Face reading chart
Chinese face reading chart
The tradition maps the face in three overlapping layers. Switch layers on the illustrated face, then use the tables to find each area’s Chinese name.
Five features 五官
- Eyebrows 眉 méiLongevity Officer (保寿官)
- Eyes 眼 yǎnInspecting Officer (监察官)
- Nose 鼻 bíJudging Officer (审辨官)
- Mouth 口 kǒuSpeaking Officer (出纳官)
- Ears 耳 ěrListening Officer (采听官)
Three sections 三停
- Upper section 上停 shàng tínghairline to brow line
- Middle section 中停 zhōng tíngbrow line to base of the nose
- Lower section 下停 xià tíngbase of the nose to the chin
Twelve palaces 十二宫
- Life Palace 命宫 mìng gōngthe space between the eyebrows
- Wealth Palace 财帛宫 cái bó gōngthe nose, especially the tip
- Siblings Palace 兄弟宫 xiōng dì gōngthe eyebrows
- Property Palace 田宅宫 tián zhái gōngthe upper eyelid, between brow and eye
- Children Palace 子女宫 zǐ nǚ gōngjust below the eyes
- Friends Palace 奴仆宫 nú pú gōngthe lower jaw on either side of the chin
- Spouse Palace 妻妾宫 qī qiè gōngthe outer corners of the eyes, toward the temples
- Wellbeing Palace 疾厄宫 jí è gōngthe bridge of the nose between the eyes (shān gēn)
- Travel Palace 迁移宫 qiān yí gōngthe outer upper forehead near the hairline
- Career Palace 官禄宫 guān lù gōngthe center of the forehead
- Fortune Palace 福德宫 fú dé gōngabove the outer ends of the eyebrows
- Parents Palace 父母宫 fù mǔ gōngthe upper forehead on either side of center
Names and placements vary between manuals; we use common modern translations. How we write our entries.