Gallbladder MeridianGB32

Zhongdu 中瀆

For reference only · not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment

Short answer

Outer thigh, behind the iliotibial band, 7 B-cun above the crease at the back of the knee.

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

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

Zhongdu — 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.

Zhongdu — ③ Under the skin — **③ Under the skin**
Femur · Iliotibial tract · Vastus lateralis muscle

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

On this page

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

1Where is Zhongdu?

Outer thigh, behind the iliotibial band, 7 B-cun above the crease at the back of the knee.

Beneath the point

Femur · Iliotibial tract · Vastus lateralis muscle

Our 3D measurement · In our 3D model: skin behind the iliotibial band, 7 cun above the popliteal crease (1 cun on the lateral thigh = 21.49 mm).

2How do I find it on my body?

Thigh scale: from the most prominent point of the greater trochanter down to the knee crease counts as 19 B-cun.
Go up 7 B-cun from the outer end of the crease.
At that height, press the hollow just behind the iliotibial band.

What is a “cun”?

A cun is a body-scaled unit of length. The precise way is to divide a bone length into equal parts (proportional bone cun); finger widths are a quick estimate.

📖 Words explained

vastus lateralis: The large muscle on the outer front of the thigh. It straightens the knee.
greater trochanter: The big bony knob at the upper outer end of the femur. Below the side of the hip, it rolls under your palm when you turn the leg in and out.

3Before you press

⚠ Do not press when

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?

A Gallbladder meridian point on the outer thigh; the Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing gives it no extra category.
The name is usually translated as 'Central River'.

From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.

?FAQ

Where exactly is Zhongdu?

Outer thigh, behind the iliotibial band, 7 B-cun above the crease at the back of the knee.

How do I find Zhongdu?

Thigh scale: from the most prominent point of the greater trochanter down to the knee crease counts as 19 B-cun. Go up 7 B-cun from the outer end of the crease. At that height, press the hollow just behind the iliotibial band.

What should I watch out for?

Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level. Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care.

← PreviousFengshi · GB31 Next →Xiyangguan · GB33

Sources

Location: WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008), p. 187
Standard comparison: Chinese national standard GB/T 12346-2021 (Nomenclature and location of meridian points)
Korean anatomical terms and point names: KMCRIC Standard Acupoint DB (Korea)
Traditional use cross-check: AcuAtlas dataset (CC BY 4.0)

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.