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Kidney MeridianKI1

Yongquan 湧泉

For reference only · not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment
Short answer

On the sole, in the deepest hollow that appears when the toes curl.

Jing-well point (Wood)Also called Dichong (地衝)
See it in 3DRotate the body and peel back the skin to see the bones and muscles beneath.
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🖼See it in pictures

Yongquan — ① Where on the body?
① Where on the body?
Yongquan — 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.
Yongquan — ② Up close
② Up close
Yongquan — ③ Under the skin
③ Under the skin
Plantar aponeurosis · Flexor digitorum brevis · Plantar metatarsal arteries

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

On this page
  1. Where is Yongquan?
  2. How do I find it on my body?
  3. The classical posture
  4. Before you press
  5. How has it been used traditionally?
  6. Classical text
  7. FAQ

1Where is Yongquan?

On the sole, in the deepest hollow that appears when the toes curl.

It lies roughly a third of the way back along a line from the web between the 2nd and 3rd toes to the back of the heel.

Beneath the point

Plantar aponeurosis · Flexor digitorum brevis · Plantar metatarsal arteries

Our 3D measurement · Our 3D model's toes are joined, so the web margin was estimated at the middle of the first bones of the 2nd and 3rd toes. The point is on the sole, one third of the way back along the line from there to the back of the heel (204.4 mm seen from above) — still to be verified.

2How do I find it on my body?

  1. Lie down, or sit with the leg straight, so the sole faces you.
  2. Draw a line from the web between the 2nd and 3rd toes to the back of the heel.
  3. Split it into thirds and take the first mark from the toes.
Check · curl the toes — the deepest hollow forms near that mark; press it.
📖 Words explained
plantar metatarsal arteries
Arteries running deep in the sole between the metatarsals toward the toes.
flexor digitorum brevis
The muscle in the middle of the sole, just under the plantar aponeurosis. It runs from the heel to the 2nd–5th toes and bends them.

3The classical posture

  1. The older texts quoted in the Donguibogam give two postures: bending the foot with the toes curled, and kneeling.
  2. Kneel, or sit so the sole faces you, then curl the toes.
  3. Press the deepest hollow that forms in the front part of the sole; WHO 2008 also defines the point by this hollow with the toes flexed.
  4. Our 3D model keeps the toes straight, so the hollow does not show; it roughly matches the one-third mark in "How to find" above.

4Before you press

⚠ Do not press when
  • The Donguibogam, citing the Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing, forbids moxibustion here — do not use moxa or hot packs on this point.
  • Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level.
  • Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care.
  • If someone collapses or is unresponsive, call emergency services at once; do not rely on acupressure.

5How has it been used traditionally?

From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.

6Classical text

Donguibogam (Heo Jun, 1613), Acupuncture and Moxibustion, "Yongquan"

在足陷中屈足卷指宛宛中《銅人》
涌泉者足心也跪而取之《靈樞》
在脚心底宛中白肉際《資生》
在脚掌中心《入門》
足少陰脈之所出爲井 … 禁不可灸若灸廢人行動《資生》

  1. ①In the hollow of the foot: bend the foot and curl the toes, and it is the centre of the dip. Tongren Shuxue Zhenjiu Tujing
  2. ②Yongquan is the centre of the sole; take it kneeling. Lingshu
  3. ③In the hollow centre of the underside of the foot, at the edge of the pale skin. Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing
  4. ④In the middle of the sole. Yixue Rumen
  5. ⑤Where the Foot Shaoyin channel emerges, which makes it the Jing-well point. Moxibustion is forbidden here — it can leave a person unable to walk. Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing

Original text as written · translation is ours.

?FAQ

Where exactly is Yongquan?

On the sole, in the deepest hollow that appears when the toes curl. It lies roughly a third of the way back along a line from the web between the 2nd and 3rd toes to the back of the heel.

How do I find Yongquan?

Lie down, or sit with the leg straight, so the sole faces you. Draw a line from the web between the 2nd and 3rd toes to the back of the heel. Split it into thirds and take the first mark from the toes. curl the toes — the deepest hollow forms near that mark; press it.

What should I watch out for?

The Donguibogam, citing the Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing, forbids moxibustion here — do not use moxa or hot packs on this point. Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level. Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care. If someone collapses or is unresponsive, call emergency services at once; do not rely on acupressure.

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Sources

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.