Open a Chinese calendar app and you often see two public blocks on one screen: Yi and Ji list which activities suit or avoid that day, while Peng Zu taboos add one stem line and one branch line in folk phrasing. Beginners merge both kinds of “Ji” with personal unfavorable elements in a chart. This page is the public calendar layer only.
For how to read Yi/Ji, see Yi / Ji explained. For lunar almanac vs personal BaZi calendar, see lunar almanac vs BaZi calendar. I pull tables from lushn.one.
Side-by-side
| Yi / Ji | Peng Zu taboos | |
|---|---|---|
| Tied to | That day’s stem-branch | That day’s stem-branch |
| Lists | Activities (weddings, travel, ground-breaking…) | One stem line + one branch line |
| Tone | Scheduling entries — do or defer | Short mnemonic warnings |
| Same for everyone? | Yes | Yes |
| Personal wear colors? | No (marketing may borrow day colors — separate) | No |
Yi / Ji: activity timing
Yi (“suitable”) and Ji (“avoid”) key off the day pillar and name traditional activities. Same date, same list — regardless of zodiac or Day Master.
Peng Zu: folk one-liners
Peng Zu taboos pair one line to the day’s stem and one to the branch — e.g. a Jia day may read “do not open storehouses” and a Zi day “do not consult divination.” They share the screen with Yi/Ji in folk almanacs (通胜) but are not the same table.
Not personal chart 喜忌
Chart apps speak of unfavorable elements from birth pillars — personal. Almanac “avoid travel” and Peng Zu “do not consult divination” are public labels. Do not merge them with “avoid Fire, wear less red” on a gift card.