Classica Sinica Medica

谿谷 简体 溪谷

xī gǔ

Ravines and valleys · xi gu

Also rendered: Ravines and valleys (this site; the partings of the flesh where the construction and defence run) · Muscle clefts (the anatomical description modern writing actually uses)

Physiology

Reviewed · 2026-10-03

At a glance

Pinyin
xī gǔ
Simplified
溪谷
Literal
谿 xī — a mountain gully with no way out: 《說文》 gives it as 谿，山瀆無所通者, a watercourse on a hill that does not reach anything, which is why the medicine borrows it for the small crossings of the flesh that lead nowhere further. 谷 gǔ — a valley with water in it: 《說文》 谷，泉出通川為谷, the place where a spring comes out and joins a river, and so the larger meeting. Chapter 58 puts the two side by side and gives them their anatomy in one breath — 肉之大會爲谷，肉之小會爲谿 — the big meetings of the flesh are valleys, the small ones ravines. What runs between them is named next: 谿谷之會，以行榮衛，以會大氣, where they meet, the construction and defence move, and the great qi comes together. Nothing about the graphs suggests either use; both are taken from ground, and both are then treated as places where something either keeps moving or stops.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：「谿，山瀆無所通者」；「谷，泉出通川為谷」。「谿」讀 xī、**本篇「谿」6見，讀 xī；簡體列作「溪」，與「溪澗」之溪別為一字**；「谷」讀 gǔ、**本篇「谷」6見，讀 gǔ；本站另有「大谷」專目（id 412）**；「肉」讀 ròu、**「肉之大會」「肉分之間」「脉熱肉敗」「卷肉縮筋」，本篇「肉」6見**；「大」讀 dà、**本篇「大」7見**；「小」讀 xiǎo、**本篇「小」2見**；「會」讀 huì、**「大會」「小會」「谿谷之會」「所會」，本篇「會」8見，讀 huì**；「之」讀 zhī、**本篇「之」18見**；「爲」讀 wéi、**底本作「爲」，不从「為」；本篇「爲」8見**；「間」讀 jiān、**「肉分之間」之間讀 jiān，本篇1見**；「分」讀 fēn、**「肉分」「水俞在諸分」，本篇「分」4見，讀 fēn**；「行」讀 xíng、**「以行榮衛」之行讀 xíng；本篇別有「頭上五行」讀 háng，同篇兩讀**；「榮」讀 róng、**「以行榮衛」之榮讀 róng，本篇6見**；「衛」讀 wèi、**本篇「衛」7見，讀 wèi**；「以」讀 yǐ、**本篇「以」10見**；「寒」讀 hán、**「積寒留舍」「大寒留於谿谷」，本篇「寒」3見**；「留」讀 liú、**本篇「留」4見**；「舍」讀 shè、**「積寒留舍」之舍讀 shè，本篇1見**；「積」讀 jī、**本篇「積」1見**；「邪」讀 xié、**「邪溢氣壅」之邪讀 xié，本篇3見**

In brief

The meeting places of the flesh, named from two kinds of watercourse and then treated as though they were watercourses: the big meetings are 谷, valleys, and the small ones 谿, ravines. Chapter 58 is where the term is defined — 肉之大會爲谷，肉之小會爲谿 — and it is also where the term is given its count, 谿谷三百六十五穴會，亦應一歲, the same three hundred and sixty-five that the qi points have and that the grandchild networks have, so that the chapter’s three lists answer to one year three times over. What passes along them is stated in the same sentence as the meeting itself: to run the construction and defence, and to gather the great qi. What happens when that stops is stated in the sentences after — heat collecting in them suppurates and eats inward to the marrow, cold lodging in them rolls the flesh and shortens the sinews and ends in bone impediment. The site’s entry for 大谷 (id 412) carries Wang Bing’s own version of the same division, made from the vessels rather than the flesh: 大經所會，謂之大谷也；小絡所會，謂之小谿. The two are not rivals; the larger division belongs to the earlier chapter and this one is the anatomical definition the phrase rests on. 谿谷 occurs six times in this chapter and nowhere else in the book under discussion here.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 谿谷
谿者山瀆無所通者（《說文》）；谷者泉出通川為谷
願聞谿谷之會也 — Suwen 58
2
The big meetings and the small 肉之大會爲谷，肉之小會爲谿
以肌束交會之大小分谷與谿：大者為谷，小者為谿
肉之大會爲谷，肉之小會爲谿 — Suwen 58
3
What runs along them 谿谷之會，以行榮衛，以會大氣
谿谷之交會處，所以行榮衛而會大氣
谿谷之會，以行榮衛，以會大氣 — Suwen 58
4
Their own count 谿谷三百六十五穴會，亦應一歲
與氣穴、孫絡同數：三百六十五會，亦以應一歲之日
谿谷三百六十五穴會，亦應一歲 — Suwen 58
5
Heat lodging in them 邪溢氣壅，脉熱肉敗，榮衛不行，必將爲膿
榮衛不行則脉熱肉敗，膿成而内銷骨髓
榮衛不行，必將爲膿 — Suwen 58
6
Cold lodging in them 積寒留舍，榮衛不居
寒留谿谷則卷肉縮筋，内為骨痺而外為不仁，命曰不足
積寒留舍，榮衛不居 — Suwen 58

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
4 passages
Suwen 58 Suwen 58 · 氣穴論 Read in context →
歧伯曰：肉之大會爲谷，肉之小會爲谿，肉分之間，谿谷之會，以行榮衛，以會大氣。 歧伯曰：肉之大会为谷，肉之小会为溪，肉分之间，溪谷之会，以行荣卫，以会大气。
Qí bó yuē: ròu zhī dà huì wéi gǔ, ròu zhī xiǎo huì wéi xī, ròu fēn zhī jiān, xī gǔ zhī huì, yǐ xíng róng wèi, yǐ huì dà qì.
Qi Bo says: a great meeting of flesh is called a valley, a small meeting a stream. Between the divisions of the flesh, at the meetings of stream and valley, construction and defence are made to run and the great qi is gathered.
**「谿谷」本篇5見——「谿」讀 xī、**「谿」本篇6見，讀 xī**；「谷」讀 gǔ、**「谷」本篇6見，讀 gǔ**；「肉」讀 ròu、**本篇「肉」6見**；「大」讀 dà、「小」讀 xiǎo、**「大會」「小會」相對：大者為谷，小者為谿**；「會」讀 huì、**本篇「會」8見，讀 huì**；「間」讀 jiān、**「肉分之間」之間讀 jiān**；「行」讀 xíng、**「以行榮衛」之行讀 xíng**；**本篇「榮衛」5見、「三百六十五」5見：谿谷之會亦三百六十五，與氣穴、孫絡同數而三應一歲**
素問·氣交變大論 Suwen 69 · 氣交變大論 Read in context →
水不及，四維有湍潤埃雲之化，則不時有和風生發之應；四維發埃昏驟注之變，則不時有飄蕩振拉之復。其眚北，其藏腎，其病内舍腰脊骨髓，外在谿谷踹膝。 水不及，四维有湍润埃云之化，则不时有和风生发之应；四维发埃昏骤注之变，则不时有飘荡振拉之复。其眚北，其藏肾，其病内舍腰脊骨髓，外在溪谷踹膝。
Shuǐ bù jí, sì wéi yǒu tuān rùn āi yún zhī huà, zé bù shí yǒu hé fēng shēng fā zhī yìng; sì wéi fā āi hūn zhòu zhù zhī biàn, zé bù shí yǒu piāo dàng zhèn lā zhī fù. Qí shěng běi, qí zàng shèn, qí bìng nèi shè yāo jǐ gǔ suǐ, wài zài xī gǔ chuài xī.
When water falls short, if the four corners have the transformation of rushing water that moistens and of dusty clouds, then out of season there is the answering of gentle wind that brings things forth; if the four corners give out the change of dust and darkness and sudden pouring rain, then out of season there is the revenge of whirling, shaking and snapping. Its calamity is in the north, its viscus is the kidney, and its illness lodges within in the loins, the spine, the bones and the marrow and shows without in the ravines and valleys, the heel and the knee.
「其病内舍腰脊骨髓，外在谿谷踹膝」——**「谿谷」本篇1見，止此一見**；**本篇谿谷與第五十八篇「肉之大會爲谷，肉之小會爲谿」同指，此為北方腎外在之部**；**同句「踹」讀 chuài，足跟也，與「腨」shuàn 義別，別見校勘**；**「谿」讀 xī、「谷」讀 gǔ**
素問·陰陽應象大論 Suwen 5 · 陰陽應象大論 Read in context →
帝曰：余聞上古聖人，論理人形，列别藏府，端絡經脉，會通六合，各從其經，氣穴所發，各有處名。谿谷屬骨，皆有所起，分部逆從，各有條理。四時陰陽，盡有經紀，外内之應，皆有表裏，其信然乎？ 帝曰：余闻上古圣人，论理人形，列别藏府，端络经脉，会通六合，各从其经，气穴所发，各有处名。溪谷属骨，皆有所起，分部逆从，各有条理。四时阴阳，尽有经纪，外内之应，皆有表里，其信然乎？
dì yuē: yú wén shàng gǔ shèng rén, lùn lǐ rén xíng, liè bié zàng fǔ, duān luò jīng mài, huì tōng liù hé, gè cóng qí jīng, qì xué suǒ fā, gè yǒu chù míng. xī gǔ shǔ gǔ, jiē yǒu suǒ qǐ, fēn bù nì cóng, gè yǒu tiáo lǐ. sì shí yīn yáng, jìn yǒu jīng jì, wài nèi zhī yìng, jiē yǒu biǎo lǐ, qí xìn rán hū?
The Emperor says: I have heard that the sages of high antiquity discussed the patterns of the human form, set out and distinguished the viscera and bowels, ordered the network of the channels, and brought the six conjunctions into communication, each following its own channel; that the places where the qi and the acupoints emerge each have their names; that the ravines and valleys belonging to the bones each have their origin; that the divisions, the rebellious and the compliant, each have their order; that the yin and yang of the four seasons all have their fixed measure; and that the correspondence of outer and inner all has its outer and inner aspect. Is this indeed so?
「谿谷屬骨，皆有所起」——谿谷屬骨各有起處，分部逆從各有條理；**「谿谷」本篇1見**
Suwen 71 Suwen 71 · 六元正紀大論 Read in context →
太陽、太羽、太陰、丙辰天符、丙戌天符。其運寒，其化凝慘凓冽，其變冰雪霜雹，其病大寒留於谿谷。太羽、太角、少徴、太宫、少商。 太阳、太羽、太阴、丙辰天符、丙戌天符。其运寒，其化凝惨凓冽，其变冰雪霜雹，其病大寒留于溪谷。太羽、太角、少徵、太宫、少商。
Tài yáng, tài yǔ, tài yīn, bǐng chén tiān fú, bǐng xū tiān fú. Qí yùn hán, qí huà níng cǎn lì liè, qí biàn bīng xuě shuāng báo, qí bìng dà hán liú yú xī gǔ. Tài yǔ, tài jué, shào zhǐ, tài gōng, shào shāng.
Greater yang, greater yu, greater yin: bing chen and bing xu, both heaven tallies. Its circuit is cold; its transformation is congealed bleakness and biting cold; its change is ice, snow, frost and hail; its illness is great cold lodged in the stream valleys. Greater yu, greater jue, lesser zhi, greater gong, lesser shang.
**「谿谷」本篇1見，止在此句**；**此段「其病大寒留於谿谷」，太陽司天丙辰丙戌之病**

Compounds built on this term

谿谷之會
xī gǔ zhī huì
the meeting of the ravines and valleys
本篇二見，一問一答
大會為谷
dà huì wéi gǔ
the great meeting is the valley
「會」讀 huì，「為」讀 wéi，本篇一見
小會為谿
xiǎo huì wéi xī
the small meeting is the ravine
本篇一見，與上句為對文
大寒留於谿谷
dà hán liú yú xī gǔ
great cold lodged in the ravines
本篇一見，即下文骨痺不仁之因

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This siteravines and valleystaken literally from the two graphs, so that watercourse keeps its part in the reading — the partings of the flesh are treated as watercourses precisely because things either run along them or dam up in them
Anatomicalmuscle clefts · interstitial spacescorrect as to what they are made of, but loses why the text saw them as two things by size rather than only one
Literalmountain gully and valleykeeping both graphs in their 《說文》 sense; this site does the same, since the chapter's own definitions depend on size rather than on anything anatomical

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-03

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