Large Intestine MeridianLI9

Shanglian 上廉

For reference only · not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment

Short answer

Back-and-thumb side of the forearm, 3 cun below the elbow crease.

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

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

Shanglian — 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.

Shanglian — ③ Under the skin — **③ Under the skin**
Radius · Brachioradialis

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

On this page

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

1Where is Shanglian?

Back-and-thumb side of the forearm, 3 cun below the elbow crease.

It lies on the line joining LI5 at the wrist and LI11 at the elbow.

Beneath the point

Radius · Brachioradialis

Our 3D measurement · In our 3D model: 2.99 cun (65.1 mm, straight line) from Quchi (LI11), on the Yangxi–Quchi line (the line between the two points carried onto the skin).

2How do I find it on my body?

Find LI5 in the anatomical snuffbox at the wrist and LI11 at the elbow (with the elbow fully bent, the hollow at the outer end of the elbow crease).
Divide the distance between them into 12 equal parts: halve, halve again, then split each part into thirds.
Count 3 parts down from LI11.

Check · a quarter of the way down from the elbow, one part above Xialian (LI8).

📖 Words explained

anatomical snuffbox: The small hollow on the thumb side of the wrist when the thumb is pulled back hard, bordered in front by the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons and behind by the extensor pollicis longus tendon. The scaphoid and the radial pulse can be felt at its floor, and the name comes from people once placing snuff here.
brachioradialis: A muscle running from above the outer elbow to the lower end of the radius. Bend the elbow with the thumb pointing up and it bulges on the thumb side of the upper forearm.

3Before you press

⚠ Do not press when

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

4How has it been used traditionally?

Traditionally pressed for the forearm and elbow region.

From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.

?FAQ

Where exactly is Shanglian?

Back-and-thumb side of the forearm, 3 cun below the elbow crease. It lies on the line joining LI5 at the wrist and LI11 at the elbow.

How do I find Shanglian?

Find LI5 in the anatomical snuffbox at the wrist and LI11 at the elbow (with the elbow fully bent, the hollow at the outer end of the elbow crease). Divide the distance between them into 12 equal parts: halve, halve again, then split each part into thirds. Count 3 parts down from LI11. a quarter of the way down from the elbow, one part above Xialian (LI8).

What should I watch out for?

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

← PreviousXialian · LI8 Next →Shousanli · LI10

Sources

Location: WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008), p. 38
Korean anatomical terms: KMCRIC standard acupoint database · KMLE medical dictionary
Classification 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.