Spleen MeridianSP2

Dadu 大都

For reference only · not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment

Short answer

In the dip just in front of (distal to) the first metatarsophalangeal joint, on the big toe.

Ying-spring point (Fire)

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

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

Dadu — 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.

Dadu — ③ Under the skin — **③ Under the skin**
Proximal phalanx of first finger of foot · Abductor hallucis · Medial head of flexor hallucis brevis · First metatarsal bone

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

On this page

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

1Where is Dadu?

In the dip just in front of (distal to) the first metatarsophalangeal joint, on the big toe.

It sits on the red-white flesh border, where top-of-foot skin meets sole skin.

Beneath the point

Proximal phalanx of first finger of foot · Abductor hallucis · Medial head of flexor hallucis brevis · First metatarsal bone

Our 3D measurement · In our 3D model: where the bulge at the base of the big toe's first bone ends (6.0 mm in front of the first MTP joint), on the top/sole skin border where the skin normal points 46.7° between inward and downward.

2How do I find it on my body?

Find the knobbly joint on the inner side at the base of the big toe (first metatarsophalangeal joint).
Slide just in front of it, toward the toe tip.
Press the dip there.

Check · you are on the line where the darker top-of-foot skin meets the paler sole skin.

📖 Words explained

medial head of flexor hallucis brevis: The inner head of the short big-toe flexor in the sole. It attaches near the inner sesamoid bone under the root of the big toe.
metatarsophalangeal joint: The joint where a metatarsal meets the first bone of a toe, the root joint of the toe. Bend the toes and you feel it as a round knuckle on the top of the foot.
abductor hallucis: A muscle along the inner edge of the sole from the heel to the big toe. It spreads the big toe and supports the inner arch.
red-white flesh border: The border on the hands and feet where the skin of the back meets the skin of the palm or sole and its color and texture change; the old name means 'border of red and white flesh'. It is used as a guide line for locating points.
proximal phalanx: The first bone of a finger or toe, at the root end. It forms a joint with the metacarpal or metatarsal bone.

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?

Classified as the Ying-spring (Fire) point of the Spleen channel — a historical classification, not a claim of effect.
The name joins da (great) and du (capital, gathering place).

From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.

5Classical text

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

在足大指內側本節後陷中《銅人》
在本節內側白肉際《資生》
足太陰脈之所流爲滎 …《靈樞》

①On the inner side of the big toe, in the hollow behind the root joint. Tongren
②On the inner side of the root joint, at the edge of the pale skin. Zisheng
③Where the Foot Taiyin channel trickles on, which makes it the Ying-spring point. Lingshu

Source tags as given in the Donguibogam: Tongren = Tongren Shuxue Zhenjiu Tujing (1026); Zisheng = Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing (early 13th century); Lingshu = the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic: Spiritual Pivot.
This entry has no garbled glyphs.
Line ③ is tagged Lingshu, but the wording of Lingshu ch.
2 itself differs.
The classical "behind the root joint" seems to differ from the modern WHO location (distal to the first metatarsophalangeal joint); still to be verified.
"…" 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 Dadu?

In the dip just in front of (distal to) the first metatarsophalangeal joint, on the big toe. It sits on the red-white flesh border, where top-of-foot skin meets sole skin.

How do I find Dadu?

Find the knobbly joint on the inner side at the base of the big toe (first metatarsophalangeal joint). Slide just in front of it, toward the toe tip. Press the dip there. you are on the line where the darker top-of-foot skin meets the paler sole skin.

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.

← PreviousYinbai · SP1 Next →Taibai · SP3

Sources

Location: WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008), p. 70
Standard comparison: Chinese national standard GB/T 12346-2021 (Nomenclature and location of meridian points)
Korean anatomical terms and locating tips: KMCRIC Standard Acupoint DB (Korea)
Classification source: Lingshu ch. 2 (Ben Shu) for the five transport points; Nanjing ch. 64 for the phases; Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing vol. 3 (Siku Quanshu edition)
Traditional use: Hyeoljari Seodang (Bookdramang, 2015; Korean), ch. 4 "Dadu" and appendix (Yixue Rumen indications)
Classical text: Donguibogam, Acupuncture and Moxibustion, "Dadu" — Wikisource public edition (no garbled glyphs in this entry)
Indications: Yixue Rumen vol. 1 (Wikisource)

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.