推演中
TRUE SOLAR TIME UPGRADEDTrue solar time is calculated automatically. Enter your local birth time.Charts correct clock time to true solar time at your birthplace. Near the boundary between traditional two-hour periods, the exact birth time matters.
推演中
五行局 · Wǔ Xíng Jú
The Five Element Bureau (五行局, Wu Xing Ju) is your chart's 'element number,' one of five: Water 2, Wood 3, Metal 4, Earth 5, Fire 6. It is set by the stem-branch of your Self palace (its 纳音 element) and does two big jobs: first, it decides where the Emperor star Zi Wei is placed — which in turn fixes all fourteen main stars; second, it sets the age your decade luck begins — the bureau number IS the starting age (Water 2 starts at 2, Fire 6 at 6).
The traditional calculation first locates the Self palace and its stem-branch, then uses that pair's na-yin element to select the bureau. Enter your birth date, time and birthplace in the free calculator and look for the bureau in the chart's central information panel. Unknown birth time makes time-dependent chart details provisional.
Find my bureau — free, no account →There are exactly five, numbered 2 to 6 (there is no 'Bureau 1'). The number is not decoration — it is the very age your decade luck begins.
| Bureau | Element | First decade starts (nominal age) | First decade (nominal ages) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water 2 Bureau水二局 · Shuǐ Èr Jú | Water | age 2 | 2–11 |
| Wood 3 Bureau木三局 · Mù Sān Jú | Wood | age 3 | 3–12 |
| Metal 4 Bureau金四局 · Jīn Sì Jú | Metal | age 4 | 4–13 |
| Earth 5 Bureau土五局 · Tǔ Wǔ Jú | Earth | age 5 | 5–14 |
| Fire 6 Bureau火六局 · Huǒ Liù Jú | Fire | age 6 | 6–15 |
These are traditional nominal-age ranges, not birthday ages. A later starting number does not mean better or worse luck; it changes the chart's timing structure.
The bureau number, together with your lunar birth-day, runs the formula that places the Emperor star Zi Wei (紫微). Once Zi Wei is placed, all fourteen main stars fall into their palaces. The bureau is the key that unlocks the whole star map.
The bureau number IS the age (虚岁) your decade luck (大限) begins: Water 2 at age 2, Fire 6 at age 6. From there, each decade-limit covers ten years. So at the same age, a Water-2 person may already be in their second decade-limit while a Fire-6 person is still in their first.
A frequent mistake: thinking 'I'm a Fire 6 Bureau, so I'm a fiery person.' Not so. The Five Element Bureau is STRUCTURAL — its job is to place Zi Wei and start your decade luck. It does not directly describe your personality element.
BaZi's Day Master and element balance belong to a different chart structure. A Zi Wei bureau alone cannot tell you which element is missing or prescribe colors, a career or a life decision.
Water 2, Wood 3, Metal 4, Earth 5, and Fire 6. The element comes first; the number (2–6) does double duty — it is the bureau's code and also the age your decade luck begins. Note there is no 'Bureau 1' — the numbers run from 2 (Water) to 6 (Fire).
From the stem-branch your Self palace sits on, taking its 纳音 (na-yin) element. First the Self palace's stem-branch is located, then that pair's na-yin element is looked up, and the chart is assigned to the matching bureau. This is an internal step of casting — you only need the result (one of five), which a free chart marks for you directly.
This is the most common misunderstanding. The bureau is STRUCTURAL — its job is to place Zi Wei and start the decade luck — it does not directly mean that is 'your personality element.' For personal element balance and what to wear or compensate, that belongs to the BaZi Day Master and Ten Gods, a different thing from this bureau.
Because the bureau number IS the starting age. Water 2 begins at 2, Wood 3 at 3, Metal 4 at 4, Earth 5 at 5, Fire 6 at 6 — the larger the number, the later the start. After that each decade-limit covers ten years. So at the same age, a Water-2 person may already be in their second decade-limit while a Fire-6 person has only just finished their first.
Find your bureau and the nominal ages of your decade periods, then see where each period sits in your chart.
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Not AI-generated content — every interpretation is grounded in 15 classical texts, sources verifiable. Charts follow fixed calculation rules; the library explains the scope of traditional references and modern editorial interpretation.
Reference library: 《紫微斗数全书》 · 《十八飞星策天紫微斗数》 · 《紫微斗数全集》 · 《紫微斗数捷览》 and other traditional texts
Zi Wei Dou Shu and BaZi are traditional symbolic systems, not scientifically verified prediction. Use a reading as a prompt for reflection and reality-checking — never as a substitute for medical, legal, financial, employment or relationship decisions.
View all sources →Calculation and reading method →