The Jade Hall of the chest. Yutang (CV-18) is a quiet but steady point on the breastbone that opens the chest, moves Qi in the upper body and eases the heart and lungs when tightness and pain make breathing feel like a struggle.
Contraindications
As with all sternal points on the Conception Vessel, keep the needle shallow and angled along the surface of the bone. There are no special contraindications beyond careful needling technique at the appropriate depth.
Name & story
The name 玉堂 Yutang means 'Jade Hall' — jade being the most precious and pure of stones in Chinese culture, and a hall being a grand, open chamber. Imagine the chest as a magnificent palace, its central hall glittering and spacious. When Qi flows freely there, the hall is radiant and open; when Qi stagnates, the hall fills with pressure and the breath grows short. Yutang invites that openness back — it is, in the most poetic sense, restoring the chest to its rightful splendour.
Point family & character
Yutang (CV-18) belongs to the Conception Vessel (CV), the great Yin channel that runs up the midline of the front of the body. It sits on the sternum, as part of the group of chest points along the Conception Vessel that regulate the Heart and Lungs and open the thorax.
Location
Find the midline of the chest — the breastbone. Yutang (CV-18) sits on the sternum at the level of the third intercostal space, which places it one space above CV-17 (Shanzhong). It is sandwiched between CV-17 below and CV-19 above, all running up the centre of the chest.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies directly on the body of the sternum, at the level of the third intercostal space.
Needling
The needle is inserted diagonally, directed downward along the sternum — following the natural angle of the breastbone's surface.
Safe depth
0.3–0.5 Cun.
Moxa, cupping & Tui Na
Gentle massage along the sternum and acupressure on CV-18 can help release chest tightness in everyday settings. Moxa may be applied carefully to warm and move Qi in the chest, particularly when Cold or Qi Stagnation underlies the symptoms.
Functions
Opens the chest and descends rebellious Qi; Relieves chest tightness and pain; Calms the Heart and supports the Lungs; Stops coughing and eases wheezing.
The golden tip
If you feel tightness or pressure in the centre of the chest (always rule out any cardiac cause with a doctor first), you can gently press or rub the midpoint of the breastbone with your fingertips in small circles. CV-18 is one of several points along the sternum that respond well to self-massage — a slow, mindful stroke up and down the breastbone for a minute or two can ease the sense of constriction and invite a deeper breath.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.