculate
The Chinese zodiac (生肖) consists of 12 animals repeating in an annual cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.
IMPORTANT: The Chinese year does not begin on January 1st. It begins on Chinese New Year, falling between January 21 and February 20. People born in this period may belong to the previous year's sign.
Ba Zi (八字, Eight Characters) assigns each zodiac sign one of five elements:
• Wood (木): Tiger, Rabbit
• Fire (火): Snake, Horse
• Earth (土): Ox, Dragon, Sheep, Dog
• Metal (金): Monkey, Rooster
• Water (水): Pig, Rat
Your element determines your relationship with each day's energy. Water nourishes Wood (supporting relationship), Fire melts Metal (weakening relationship) — these interactions influence the app's day ratings.
12 Day Officers — Complete Guide
The 12 Day Officers (建除十二神, Jian Chu) are a 12-day cycle of officers rotating through the entire year. Each officer sets the character of the day and indicates which actions will succeed:
✅ CHENG (成 Success) — excellent for weddings, business openings, investments, long journeys
✅ KAI (开 Open) — great for new beginnings, openings, inaugurations, purchases
✅ DING (定 Settle) — ideal for planning, contracts, signing agreements, education
✅ PING (平 Balance) — good for everyday matters, walks, routine medical visits
✅ SHOU (收 Receive) — favors harvesting, debt repayment, archiving, cleaning
⚠️ MAN (满 Full) — neutral to mixed; avoid major decisions
⚠️ JIAN (建 Establish) — good for groundwork, short moves
⚠️ ZHI (执 Execute) — good for repairs, defensive actions
❌ WEI (危 Danger) — avoid risky actions, travel, surgery
❌ PO (破 Break) — definitely avoid! Bad for all important matters
❌ CHU (除 Remove) — avoid new projects; good for cleaning and separations
❌ BI (闭 Close) — avoid new investments; good for burials, archiving
28 Lunar Mansions — The Xiu System
The 28 Lunar Mansions (二十八宿, Xiu) divide the ecliptic into 28 stations through which the Moon passes. Each mansion has specific properties — some favor social activities, some construction, some health-related actions.
The Xiu system is divided into 4 groups of 7 mansions, corresponding to the four cardinal directions:
• East (Azure Dragon): 角、亢、氐、房、心、尾、箕
• North (Black Tortoise): 斗、牛、女、虚、危、室、壁
• West (White Tiger): 奎、娄、胃、昴、毕、觜、参
• South (Vermilion Bird): 井、鬼、柳、星、张、翼、轸
In the app, each day's mansion is visible in the detail panel after clicking a date. Each mansion has a list of auspicious and inauspicious activities.
Five Elements Wu Xing in Practice
The Wu Xing system (五行) describes five fundamental forces of nature and their mutual relationships:
GENERATING CYCLE (Sheng, 相生):
Water → Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water
(each element nourishes the next)
CONTROLLING CYCLE (Ke, 相剋):
Water extinguishes Fire → Fire melts Metal → Metal cuts Wood → Wood penetrates Earth → Earth dams Water
How it works in the app:
• Day element = Your element → neutral day
• Day element nourishes your element → auspicious day
• Your element nourishes day element → slightly draining day
• Day element destroys your element → inauspicious day
• Your element destroys day element → mixed day
How to Choose an Auspicious Wedding Date in 2026
Choosing a wedding date according to Feng Shui is one of the most common applications of Tong Shu. Here are the criteria:
✅ IDEAL wedding days:
• Officer Cheng (成) or Kai (开) — absolute requirement
• No zodiac clash (六冲) with either the bride's OR groom's sign
• No harm (六害) with their signs
• Day element favorable for the couple
❌ AVOID:
• Officer Po (破) — categorically
• Officers Wei (危) and Bi (闭) — avoid for weddings
• Zodiac clash day for either spouse
• Year Breaker month (歲破) — inauspicious for both signs
In the app: Selector tab → Wedding → choose month → green days are the best candidates.
How to Choose a Business Opening Date with Feng Shui
Opening a business on an auspicious day is an important decision in Chinese tradition. The criteria:
✅ GOOD business opening days:
• Officer Kai (开 Open) — best for business inaugurations
• Officer Cheng (成 Success) — good, especially when combined with your element
• Officer Ding (定 Settle) — good for signing contracts and registrations
• Day without a clash with your zodiac sign
⚠️ TIPS:
• Avoid lunar months 5 and 7 for major inaugurations
• The opening hour also matters — check "lucky hours" in the day panel
• Water days favor trading businesses, Wood days — creative companies
In the app: Selector → Business Opening → browse months to find the optimal window.
Feng Shui for Today and Tomorrow — Daily Forecast
The daily Feng Shui forecast in the app shows:
1. DAY OFFICER — the key indicator of the day's general character
2. LUNAR MANSION — detailed day properties
3. DAY RATING (1-5) — personalized based on your sign and element
4. LUCKY HOURS — time windows favorable for various activities
5. AUSPICIOUS and INAUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES — specific guidance
How to read today's forecast:
• Open the app — it automatically opens on today's date
• Click today's cell in the calendar
• The detail panel will show the full Feng Shui forecast for today
• Tomorrow: go to the next date or check tomorrow's cell
Year of the Fire Horse 2026 — What to Expect
The year 2026 is 丙午 (Bing Wu) — the Year of the Fire Horse in the 60-year Jiazi cycle. Chinese New Year 2026 falls on February 17th.
The Horse (午) is a sign of action, travel, freedom, and ambition. The Fire element (丙) amplifies creativity, communication, and public visibility.
For individual signs:
• Horse: Own year (本命年) — take care of health, wear red
• Rat: Clash year (六冲) — avoid major changes, prioritize safety
• Monkey + Dog + Rabbit: Harmony triangle — favorable time
• Ox + Dragon + Sheep + Snake: Moderate year
Most favorable months of 2026: Metal and Water months (autumn-winter) for the Horse sign and those with a Fire element.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is the calendar data updated?▾
Tong Shu data is fixed — determined by lunar astronomy which does not change. The app calculates each day in real time. The full year 2026 to 2027 is pre-calculated.
Can I use the calendar without entering my zodiac sign?▾
Yes — the onboarding has a "Skip" option. You'll see neutral ratings (without personalization), but Day Officers and Lunar Mansions are visible for every day.
Does the app work on mobile?▾
Yes. The app is fully responsive — on mobile it has a bottom navigation, on tablets and desktop it has top tabs. It works in the browser without installation.
What is the difference between "Excellent" and "Good" rating?▾
"Excellent" means all three factors align simultaneously: favorable Day Officer, day element supporting your Ba Zi element, and no zodiac clash. "Good" — two of the three factors are favorable.