Governor VesselGV14

Dazhui 大椎

For reference only · not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment

Short answer

On the back of the neck, on the back midline: the hollow just below the C7 spinous process (seventh cervical vertebra).

Meeting point of the three yang channels and the Governor Vessel

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

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

Dazhui — 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.

Dazhui — ③ Under the skin — **③ Under the skin**
Seventh cervical vertebra · Vertebra t1 · Interspinales colli muscles · Interspinales colli muscles

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

On this page

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

1Where is Dazhui?

On the back of the neck, on the back midline: the hollow just below the C7 spinous process (seventh cervical vertebra).

Beneath the point

Seventh cervical vertebra · Vertebra t1 · Interspinales colli muscles · Interspinales colli muscles

Our 3D measurement · In our 3D model: on the posterior midline skin at the level of the hollow between the lower tip of the C7 spinous process and the top of the next one (4.5 mm below the C7 tip).

2How do I find it on my body?

Sit upright with the head level.
The most prominent bone at the back of the neck is the C7 spinous process. Bending the head forward makes it easier to feel.
Press the hollow just below it.

Check · with the neck slightly bent, turn the head side to side; this bone rotates a little under the fingertip.

📖 Words explained

spinous process: The bony spike sticking backward from the middle of each spine bone. The row of bumps you feel down the middle of the back is these, and they serve as the counting marks for back points.

3Before you press

⚠ Do not press when

The point is the hollow just below a spinous process, so do not press hard on the bone or knock it.
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 'great vertebra', for the most prominent bone at the back of the neck.
Classified in the Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing (vol. 3) as a meeting point of the three yang channels and the Governor Vessel — a historical classification, not a claim of effect.

From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.

?FAQ

Where exactly is Dazhui?

On the back of the neck, on the back midline: the hollow just below the C7 spinous process (seventh cervical vertebra).

How do I find Dazhui?

Sit upright with the head level. The most prominent bone at the back of the neck is the C7 spinous process. Bending the head forward makes it easier to feel. Press the hollow just below it. with the neck slightly bent, turn the head side to side; this bone rotates a little under the fingertip.

What should I watch out for?

The point is the hollow just below a spinous process, so do not press hard on the bone or knock it. Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level. Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care.

← PreviousTaodao · GV13 Next →Yamen · GV15

Sources

Location: WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008), p. 210
Standard comparison: Chinese national standard GB/T 12346-2021 (Nomenclature and location of meridian points)
Traditional-use cross-check: AcuAtlas dataset (CC BY 4.0)
Classification source: Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing vol. 3

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.