"Shang" (上), above; "xing" (星), star. Lingshu-Jiuzhen Lun: "stars correspond to seven orifices of human body." This acupoint is located above seven facial orifices, hence the name. It is also near forehead, so it is referred to as Mingtang (明堂, bright hall), Shentang (神堂, spirit hall), and Guitang (鬼堂, ghost hall).

bubble_chart Location

Shangxing (GV23) acupoint
(adapted from "Meridians and Acupoints")

• Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing: "On skull, directly above the center of nose, 1 cun within hairline, in the depression";
• Zhenjiu Yulong Jing: "1.5 cun within hairline. When palm is placed horizontally on nose tip, the point is where middle finger reaches".

bubble_chart Anatomy

• Muscle: junction of left and right frontalis muscles.
• Nerve: branches of frontal nerve.
• Vessels: branches of frontal artery and vein, branches of superficial temporal artery and vein.

bubble_chart Manipulation

Subcutaneous insertion 0.5~1 cun. Moxibustion is applicable.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Discharge heat, benefit orifices, clear head and eyes.

• Classical: febrile diseases without sweating, wind-induced dizziness, frequent vomiting with irritability, eye pain and inability to see, headache radiating to jaw, swollen face, nasal congestion, clear nasal discharge, allergic rhinitis and epistaxis, malaria, bluish complexion, depressive psychosis.
• Modern: rhinitis, keratitis.

bubble_chart Combinations

• Dizziness: Shangxing (GV23), Fengchi (GB20), Tianzhu (BL10).
• Nasal congestion with loss of smell: Shangxing (GV23), Baihui (GV20), Xinhui (GV22), Chengguang (BL6).
• Red and swollen face: Shangxing (GV23), Xinhui (GV22), Qianding (GV21), Naohu (GV17) ,Fengchi (GB20).
• Wind-induced headache (GV23), Baihui (GV20), Hegu (LI4).
• Epistaxis: Shangxing (GV23), Yingxiang (LI20), Hegu (LI4).