Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate! And an extra-special New Year greeting to all of those born in the Year of the Dragon. Dragons are regarded as the most auspicious animal in the Chinese zodiac, as the dragon itself is associated with ambition, confidence, intelligence and power. Many born of this zodiac are incredibly accomplished, often being leaders in their field.
But beyond just being a dragon, each year also corresponds with one of the five elements in Chinese cosmology — wood, fire, earth, gold (metal) or water — with its own designated characteristics determined by a person’s destiny. So, in addition to the traits associated with the dragon, those born to each different element also carry different traits to each other.
If you are one of these lucky people (or are just interested in Chinese astrology), take a look at some of the Asian and Pacific Islander artists who fall under the many Years of the Dragon.
Gold (Metal) Dragons
Gold dragons are said to be straightforward and desire to be seen. They are naturally gifted but often change their minds based on swayed emotions, making them unpredictable to others — even if they mean no harm.
1940 (Feb. 8, 1940 – Jan. 26, 1941)
- Bruce Lee (Nov. 27, 1940)
- Hayao Miyazaki (Jan. 5, 1941)
2000 (Feb. 5, 2000 – Jan. 23, 2001)
- Stray Kids members Hyunjin (Mar. 20, 2000), Han (Sep. 14, 2000), Felix (Sep. 15, 2000) and Seungmin (Sep. 22, 2000)
- Chloe Kim (Apr. 23, 2000)
- Beabadoobee (Jun. 3, 2000)
- LE SSERAFIM member Chaewon (Aug. 1, 2000)
- Auli’i Cravalho (Nov. 22, 2000)
Water Dragons
Water dragons are often seen as goal-oriented, with a great deal of perseverance and optimism that gets them where they want to go. They’re also bold and like to build strong relationships; however, they can be rather stubborn and pay too much attention to the details.
1952 (Jan. 27, 1952 – Feb. 13, 1953)
- Amy Tan (Feb. 19, 1952)
- Shigeru Miyamoto (Nov. 16, 1952)
2012 (Jan. 23 2012 – Feb. 9, 2013)
- Kai Zen (Feb. 6, 2012)
- Park So-yi (Mar. 12, 2012)
- Alan Kim (Apr. 23, 2012)
- Kaylee Hottle (May 1, 2012)
Wood Dragons
Wood dragons are considerably more introverted than their other elemental counterparts and may appear standoffish at first meeting. However, they can be hardworking, highly creative and open-minded, allowing them to be self-sufficient in their endeavors.
1964 (Feb. 13, 1964 – Feb. 1, 1965)
- Mark Dacascos (Feb. 26, 1964)
- Keanu Reeves (Sep. 2, 1964)
- Maggie Cheung (Sep. 20, 1964)
- Kamala Harris (Oct. 20, 1964)
Fire Dragons
Contrary to what their element may suggest, fire dragons are considered to be more easygoing and charismatic, with a creative outlook on life that is as free-flowing as water. They are easy to get along with, but they may freeze up when there’s interpersonal conflict.
1976 (Jan. 31, 1976 – Feb. 17, 1977)
- Tony Jaa (Feb. 5, 1976)
- Baek Ji-young (Mar. 25, 1976)
- Vice Ganda (Mar. 31, 1976)
- Cathy Park Hong (Aug. 7, 1976)
- Jake Shimabukuro (Nov. 3, 1976)
- Lindsay Price (Dec. 6, 1976)
Earth Dragons
Earth dragons are ambitious dreamers who are great at taking initiative. While they are hardworking and prone to being high achieving, they can tend to have tunnel vision and neglect what truly matters in life.
1988 (Feb. 17, 1988 – Feb. 5, 1989)
- Brenda Song (Mar. 27, 1988)
- Anushka Sharma (May 1, 1988)
- BIGBANG members Taeyang (May 18, 1988) and G-Dragon (Aug. 18, 1988)
- Inbee Park (Jul 12, 1988)
- Lilly Singh (Sep. 26, 1988)
- Park Seo-Joon (Dec. 16, 1988)
