BaZi vs Saju: Same Four Pillars, Two Names

If you have read about Korean Saju and Chinese BaZi and wondered whether they are rivals, the short answer will save you some time.

Quick answer: Saju and BaZi are the same system. Saju (사주, 四柱) means “four pillars” in Korean. BaZi (八字) means “eight characters” in Chinese. Both read the same four pillars of birth year, month, day and hour, built from the same ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches. Together the full name is Saju BaZi (四柱八字): four pillars, eight characters. The differences are in language, local custom and a few calculation details, not in the system itself.

Saju vs BaZi at a Glance

One System, Two Names

BaZi took shape in China and travelled across East Asia centuries ago. In Korea the same four-pillar method became known as Saju. Korean readers kept the Chinese characters for the stems and branches, so a Saju chart and a BaZi chart for the same birth moment show the same eight characters.

That is why English-language services use the names almost interchangeably, and why you will often see “Saju BaZi” written together.

Where They Differ in Practice

Language and framing. Korean Saju has its own vocabulary and a strong popular culture around it: yearly fortunes, compatibility before marriage, readings in cafés and apps. Chinese BaZi in English tends to be framed around the Day Master, the Five Elements and Luck Pillars.

Birth time. Both systems care about local solar time. Korea’s standard time runs about half an hour ahead of the sun in Seoul, so a careful Saju reader adjusts the birth hour. A careful BaZi reader does the same for any birthplace. When two charts for one person disagree, the hour pillar and this adjustment are usually why.

Emphasis. Schools differ within each country more than between them. Two BaZi readers can weigh a chart differently, and so can two Saju readers. The method underneath is shared.

Is a Saju Reading the Same as a BaZi Reading?

If both readers start from the same birth time, adjusted to local solar time, yes: you get the same chart. What differs is the reader’s interpretation and the language it arrives in.

So choose a reading the way you would choose any reading: by whether it asks for your birth time and place, shows you the chart, explains its reasoning, and answers the question you actually brought. Our guide on how to choose a BaZi reading walks through six checks.

Which Should You Search For?

• You want a reading in Korean, or a Korean cultural take: look for Saju.
• You want a reading in English: either name works; most English writing calls it BaZi or Four Pillars of Destiny.
• You only want to see your chart: any good four-pillar calculator gives you the same eight characters. Try the free BaZi calculator.

Maggie Zhang · My Eastern Astrology

BaZi reader and founder of My Eastern Astrology. Raised on BaZi in Xi’an, reading charts since her early twenties, and writing every reading herself.