The 'Cooling Gulf' of the arm. Qinglengyuan (SJ-11) is a point whose very name conjures a vast, cold lake — a place that clears Heat and Fire from the San Jiao channel, frees the shoulder and arm, and refreshes the whole upper body when it is burning and stuck.
Name & story
The name 清冷渊 Qinglengyuan is usually translated as 'Cooling Gulf' or 'Clear Cold Abyss'. The image behind it is vivid: 'Qinglengyuan' evokes a very large, deep, perfectly cold lake — pure, still and refreshing. This is not a coincidence. The name tells you exactly what the point does: it clears Heat, cools Fire and brings relief to a channel that has become hot and congested. Simply pressing or needling this point, tradition suggests, is like plunging a hot, aching arm into that cool, clear water.
Point family & character
Qinglengyuan (SJ-11) belongs to the San Jiao channel (SJ), also known as the Triple Burner or Triple Warmer meridian — the great Yang channel that governs the transformation and movement of Qi through the three burners of the body. SJ-11 sits just above SJ-10 (Tianjing), the He-Sea and sedation point of the channel, and the two points work as close neighbours on the elbow region.
Five-element dynamics
The San Jiao channel belongs to the Fire element in its lesser Yang (Shao Yang) expression. When Heat and Fire accumulate along this channel — in the shoulder, arm or head — the channel becomes blocked and painful. Qinglengyuan (SJ-11) acts like that cold, deep lake its name describes: it disperses the accumulated Heat, clears Fire, and gets the Qi moving freely again through the upper limb and beyond.
Location
Find the point 1 Cun directly above SJ-10 (Tianjing), which is located in the depression above the olecranon (the bony tip of the elbow) when the elbow is flexed. Flex the elbow, locate SJ-10, then measure one finger's width upward along the back of the upper arm — that is Qinglengyuan (SJ-11).
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies on the posterior aspect of the upper arm, in the region of the triceps brachii muscle.
Needling
The needle is inserted perpendicularly, straight into the point.
Safe depth
0.3–0.5 Cun.
Moxa, cupping & Tui Na
Massage and acupressure along the back of the upper arm toward the elbow can help free the channel and relieve local tension. Because the point's primary action is to clear Heat and Fire, warming methods such as Moxa are generally not its strongest application — but channel work and local press are well suited.
Functions
Clears Heat and Fire; Dispels Damp-Heat; Clears Channels and Invigorates Collaterals; Invigorates Qi; Reduces Wind-Heat.
Indications
Headache; pain of the eyes; pain and restricted movement of the shoulder and arm. The point is used when Heat or Wind-Heat are obstructing the San Jiao channel in the upper limb, causing pain and stiffness along its pathway.
Point combinations
Qinglengyuan (SJ-11) is often used alongside its neighbour SJ-10 (Tianjing) for elbow and upper-arm problems along the San Jiao channel. For shoulder and arm pain with a Heat pattern, it can be combined with other local San Jiao channel points to clear the channel and relieve pain.
Clinical spotlight
What makes SJ-11 memorable is the striking clarity of its name and image: the 'Cooling Gulf'. In a channel associated with Fire and the transformation of heat through the body's three burners, this point stands out as a local cooler — particularly useful when Wind-Heat or Damp-Heat are lodged in the upper arm or shoulder region and the channel itself is hot and obstructed. It sits directly above SJ-10, one of the most important points on the entire channel, and the two together form a powerful elbow-region pair for local and channel pathology.
The golden tip
If your shoulder or upper arm feels hot, tight or achy — especially after exposure to wind or heat — you can gently massage the back of your upper arm, about a thumb's width above the bony elbow tip. Work along the area with slow, firm circular pressure for a minute or two. This follows the path of the San Jiao channel and helps the Qi move freely again.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.