Bone Weight Fortune

秤骨算命

One of China's most beloved folk traditions. Born during the Tang Dynasty, this method assigns a “weight” (in liang and qian) to your birth year, month, day, and hour. Each weight corresponds to a poetic fortune reading — a unique verse that reveals your life's path.

⚖️

Calculate Your Bone Weight

Enter your birth details to discover your fortune poem

Birth Year

Birth Month

Birth Day

Birth Hour (Chinese 2-hour period)

Traditional Chinese lunar calendar is used for month/day. Approximate Gregorian dates work well enough.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 秤骨算命 (Bone Weight Fortune)?: 秤骨算命 is a classical Chinese fortune-telling method attributed to Yuan Tiangang (袁天罡), a legendary Tang Dynasty astrologer (7th century CE). It assigns a numerical 'weight' (measured in 两 liang and 钱 qian) to each component of your birth date — year, month, day, and hour — then sums them to produce a total weight that maps to a fortune poem (歌诀).
How is the bone weight calculated?: Each birth year in the 60-year ganzhi cycle (六十甲子) has a fixed weight, ranging from 0.5 to 1.9 liang. Similarly, each lunar month (0.5–1.8), day (0.5–1.8), and two-hour birth period (0.6–1.6) has its own weight. The four weights are summed to produce a total, typically between 2.1 and 7.1 liang.
What do the fortune poems mean?: Each total weight (from 2.1 to 7.1 liang) has a corresponding two-line poem in classical Chinese. Weights near 2 liang suggest a life of struggle, while weights near 7 liang suggest extraordinary fortune. Most people fall in the 3–5 liang range, indicating an ordinary but meaningful life.
Is this scientifically valid?: No. 秤骨算命 is a folk tradition cherished for its cultural and literary value. The fortune poems are beautiful examples of classical Chinese wisdom literature. They should be read as philosophical reflections on life's possibilities, not as literal predictions.

How It Works

Your lunar birth year, month, day, and two-hour time block each carry a weight. Sum them up to get your total bone weight, which maps to a fortune poem.

Cultural Heritage

Attributed to Yuan Tiangang (袁天罡), a legendary Tang Dynasty astrologer. Whether historically accurate or not, it remains one of the most widely practiced folk methods in China.

← All Tools

Loading…

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 秤骨算命 (Bone Weight Fortune)?

秤骨算命 is a classical Chinese fortune-telling method attributed to Yuan Tiangang (袁天罡), a legendary Tang Dynasty astrologer (7th century CE). It assigns a numerical 'weight' (measured in 两 liang and 钱 qian) to each component of your birth date — year, month, day, and hour — then sums them to produce a total weight that maps to a fortune poem (歌诀).

How is the bone weight calculated?

Each birth year in the 60-year ganzhi cycle (六十甲子) has a fixed weight, ranging from 0.5 to 1.9 liang. Similarly, each lunar month (0.5–1.8), day (0.5–1.8), and two-hour birth period (0.6–1.6) has its own weight. The four weights are summed to produce a total, typically between 2.1 and 7.1 liang.

What do the fortune poems mean?

Each total weight (from 2.1 to 7.1 liang) has a corresponding two-line poem in classical Chinese. Weights near 2 liang suggest a life of struggle, while weights near 7 liang suggest extraordinary fortune. Most people fall in the 3–5 liang range, indicating an ordinary but meaningful life.

Is this scientifically valid?

No. 秤骨算命 is a folk tradition cherished for its cultural and literary value. The fortune poems are beautiful examples of classical Chinese wisdom literature. They should be read as philosophical reflections on life's possibilities, not as literal predictions.