A plain-language definition for anyone researching san he (three harmonies), what it is, where it comes from, and how practitioners use it.
85 plain-language definitions · Cited sources · Persona-authored
By Master Wei Lin · Updated August 3, 2026
Chinese Metaphysics Scholar
What is san he (three harmonies)?
San He (三合 Sān Hé, 'Three Harmonies') is the strongest classical compatibility pattern in Chinese astrology. It groups the twelve Earthly Branches into four trines of three animals each, Rat-Dragon-Monkey (Water), Ox-Snake-Rooster (Metal), Tiger-Horse-Dog (Fire), Rabbit-Goat-Pig (Wood).
Each San He trine consists of three animals whose Earthly Branches combine to strengthen a Wu Xing element. Rat-Dragon-Monkey together produce strong Water qi; Ox-Snake-Rooster produce strong Metal; Tiger-Horse-Dog produce strong Fire; Rabbit-Goat-Pig produce strong Wood. The classical sources describe these as the most stable and productive groupings in zodiac compatibility.
In relationship reading, two animals in the same San He trine are highly compatible: they share natural temperament, strategic timing, and complementary roles. The classical reading shows these are pairings that work without requiring constant communication adjustments. Rat-Dragon, Ox-Snake, Tiger-Horse, and Rabbit-Goat are particularly classical examples.
San He as a system was documented in classical Chinese astrology by the Tang and Song dynasties and was integrated into BaZi by Xu Zi-ping (徐子平) in the 10th century. The Yuan Hai Zi Ping describes each trine. Modern English sources include Joey Yap, Master Raymond Lo, and Lillian Too.
Practitioners use San He to read relationship compatibility, most familiarly through the Chinese Zodiac. Two people whose zodiac animals share a San He trine are widely regarded as classically compatible. The Chinese Zodiac Compatibility calculator on this site scores San He pairings at 92/100.
San He also appears in feng shui as the 'San He School', a Compass School lineage that uses three-mountain configurations to read land formations and timing. The classical sources note this is a parallel application of the same harmonic logic.
These glossary terms are closely connected to san he (three harmonies):
Water trine: Rat-Dragon-Monkey. Metal trine: Ox-Snake-Rooster. Fire trine: Tiger-Horse-Dog. Wood trine: Rabbit-Goat-Pig. Each trine of three animals combines to strengthen the Wu Xing element named.
No. San He is a three-animal trine; Liu He is a two-animal pair. Both are classical compatibility patterns, with San He at 92/100 and Liu He at 88/100 in the scoring we use.
The classical sources organize the twelve branches by season, direction, and Wu Xing element. The four trines arise from the geometry of grouping every fourth branch around the wheel, and each combination strengthens a specific element.
No. San He is the strongest classical pattern, but most relationships are not San He. The classical sources observe neutral pairings, most of the wheel, depend more on the people than on the pattern.
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