A chest point of the Spleen channel, Zhourong (SP-20) sits high on the ribcage and helps the body breathe freely and move fluids through the chest — a quiet but useful point when the lungs are congested and the ribs feel tight.
Name & story
The name 周荣 Zhourong means something like "All-Round Flourishing" or "Encircling Nourishment" — 周 (zhōu) meaning all-around or encircling, and 荣 (róng) meaning to flourish, to nourish, to bloom. The image is of nourishment spreading in all directions, reaching every corner. This makes sense for a point that sits near the top of the Spleen channel, where the Earth element's capacity to nourish and distribute reaches upward into the chest — like a river reaching its highest point before it turns back.
Point family & character
Zhourong (SP-20) belongs to the Spleen Meridian (SP). It is one of the uppermost points on the channel, lying in the chest region. It does not carry a special classical category such as He-Sea or Xi Cleft, but its position on the chest gives it a clear local action on the lungs and ribcage.
Location
Find the second intercostal space — the gap between the second and third ribs — and measure 6 Cun out from the midline of the chest. The point sits just below SP-21 (Dabao) on the channel pathway as it travels upward along the side of the chest.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies in the second intercostal space, over the pectoralis major muscle.
Needling
The needle is inserted obliquely or transversely along the intercostal space. Needling must be careful and shallow — never directed straight inward toward the chest cavity.
Functions
Descends rebellious Qi in the chest and lungs; stops cough and eases breathlessness. Expands the chest and relieves fullness and distension in the costal and hypochondriac region.
Indications
Cough, breathlessness and difficulty breathing; a sensation of fullness, tightness or distension in the chest and ribcage; pain in the costal and hypochondriac region; food and drink that will not go down easily (difficulty swallowing or a feeling of obstruction).
Clinical spotlight
SP-20 is one of the few Spleen Meridian (SP) points that works primarily on the chest and lungs rather than the digestive system. Because the Spleen channel travels all the way up through the chest, its upper points offer a direct local action on the lungs and ribs. SP-20 is particularly valued for its ability to descend rebellious Lung Qi — the kind that rises as cough, breathlessness or a tight, full sensation in the chest — making it a useful support point in respiratory conditions when combined with primary lung points.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.