Editing Earthly Branches (section)

== Overview ==
The twelve Earthly Branches are:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! colspan="2" |Heavenly Stem
![[Pinyin]]
|-
!1
|子
|zǐ
|-
!2
|丑
|chǒu
|-
!3
|寅
|yín
|-
!4
|卯
|mǎo
|-
!5
|辰
|chén
|-
!6
|巳
|sì
|-
!7
|午
|wǔ
|-
!8
|未
|wèi
|-
!9
|申
|shēn
|-
!10
|酉
|yǒu
|-
!11
|戌
|xū
|-
!12
|亥
|hài
|}
The branches each have specific names in the languages of the [[Sinosphere]]—which include [[Chinese languages|Chinese]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[Korean language|Korean]], [[Old Turkic|Turkic]], [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]], and [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]]. Branches are commonly used when counting in a manner similar to how [[letter (alphabet)|letter]]s are used according to their [[alphabetical order]]ing. In addition to the calendar months, each branch has been associated with several distinct cultural categories, including animals and the hours of the day, with some regional variation.

The Earthly Branches are used with the Heavenly Stems in [[Chinese calendar]]s, and in [[Taoist]] practice. Many Chinese calendrical systems have started the new year on the second [[new moon]] after the [[Dongzhi (solar term)|winter solstice]].