The Sh?ngxi?o, literally 'birth likeness', is also known in English as the Chinese zodiac. Zodiac derives from the similar concept in western astrology and means 'circle of animals'.

The Chinese zodiac is a scheme and systematic plan of future action that relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes according to a 12-year cycle, and it remains popular in several East Asian countries including China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.