Extra PointsEX-HN5

Taiyang 太陽

For reference only · not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment

Short answer

On the temple, in the dip about one finger-width behind the midpoint between the outer end of the eyebrow and the outer corner of the eye.

Extra point — head and neck (EX-HN)WHO 1991 extra-point code EX-HN5

See it in 3DRotate the body and peel back the skin to see the bones and muscles beneath.
Open the 3D Acupoint Map →

🖼See it in pictures

Taiyang — ① Where on the body? — **① Where on the body?**

Taiyang — Textbook view — skin on the left, muscle and bone underneath on the right — **Textbook view — skin on the left, muscle and bone underneath on the right**
Location and structures come from our 3D model; only the drawing style was refined with AI. Labels are added by us.

Taiyang — ③ Under the skin — **③ Under the skin**
Zygomatic bone · Frontal bone · Orbital part of orbicularis oculi

Rendered straight from the 3D model at the computed location. The glowing ring marks Taiyang.

On this page

Where is Taiyang?
How do I find it on my body?
Before you press
How has it been used traditionally?
FAQ

1Where is Taiyang?

On the temple, in the dip about one finger-width behind the midpoint between the outer end of the eyebrow and the outer corner of the eye.

Korea's KMCRIC database gives that distance as 1 B-cun.

There is one on each side.

Beneath the point

Zygomatic bone · Frontal bone · Orbital part of orbicularis oculi

Our 3D measurement · In our 3D model: from the midpoint of TE23 and GB1, 1 cun (19.66 mm) backwards along the skin (Korean KMCRIC value; the Chinese standard uses one finger-breadth ≈ 0.75 cun).

2How do I find it on my body?

Touch the outer end of the eyebrow (the TE23 spot) and the outer corner of the eye.
Take the midpoint between them.
Move about one finger-width back toward the ear.

Check · the fingertip sinks slightly into a hollow.

📖 Words explained

orbital part of orbicularis oculi: The outer ring of orbicularis oculi, lying on the bony rim of the eye socket. It works when you squeeze the eyes tightly shut.
superficial temporal artery: The artery that runs up from just in front of the ear to the temple. Touch lightly just in front of the tragus and you feel its pulse.
zygomatic bone: The bone that sticks out on the cheek below and outside the eye. You feel it as a hard bump on the upper cheek, and it reaches back toward the ear to form the zygomatic arch with the temporal bone.
frontal bone: The skull bone that forms the forehead and brows. Its upper part is the forehead and its lower part makes the roof of the eye sockets.

3Before you press

⚠ Do not press when

This is the temple: the skull is thin here and branches of the superficial temporal artery run close by, so do not press hard or for long.
Do not push toward the eyeball.
Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level.
Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care.

4How has it been used traditionally?

The name means 'greater yang'; the same word names the temple area itself, as in the Zhenjiu Dacheng phrase 'taiyang tong'.
The Zhenjiu Dacheng lists it, with Yuyao, Baxie and Bafeng, among the extra points — a historical classification, not a claim of effect.

From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.

?FAQ

Where exactly is Taiyang?

On the temple, in the dip about one finger-width behind the midpoint between the outer end of the eyebrow and the outer corner of the eye. Korea's KMCRIC database gives that distance as 1 B-cun. There is one on each side.

How do I find Taiyang?

Touch the outer end of the eyebrow (the TE23 spot) and the outer corner of the eye. Take the midpoint between them. Move about one finger-width back toward the ear. the fingertip sinks slightly into a hollow.

What should I watch out for?

This is the temple: the skull is thin here and branches of the superficial temporal artery run close by, so do not press hard or for long. Do not push toward the eyeball. Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level. Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care.

← PreviousYuyao · EX-HN4 Next →Yaotongdian · EX-UE7

Sources

Location: Chinese national standard GB 12346-90 (Location of points), 'Standard location of extra points', p. 22
Name and code: WHO, A Proposed Standard International Acupuncture Nomenclature (1991), pp. 15-16
Current Chinese standard: interpretation of GB/T 40997-2021 (Nomenclature and location of extra points), SAMR 2022 — only Dagukong and Pigen had their locations revised
Locating tips and Korean terms: KMCRIC Standard Acupoint DB (Korea), extra points
Basic point list: WHO, Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Acupuncture (1999), p. 16
Classical text: Zhenjiu Dacheng (1601) — Wikisource public edition, 'vol. 4' (Yulong verse, essay) and 'vol. 7' (Xu's Eight-Method indications)

Positions computed from the WHO standard locations (2008) on Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0) · BodyParts3D © DBCLS. For reference only — not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. See a clinician if you are unwell.