Tong Shu – the Chinese almanac and the 12 day officers
Published on October 22, 2026
The Tong Shu is the traditional Chinese almanac, a calendar that says for every day what it is suited for. It has been reprinted every year for centuries and is still found in many households in Asia – for weddings, moves, openings or simply a doctor's appointment.
The twelve day officers
Every day carries one of twelve basic themes that repeat in turn: establish, remove, full, balance, settle, grasp, break, danger, complete, harvest, open and close. “Complete” and “open” are considered very good for beginnings, “break” only for demolition and separation.
Day stars and lunar mansions
In addition, every day has favourable stars such as the heavenly virtue and unfavourable ones such as the year breaker. The 28 lunar mansions give each day a further colouring. All of this together results in an overall rating.
Checking personally
A generally good day can be unfavourable for you personally if it clashes with your zodiac animal or your spouse palace. That is why for important dates you always also check the birth data of everyone involved.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Tong Shu a lunar calendar?+
It contains the lunar date, but the day quality follows the solar calendar and the 60 day pillars.
What kind of day is today?+
The free day quality calculator shows the day officer and what the day is good for.
Does the almanac apply in Europe too?+
Yes. Calculations use the local date; the solar terms are the same worldwide.