Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) Channel
Jade Hall
玉堂Yù TángAnatomical location
On the midline, at the level of the third intercostal space.
Main function
Regulates the Qi of the chest, relieves chest oppression.
Therapeutic indications
- Chest pain
- cough
- asthma
- chest oppression
- Vomiting
- Mastitis
Name and classical tradition
Yutang, 玉堂, is the "Jade Hall." 玉 is jade, white, which Five Phases theory associates with Metal and the Lung; 堂 is the main hall, the ceremonial chamber. In palatial and religious literature, 玉堂 designates a majestic hall. The point lies on the sternum, at the level of the third intercostal space, and its name is part of the series of imperial court names that the Ren Mai unfolds across the chest, between CV14 and CV21.
That series is no accident. It reflects the classical image of the body as a court in which the Heart is the sovereign (心者，君主之官), and the thorax is its palace: the great gate, the courtyard, the jade hall, the purple palace, the imperial canopy, and the celestial axis.
The sources attribute the name to the Nanjing (Classic of Difficulties), in Difficulty 31, without a literal quotation. Its alternative name, 玉英, "jade flower," is well documented.
Other names
- 玉英Jiayi Jing
