Heavenly Chimney / Tian Tu
Updated 2026-08-04
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Tian Tu, or Heavenly Chimney, is an acupuncture point of the Ren Mai located in the depression of the suprasternal fossa just above the sternum. Classical Chinese medicine treats it as the gateway where qi enters and leaves the chest, indicated for cough, asthma, sore throat, and the sensation of a lump in the throat. Its binding constraint is depth: needling must run obliquely along the posterior border of the manubrium rather than straight and deep, because the lung apex and major vessels lie immediately behind the point.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Gate Check: Ask whether the chest outlet is blocked before treating lung symptoms downstream. - Chimney Clearing: Press the point to vent trapped phlegm and qi instead of suppressing the cough. - Depth Caution: Treat the anatomical landmark as a hard limit, not a target to reach.
Anchor fast decisions
As the uppermost point of the Ren Mai at the thoracic inlet, Tian Tu sits at the narrowest passage between throat and lungs. Its proximity to the larynx and trachea lets stimulation regulate breathing and clear the throat, so stagnant qi and phlegm descend instead of reversing upward as cough. When the point is blocked, waste backs up the way smoke does in a clogged flue, which is why the intervention is clearing rather than sedating.
MINIMUM ACTION
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- baike.baidu.comhttps://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%A4%A9%E7%AA%81verified
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