The Nine Palaces are a concept derived from the Luo Shu square and used in Feng Shui. Since each number in the square represents one of the trigrams of the Yi Jing, it is becomes fairly easy to map these areas of influence onto the abdominal quadrants, Alarm Points and Zangfu, or their associated Channels and Extraordinary Vessels to derive a connection with areas of life. Diagnosis can then become a form of divination that can direct the practitioner to particular areas of life where the pathology may have originated from and a potential strategy for resolving it. More psychological practitioners sometimes refer to them as the Nine Heart Palaces (九心宮 Jiu Xin Gong), as they are areas of life that the Shen must make peace with as it journeys through life.
4. Southeast ☴
巽宫 Xun Gong, Wind PalaceProsperity & Wealth"Gratitude"
Element: Yin Wood
Meaning: Abundance, resources, and opportunities.
Symbolism: Growth, adaptability, and the capacity to receive prosperity.
Ling Shu ch. 77 & 78
Mansion: Yin Luo 陰洛
Season: Beginning of summer.
Wind: Weak (弱 Ruo)
Interior: Stomach.
Exterior: Muscles and flesh.
Qi: Governs body weight (體重 Ti Zhong)
Body Region: Left hand.
Abdominal Acupuncture
Quadrant: Upper right.
Channels / Zangfu: Liver & Middle Jiao
Mu Points: Riyue GB-24
Extraordinary Vessel: Chong Mai | 9. South ☲
離宫 Li Gong, Flame PalaceFame & Reputation"Integrity"
Element: Fire
Meaning: Visibility, light, and authenticity.
Symbolism: Represents self-expression, confidence, and shining one's inner light.
Ling Shu ch. 77 & 78
Mansion: Shang Tian 上天
Season: Summer solstice.
Wind: Extremely weak (大弱 Da Ruo)
Interior: Heart.
Exterior: Vessels.
Qi: Governs heat (熱 Re)
Body Region: Chest, throat and head.
Abdominal Acupuncture
Quadrant: Upper centre.
Channels / Zangfu: Heart & Small Intestine
Mu Points: Zhongmen Ren-12 & Juque Ren-14
Extraordinary Vessel: Du Mai | 2. Southwest ☷
坤宫 Kun Gong, Earth PalaceLove & Marriage"Receptivity"
Element: Yin Earth
Meaning: Relationships, nurturing, and grounding.
Symbolism: Harmony in family and deep ancestral connections.
Ling Shu ch. 77 & 78
Mansion: Xuan Wei 玄委
Season: Beginning of autumn.
Wind: Planning (謀 Mou)
Interior: Spleen.
Exterior: Muscles.
Qi: Governs becoming soft (為弱 Wei Ruo)
Body Region: Right hand.
Abdominal Acupuncture
Quadrant: Upper left.
Channels / Zangfu: Spleen
Extraordinary Vessel: Yin Wei Mai |
3. East ☳
震宫 Zhen Gong, Thunder PalaceHealth & Family"Strength"
Element: Yang Wood
Meaning: Family, growth, and vitality.
Symbolism: Represents vitality, movement, and connection to roots.
Ling Shu ch. 77 & 78
Mansion: Cang Men 倉門
Season: Beginning of spring.
Wind: Infantile (嬰兀 Ying Wu)
Interior: Liver.
Exterior: Sinews.
Qi: governs making the body damp (為身濕 Wei Shen Shi)
Body Region: Left flank.
Symbolism: Represents stability, health, and the foundation for all other aspects.
Abdominal Acupuncture
Quadrant: Right.
Channels / Zangfu: Liver & Gall Bladder
Mu Points: Qimen Liv-14
Extraordinary Vessel: Yang Qiao Mai | 5. Centre
中宫 Zhong Gong, Central PalaceTaiji"Balance"
Element: Taiji
Meaning: Core vitality, integration, and balance.
Ling Shu ch. 78
Body Region: The Six Fu and the Liver, Spleen Kidneys.
Abdominal Acupuncture
Quadrant: Centre (umbilicus). | 7. West ☱
兌宫 Dui Gong - Lake PalaceCreativity & Children"Joy"
Element: Yin Metal
Meaning: Expression, creativity, and communication.
Symbolism: Represents nurturing one's creative instincts and expressing the inner self.
Ling Shu ch. 77 & 78
Mansion: Cang Guo 倉果
Season: Autumn equinox.
Wind: Hard (剛 Gang)
Interior: Lung.
Exterior: Skin.
Qi: governs becoming dry (為燥 Wei Zao)
Body Region: Right flank.
Abdominal Acupuncture
Quadrant: Left.
Channels / Zangfu: Lung & Large Intestine
Mu Points: Tianshu St-25
Extraordinary Vessel: Yin Qiao Mai |
8. Northeast ☶
艮宫 Gen Gong, Mountain PalaceSkills & Knowledge"Stillness"
Element: Yang Earth
Meaning: Stillness, learning, and growth.
Symbolism: Focuses on introspection, self-awareness, and intellectual development.
Ling Shu ch. 77 & 78
Mansion: Tian Liu 天留
Season: Beginning of spring.
Wind: Inauspicious (凶 Xiong)
Interior: Large Intestine.
Exterior: Both flanks, below the bones of the armpit, and in the joints of the limbs.
Body Region: Left foot.
Abdominal Acupuncture
Quadrant: Lower right.
Channels / Zangfu: Upper Jiao
Extraordinary Vessel: Dai Mai | 1. North ☵
坎宫 Kan Gong, Water PalaceCareer & Life Path"Depth"
Element: Water
Meaning: Career, purpose, and resilience.
Symbolism: Governs adaptability, flow, and navigating life's challenges.
Ling Shu ch. 77 & 78
Mansion: Ye Zhi 蟄之
Season: Winter solstice.
Wind: Extremely hard (大剛 Da Gang)
Interior: Kidneys.
Exterior: Bones and in the vertebra and sinews in the shoulders and back.
Qi: Governs becoming cold (為寒 Wei Han)
Body Region: Lower back and lower orifices.
Abdominal Acupuncture
Quadrant: Lower centre.
Channels / Zangfu: Kidneys & Bladder
Mu Points: Shimen Ren-5, Guanyuan Ren-4 & Zhongli Ren-3
Extraordinary Vessel: Ren Mai | 6. Northwest ☰
乾宫 Tian Gong, Heavenly PalaceHelpful People & Travel"Synchronicity"
Element: Yang Metal
Meaning: Mentorship, guidance, and exploration.
Symbolism: Wisdom, leadership, and support from others.
Ling Shu ch. 77 & 78
Mansion: Xin Luo 新洛
Season: Beginning of winter.
Wind: Breaking (折 Zhe)
Interior: Small Intestine.
Exterior: Hand Taiyang Vessel (太陽脈 Taiyang Mai)
Qi: When obstructed, death occurs suddenly.
Body Region: Right foot.
Abdominal Acupuncture
Quadrant: Lower left.
Channels / Zangfu: Lung & Large Intestine
Extraordinary Vessel: Yang Wei Mai |
A Note on the Location of the Liver and Spleen
One noticeable point that requires some explanation is that the classic texts refer to Liver and Gallbladder on the left and the Spleen and Lungs on the right. This is because the left was associated with Yang and the right with Yin with early anatomical drawing placing them according to the relative Yin and Yang natures of the organs (Shuo et al., 2020). It is even possible that, prior to these drawing, which were drawn hundreds of years after the classics, the names used to refer to the organs were in fact opposite, evidenced by the fact that the Su Wen, ch. 18 & 71, refers to jaundice (黃疸 Huang Dan) as being caused by Water or the Damp Qi of Earth combining with Heat to create humidity, and associated its origins with the Stomach, a hot Fu associated with Earth and therefore vulnerable to Dampness. Zhang Zhong-jing, in his Discussion of Cold Damage, also discusses jaundice as part of the Yangming diseases. Early physicians would likely have noticed the enlarged liver but may have referred to it as Dampness in the Spleen, using the word for Spleen (脾, Pi) to refer to the liver.
Furthermore, the description of the Liver (肝 Gan) in the Su Wen ch. 8 as the "military general" (將軍 Jiang Jun) actually fits better with the modern notion of the spleen as an important part of the immune system, housing antibody-producing lymphocytes in its white pulp and monocytes which remove antibody-coated bacteria and antibody-coated blood cells by way of blood and lymph node circulation. The other function of the spleen is to act as a blood filter, which the Su Wen ch. 9 says of the Liver, that it "generates Blood and Qi" while the Ling Shu ch. 8 says that it "stores the Blood" further suggesting an physiological connection of the Chinese Liver to the western notion of the spleen.
This would also explain the complex and meandering path of the Gall Bladder channel as its paired Fu organ, which may have been referring to the lymphatic system, traversing most major muscle groups including the calves (Yanglingquan GB-34), thighs (Fengshi GB-31 and Zhongdu GB-32), buttocks (Huantiao GB-30), lats (Yuanyue GB-22), pectorals (Zhejin GB-23 and Tianchi Pc-1) and trapezius (Jingjian GB-21 and Tianliao SJ-15) whose contractions move the lymph as it does not have a central pump like blood circulation does. It also makes detours which, along with its Shaoyang pair, the San Jiao Channel, cover many of the major lymph node areas. Completing this are the Shaoyin and Taiyin Channels, which are the three Divisions that Su Wen ch. 24 says "have little Blood and much Qi" indicating that something other than Blood was to be let at these points, such as Qi nodules that would arise and disperse in the course of an infection. Together these meridians run across much of the major lymph node areas including the:
There has even been discoveries of lymphatic tissue in the brain (Kim & Kipnis, 2023) to which the Gall Bladder channel has an intimate connection to, as it does to most of the
Curious Organs. An understanding of the Gall Bladder and its related Channels as the immune system also makes sense in terms of the character for Bile, 膽
Dan which means "courage", and its function in the
Su Wen ch. 8 as the "rectifier" (中正
Zhongzheng) that makes "decisions and judgements" (決斷
Jue Duan). These properties also connect it to the immune system, in deciding what is a threat and what is not, and having the courage to fight it.
Meanwhile the Stomach meridian has a fairly straightforward trajectory, running in a straight line along the front of the body, suggesting a relatively simple role in dealing with digestion, which is the main function of bile released from the gallbladder, while the Spleen meridian travels to the hypochondrium at
Fuai Sp-15 "abdomen's sorrow" where an enlarged liver will be most easily felt. It could even be argued that the Dampness caused by fatty, oily foods which obstruct the Spleen in Chinese physiology are a closer fit to excessive fats overwhelming the liver's ability to produce enough bile to break them down, resulting in digestive issues, fatty stools (which are yellow, the colour of the Spleen) and fatty liver disease. Early anatomists may have even seen the fat accumulations around the liver and drawn the conclusion that this was Dampness obstructing the Spleen.
Later anatomical drawings seemed to "correct" this and starting drawing the Liver on the right (Shuo et al., 2020) but an artefact of this older interpretation remains in pulse diagnosis where the Liver pulse is read on the left, along with the other Organs related to
Yang and Blood, while the Spleen pulse is read on the right, along with other Organs relating to
Yin and Qi.
One simple point to bear in mind is that the Chinese anatomy is chiefly functional and not anatomical, since dissection was forbidden for much of history. This means that the properties of the Spleen and Liver, Stomach and Gall Bladder actually exist in both the modern spleen and liver organisms with some of their functions being attributed to other organs too. This is why there are Liver and Spleen meridians on both sides of the body and not just the side where the organ is located. Hence, a tender alarm point at
Qimen Liv-14 on the left side may still indicate a Liver issue, it just might not be the western liver. It may indicate the defensive aspect of the body that may be the spleen, the immune system, lymphatics, or a number of other potential systems. Wherever necessary, it is a simple operation to reverse the sides of the body to fit a modern anatomical model if looking for modern organ based signs, or use the ancient
Yin-Yang based model if thinking in classical physiological terms, or to unite the two and suggest that the right side of the abdomen treats the left foot using contralateral needling principles.
Reference notes:
The Mansions are taken from
Ling Shu ch. 77 which says:
Taiyi (the Pole Star) always on the day of winter solstice takes residence in the mansion Ye Zhi, for 46 days.
On the following day he takes residence in Tian Liu, for 46 days.
On the following day he takes residence in Cang Men, for 46 days.
On the following day he takes residence in Yin Luo, for 45 days.
On the following day he takes residence in Shang Tian for 46 days.
On the following day he takes residence in Xuan Wei, for 46 days.
On the following day he takes residence in Cang Guo, for 46 days.
On the following day he takes residence in Xin Luo, for 45 days.
On the following day he once again takes residence in the Ye Zhi mansion. That is the day of the winter solstice.
It goes on to discuss divination by the weather for different groups of people at different points of the year, and then the harms that can be done by unruly Winds that can cause harm by entering their associated interior and exterior aspects. From this section we can derive further bodily associations and the Winds that affect them:
The Wind coming out of the South, it is called “Extremely Weak Wind”. It harms people internally by settling in the Heart, externally it is in the Vessels. Its qi are responsible for heating.
The Wind coming out of the South-West, it is called “Planning Wind”. It harms people internally by settling in the Spleen, externally it enters the muscles. Its qi are responsible for weakening.
The Wind coming out of the West, it is called “Hard Wind”. It harms people internally by settling in the Lung, externally it enters the skin. Its qi are responsible for desiccation.
The Wind coming out of the North-West is called “Breaking Wind”. It harms people internally by settling in the Small Intestine, externally it enters the Hand Taiyang Vessel (Mai).
When the passage through this Vessel is interrupted, it spills over. When the Vessels are blocked, then they are knotted and no longer passable and sudden death often occurs.
The Wind coming out of the North, it is called “Extremely Hard Wind”. It harms people internally by settling in the Kidneys, externally it enters the bones and in the vertebra sinews in the shoulders and back. Its qi are responsible for cold.
The Wind coming out of the North-East, it is called “Inauspicious Wind”. It harms people internally by settling in the Large Intestine, externally it enters both flanks, below the bones of the armpit, and in the joints of the limbs.
The Wind coming out of the East, it is called “Infantile Wind”. It harms people internally by settling in the Liver, externally it enters where the sinews are tied to each other. Its qi are responsible for the dampness of the body.
The Wind coming out of the South-East, it is called “Weak Wind”. It harms people internally by settling in the Stomach, externally it enters the muscles and the flesh. Its qi are responsible for the body’s weight.
The body regions and seasons are taken from
Ling Shu ch. 78 which says:
The left foot corresponds to the beginning of spring. Its days are wu yin and ji chou.
The left flank corresponds to the spring equinox. Its days are Yi Mao.
The left hand corresponds to the beginning of summer. Its days are Wu Chen and Ji Si.
The chest, the throat and the head correspond to the summer solstice. Its days are Bing Wu.
The right hand corresponds to the beginning of autumn. Its days are Wu Shen and Ji Wei.
The right flank corresponds to the autumn equinox. Its days are Xin You.
The right foot corresponds to the beginning of winter. Its days are Wu Xu and Ji Hai.
The lower back and the orifice below the tailbone correspond to the winter solstice. Its days are Ren Zi.
The six Fu and the three Zang below the diaphragm correspond to the central region.
The
Extraordinary Vessel attributions are taken from my interpretation of Li Shizhen's
Exposition on the Extraordinary Vessels. The remaining interpretations are either taken from modern
Feng Shui sources (see references), or my own deduction.
References:
Cheung, V. (2017).
How to Find Your Feng Shui Wealth Areas: 5 Popular Methods.
https://fengshuinexus.com/feng-shui-rules/find-feng-shui-wealth-areas-methods/. Accessed 18th June 2025.
Huang Di Nei Jing Ling Shu. Translated by Unschuld, P.U. (2016). Berkeley: University of California Press.
Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen. Translated by Unschuld, P.U. & Tessenow, H. (2011). Berkeley: University of California Press.
Kim, M. W., & Kipnis, J. (2025). Glymphatics and meningeal lymphatics unlock the brain-immune code.
Immunity, 58(5), 1040–1051. doi:
10.1016/j.immuni.2025.03.006
Li Shizhen (1577).
Exposition on the Extraordinary Vessels. Translated and annotated by Chase, C. and Shima, M. (2010). Seattle: Eastland Press.
International Feng Shui Guild (nd).
The Feng Shui Bagua.
https://www.ifsguild.org/the-feng-shui-bagua/. Accessed 18th June 2025.
Shipsey, D. (2021).
Mastering the Art of Abdominal Acupuncture. Independently Published.
Shao, S.J., Guo, H.D., Mou, F.F., Guo, C.X. & Zhang, L.S. (2020). The Records of Anatomy in Ancient China.
Chinese Medicine and Culture 3(4):p 210-215. DOI:
10.4103/CMAC.CMAC_18_20
Zitterbart, K. (2024).
Palaces of Chinese Medicine - 9 Somatic Archetypes.
https://www.kayteezee.com/blog/9-palaces-of-chinese-medicine-. Accessed 18th June 2025.
