The 4,000-year history of Bazi
Bazi (八字) did not appear overnight. It grew out of the I Ching (易经) and the theory of yin-yang and the Five Elements (五行), took shape in the Han dynasty, and matured across the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties — once serving the imperial court and aristocracy for matchmaking and date selection.
Understanding this history is what separates the 东方MBTI from a modern quiz: it is not a product of the last century, but a system refined over four millennia.
From the I Ching to the Four Pillars
The roots lie in the I Ching's yin-yang and the Five Elements. In the Tang dynasty, Li Xuzhong (唐代李虚中) pioneered reading fate from birth stems. In the Song dynasty, Xu Ziping (宋代徐子平) completed the Four Pillars method, later compiled into the classic Yuan Hai Zi Ping (渊海子平). The system flourished through the Ming and Qing dynasties, when it guided the imperial court's matchmaking and timing decisions.
| Era | Development |
|---|---|
| ~4,000 years ago | I Ching (易经) — yin-yang and Five Elements roots |
| Han dynasty | Calendar and element theory take shape |
| Tang dynasty | Li Xuzhong (李虚中) pioneers birth-stem reading |
| Song dynasty | Xu Ziping (徐子平) completes the Four Pillars; Yuan Hai Zi Ping (渊海子平) compiled |
| Ming–Qing | Flourishing; served the imperial court for matchmaking |
Frequently asked
No single person. It evolved across millennia — Li Xuzhong in the Tang and Xu Ziping in the Song are the two key figures who formalized it.
Yes. Matchmaking and date selection (择吉) for the court and aristocracy were guided by these methods for centuries.
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