San Fu dates for 2024:
July 15th, July 25th, August 4th, and August 14th

How to Calculate San Fu Dates

San Fu dates are calculated using the Earthly Branches and Heavenly Stems system in the Daoist Calendar. You’re going to need a Chinese almanac, a list of the 24 solar terms for the year, and a western calendar to calculate the conversion.

San Fu dates are the yang metal days (庚 geng) that occur after the summer solstice and are 10 days apart.

• Start by finding the date for the summer solstice (2023 = June 21st).

• The initial fu begins on the third 庚 geng day after the summer solstice (2024 = (1) June 25, (2) July 5th, (3) July 15th)

• The middle fu begins ten days later on the fourth 庚 geng day after the summer solstice (2024 = July 25th).

• Look up the solar date for “Lì Qiū / 立秋 / Autumn Begins” (2024 = August 8th).

• The final fu is the first 庚 geng day after “Lì Qiū / 立秋 / Autumn Begins” (2023 = August 14th)

Every year is a little different, but there is often an extra 庚 geng day between the middle and last fu days that you’ll need to keep an eye out for. Some years we’ll get three San Fu days, and some years we’ll get four. In 2024, there is an extra 庚 geng day on August 4th. If we’re lucky enough to get that extra day, the timing between all 4 dates is 10 days apart. But if we land on a year where that extra 庚 geng day doesn’t make a cameo in the calendar, the timing between the middle and last San Fu day can be up to 20 days long rather than ten.