Is the Chinese zodiac based on the solar calendar, or the lunar calendar?

The twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac were created by the Chinese in order to keep track of the year, and the common Chinese dating method is what we call the lunar calendar. In order to memorize the convenience of the twelve animals selected, and then combined with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for calculation, so the Chinese, exactly the Han people are the genus, because this can calculate their own birth year.