Classica Sinica Medica

督脉

dū mài

Governing vessel

Also rendered: Governing vessel (this site; the name current in acupuncture usage) · Supervisor vessel (where 督 is read as the overseer rather than the governor)

Vessels

Reviewed · 2026-09-29

At a glance

Pinyin
dū mài
Simplified
督脉
Literal
督脉 dū mài — the vessel the other vessels connect to, named here in the sentence that assembles the chapter's anatomy. All the vessels belong to the belt vessel and connect to the governing vessel: the belt binds them round the waist, the governing vessel runs the spine, and between them the ancestral sinews are held.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：督，察也，一曰目痛也；引申為督率之義。「督」讀 dū、**本篇1見**；「脉」、**本篇12見**；**「絡於督脉」之絡讀 luò**；**「皆屬於帶脉」之屬讀 shǔ**。

In brief

The vessel that runs the spine and governs the yang vessels. Chapter 44 names it once, to complete the picture: the vessels that meet at the ancestral sinews belong to the belt vessel and connect to the governing vessel, so that the sinews are held between a girdle and a backbone.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 督、脉
督者督率也，總督諸陽之義
而絡於督脉 — Suwen 44
2
How the vessels join it 而絡於督脉
諸脉皆絡於督，督脉為之綱
而絡於督脉 — Suwen 44
3
Its place beside the belt 皆屬於帶脉，而絡於督脉
帶束於腰，督行於脊，兩者相須
皆屬於帶脉，而絡於督脉 — Suwen 44
4
Inside the meeting at the sinews 陰陽總宗筋之會，會於氣街
宗筋之會，上絡督脉
陰陽總宗筋之會 — Suwen 44
5
Why the chapter needs it 陽明爲之長
陽明為長而督脉為綱，諸脉有所統
而陽明爲之長 — Suwen 44
6
Its place among the vessels 衝脉、帶脉、督脉
本篇三脉並舉，共成宗筋之會
皆屬於帶脉，而絡於督脉 — Suwen 44

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
3 passages
Suwen 44 Suwen 44 · 痿論 Read in context →
陰陽總宗筋之會，會於氣街，而陽明爲之長，皆屬於帶脉，而絡於督脉。 阴阳总宗筋之会，会于气街，而阳明为之长，皆属于带脉，而络于督脉。
Yīn yáng zǒng zōng jīn zhī huì, huì yú qì jiē, ér yáng míng wéi zhī zhǎng, jiē shǔ yú dài mài, ér luò yú dū mài.
Yin and yang together are the meeting of the ancestral sinews; they meet at the qi street, and yang brightness is their chief. All belong to the belt vessel and connect to the governing vessel.
**「而絡於督脉」——**「督」讀 dū，**本篇1見**；「街」讀 jiē、**「會於氣街」之街，讀 jiē**；**「皆屬於帶脉」之屬讀 shǔ**；**陰陽總宗筋之會，而陽明為之長**。
素問·氣府論 Suwen 59 · 氣府論 Read in context →
督脉氣所發者二十八穴：項中央二，髮際後中八。 督脉气所发者二十八穴：项中央二，发际后中八。
Dū mài qì suǒ fā zhě èr shí bā xué: xiàng zhōng yāng èr, fà jì hòu zhōng bā.
What the qi of the governing vessel sends forth is twenty-eight points: two at the centre of the nape; eight along the middle line behind the hairline.
「「督」讀 dū「脉」讀 mài氣所發者，二十八穴：項中央二，髮際後中八」——**本目第四十四篇所立，取其總督諸陽；此處則計項中二、髮際後中八**；**「督」讀 dū，本篇1見**；**下文面中三、大椎以下至尻尾及傍十五穴，總二十八穴**；「央」讀 yāng、**「項中央」之央讀 yāng，本篇2見**
素問·骨空論 Suwen 60 · 骨空論 Read in context →
督脉者，起於少腹，以下骨中央。 督脉者，起于少腹，以下骨中央。
Dū mài zhě, qǐ yú shào fù, yǐ xià gǔ zhōng yāng.
The governing vessel begins below the lower abdomen, at the centre of the horizontal bone.
「「督」讀 dū「脉」讀 mài「者」讀 zhě，起於少腹，以下骨中央」——**本篇「督脉」4見，讀 dū mài**；**此節自少腹以下骨中央起，歷廷孔、篡間、篡後、臀、少陰、巨陽，上額交巔入絡腦，是督脉最早之循行說**；**「督脉生病治督脉，治在骨上，甚者在齊下營」**

Compounds built on this term

督脉
dū mài
governing vessel
本篇一見
絡於督脉
luò yú dū mài
connects to the governing vessel
諸脉與督之絡
皆屬於帶脉
jiē shǔ yú dài mài
all belong to the belt vessel
帶、督並舉
氣街
qì jiē
qi street
宗筋之會所在

How it has been translated

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

This sitegoverning vessel督 is the governor — the vessel the yang vessels answer to
Unschuldsupervisor vesselhe renders 督 by the overseeing sense
Wisemangoverning vesselthe name his system shares with acupuncture usage

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09-29

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Reading path

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