Triple Energizer MeridianTE10

Tianjing 天井

For reference only · not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment

Short answer

Back of the elbow, in the dip 1 cun above the point of the elbow (tip of the olecranon).

He-sea point (Earth)

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

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

Tianjing — 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.

Tianjing — ③ Under the skin — **③ Under the skin**
Humerus · Ulna · Triceps brachii

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

On this page

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

1Where is Tianjing?

Back of the elbow, in the dip 1 cun above the point of the elbow (tip of the olecranon).

With the elbow bent, it sits in the olecranon fossa.

Beneath the point

Humerus · Ulna · Triceps brachii

Our 3D measurement · In our 3D model: on the line from the olecranon tip to the acromial angle, 1 cun (21.8 mm; 1 upper-arm cun = 21.79 mm) above the olecranon tip.

2How do I find it on my body?

Bend the elbow to about a right angle.
Feel the point of the elbow (tip of the olecranon).
Press 1 cun above it, in the soft dip where the fingertip sinks in (olecranon fossa).

What is a “cun”?

A cun is a body-scaled unit of length. The precise way is to divide a bone length into equal parts (proportional bone cun); finger widths are a quick estimate.

📖 Words explained

triceps brachii: The muscle covering the back of the upper arm. It starts as three heads, attaches to the point of the elbow (olecranon) and straightens the elbow.

3The classical posture

Sit, cross the hands and rest them on the kneecaps, so the elbows bend naturally (Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing).
Press the dip where the fingertip sinks in, 1 cun above the elbow tip.

Check · WHO 2008 places it in the olecranon fossa with the elbow bent; China's GB/T 12346-2021 specifies a 90-degree bend.

4Before 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.

5How has it been used traditionally?

Classified as the He-sea (Earth) point of the Triple Energizer meridian — a historical classification, not a claim of effect.
The name means 'heavenly well'. Not to be confused with LI17 (Tianding, 天鼎).
The Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing, quoted in the Donguibogam, locates it with the hands crossed on the knees and the elbows bent.

From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.

6Classical text

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

在肘外大骨之後肘上一寸陷中《銅人》
在曲肘後一寸叉手按膝頭取之兩筋骨罅中又云肘後兩筋間屈肘乃得之《資生》
手少陽脈之所入爲合《銅人》
…《靈樞》

①Behind the large bone on the outer elbow, in the hollow 1 cun above the elbow. Tongren Shuxue Zhenjiu Tujing
②1 cun behind the bent elbow; take it with the hands crossed and resting on the kneecaps, in the gap between the two tendons and the bone. Another account says it lies between two tendons behind the elbow and is found only with the elbow bent. Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing
③Where the Hand Shaoyang channel enters, which makes it the He-sea point. Tongren Shuxue Zhenjiu Tujing

Source tags as given in the Donguibogam: Tongren = Tongren Shuxue Zhenjiu Tujing (1026), Zisheng = Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing, Lingshu = the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic: Spiritual Pivot.
The garbled glyphs in the Wikisource text have been corrected: 狪 to 肘 (elbow, five places) and 禲 to 罅 (gap).
The last Lingshu segment holds only the needling depth and moxa count, so it is shown as "…".
"…" 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 Tianjing?

Back of the elbow, in the dip 1 cun above the point of the elbow (tip of the olecranon). With the elbow bent, it sits in the olecranon fossa.

How do I find Tianjing?

Bend the elbow to about a right angle. Feel the point of the elbow (tip of the olecranon). Press 1 cun above it, in the soft dip where the fingertip sinks in (olecranon fossa).

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.

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Sources

Location: WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008), p. 162
Standard comparison: Chinese national standard GB/T 12346-2021 (Nomenclature and location of meridian points), p. 23
Korean anatomical terms: KMLE medical dictionary (Korean Medical Association terms)
Classification source: Lingshu ch. 2 (Ben Shu) for the five transport points; Nanjing ch. 64 for the phases
Posture and traditional use: Hyeoljari Seodang (Bookdramang, 2015; Korean), ch. 10 "Tianjing" and appendix (Yixue Rumen indications)
Classical text: Donguibogam, Acupuncture and Moxibustion, "Tianjing" — Wikisource public edition (garbled glyphs 狪 corrected to 肘, 禲 corrected to 罅)
Indications: Yixue Rumen vol. 1 (Wikisource)
Classification and traditional-use 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.