What to prepare before creating a birth chart

Check which calendar the date uses

Wenbu’s BaZi and Zi Wei tools accept Gregorian dates. A birthday remembered as the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is not necessarily May 5. Confirm the year, calendar and whether a leap lunar month is involved before converting it with a reliable calendar reference.

A zodiac animal or an approximate age is not enough to produce a personal chart. You can use the example details to learn the interface, but keep that demonstration separate from your own birth record.

Bring the details your chosen tool needs

BaZi and Zi Wei have different input requirements. Choose the tool first, then prepare the relevant details.

• BaZi: Gregorian date and the time zone at the birthplace. Add the birth time if known; otherwise use the unknown-time option.
• Optional BaZi settings: the day boundary, and approximate solar-time correction. Solar correction requires a longitude and a known time.
• Zi Wei: Gregorian date, known local birth time and the male/female parameter required by the current traditional algorithm. This setting does not define your gender identity.
• I Ching and tarot: no birth date, name or sex parameter is needed. Begin with the question you have now.

Use the clock time recorded at the birthplace

Suppose your birth record says 08:30 in Shanghai and you now live in London. For BaZi, enter that recorded local time with Asia/Shanghai, rather than your device’s current time zone. Historical daylight-saving rules depend on the birth date.

The Zi Wei tool uses the local date and clock time you enter. It does not inherit the BaZi time-zone or solar-time settings. Check each result’s calculation notes before comparing charts across tools.

Record uncertainty instead of filling the gap

“My family remembers early morning” and “the birth certificate says 06:20” provide different levels of detail. Look for a certificate, hospital record or original note. BaZi can omit an unknown hour, with a warning that solar-term boundary dates may still leave a year or month pillar uncertain. Zi Wei currently needs a known time.

Near 23:00, midnight, an hour boundary or a solar term, keep the possible inputs and the differences between them. Do not select a chart solely because its interpretation feels familiar. Start by confirming the date and time zone; you do not need every advanced setting for a first visit.