Dadun 大敦
On the big toe, beside the outer corner of the nail base.
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Dorsal digital veins of foot · Dorsal digital arteries of foot · Proximal phalanx of second finger of foot · Distal phalanx of first finger of foot
Rendered straight from the 3D model at the computed location. The glowing ring marks Dadun.
On this page
1Where is Dadun?
On the big toe, beside the outer corner of the nail base.
It lies 0.1 finger-cun back from the outer corner of the toenail.
This is where a line along the nail's outer edge meets a line along the nail base.
'Outer' here means the side facing the second toe.
Dorsal digital veins of foot · Dorsal digital arteries of foot · Proximal phalanx of second finger of foot · Distal phalanx of first finger of foot
2How do I find it on my body?
- Look down at the big toenail.
- Picture a line running back toward the ankle along the nail's outer edge.
- Picture a second line across the nail base.
- The point is where the two lines cross.
- dorsal digital arteries of foot
- The thin arteries running to the toes on the top of the foot.
- dorsal digital veins of foot
- The thin veins that collect blood from the tops of the toes and send it to the dorsal venous arch.
- distal phalanx
- The last bone at the tip of a finger or toe. The nail lies on top of it.
- proximal phalanx
- The first bone of a finger or toe, at the root end. It forms a joint with the metacarpal or metatarsal bone.
- corner of the nail base
- The corner at the base of a nail, where the side edge line and the base line of the nail meet. It is the mark for points at the finger and toe tips.
3Before you press
- If the skin around the nail is infected or injured, leave it alone.
- Pricking it to draw blood is a professional procedure.
- If someone suddenly collapses and does not respond, call emergency services at once; do not try acupressure.
- 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?
- Classified as the Jing-well (Wood) point where the Liver meridian begins — a historical classification, not a claim of effect.
- The name joins da (great) and dun (thick), usually read as a nod to the stout big toe. Dun is also the name of an ancient grain vessel.
- Classical texts place it by the 'three hairs' on the big toe, about a chive leaf's width from the nail.
From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.
5Classical text
Donguibogam (Heo Jun, 1613), Acupuncture and Moxibustion, "Dadun"
在足大指端去爪甲如韭葉後三毛中《入門》
在足大指聚毛中《資生》
足厥陰脈之所生爲井 …《銅人》
- ①At the tip of the big toe, a chive leaf's width from the nail, among the 'three hairs' behind it. Yixue Rumen
- ②In the middle of the tuft of hair on the big toe. Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing
- ③Where the Foot Jueyin channel begins, which makes it the Jing-well point. Tongren Shuxue Zhenjiu Tujing
- Source tags as given in the Donguibogam: Rumen = Yixue Rumen (1575), Zisheng = Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing (Song dynasty), Tongren = Tongren Shuxue Zhenjiu Tujing (1026); Lingshu ch.
- 2 reads 'the tip of the big toe and among the three hairs … the Jing-well, Wood'.
- The garbled glyph 堛 in the Wikisource text has been corrected to 韭 (chive).
- This entry does not say which side of the nail; the outer corner comes from WHO 2008.
- "…" marks the needling depth and moxa count, left out because they are for licensed practitioners.
Original text as written · translation is ours.
?FAQ
Where exactly is Dadun?
On the big toe, beside the outer corner of the nail base. It lies 0.1 finger-cun back from the outer corner of the toenail. This is where a line along the nail's outer edge meets a line along the nail base. 'Outer' here means the side facing the second toe.
How do I find Dadun?
Look down at the big toenail. Picture a line running back toward the ankle along the nail's outer edge. Picture a second line across the nail base. The point is where the two lines cross. it sits about 2 mm from the nail corner.
What should I watch out for?
If the skin around the nail is infected or injured, leave it alone. Pricking it to draw blood is a professional procedure. If someone suddenly collapses and does not respond, call emergency services at once; do not try acupressure. Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level. Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care.
Sources
- Location: WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008), p. 196
- Standard comparison: Chinese national standard GB/T 12346-2021 (Nomenclature and location of meridian points)
- Traditional use: Hyeoljari Seodang (Bookdramang, 2015; Korean), ch. 12 "Dadun" and appendix (Yixue Rumen indications)
- Classical text: Donguibogam, Acupuncture and Moxibustion, "Dadun" — Wikisource public edition (garbled glyph 堛 corrected to 韭)
- Indications: Yixue Rumen vol. 1 (Wikisource)
- Classification source: Lingshu ch. 2 (Ben Shu); Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing vol. 3; Nanjing ch. 64 (phases)
- 3D: computed on Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0) · BodyParts3D © DBCLS
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.