Xiabai
侠白 · Xiá Bái
Xiabai (LU4, 侠白) is a point on the Lung meridian. Location, functions, classical indications, and needling reference.
Last reviewed May 2026
About Xiabai (LU4)
The name Xiabai is usually read as “Guarding White” or “Protecting White.” In the five-phase color scheme, white is the color of the Lung and of its phase, Metal; the point’s name marks it as a guardian of that white, Lung quality in the upper arm.
LU4 carries no five-shu or command title and is the quietest of the Hand Taiyin points, classically used as a local point alongside LU3 for the chest and the inner arm. It sits one cun below the “Heavenly Palace,” and the two are often considered together.
What gives it its place is less a dramatic function than its position in the channel’s descent: the Hand Taiyin line is here passing down the inner arm toward the elbow, and LU4 is a way-station on that route where the Lung’s qi is steadied and turned downward on its course.
Point of the Hand Taiyin Lung channel
What are the functions of Xiabai in TCM?
In TCM this point is classically described as descending Lung qi and regulating the qi and blood of the chest; it is used as a local point for the chest and the inner upper arm.
What is Xiabai classically indicated for?
Classically indicated for cough, fullness and oppression of the chest, shortness of breath, and pain along the medial aspect of the upper arm.
Where is Xiabai located?
The WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations places LU4 on the anterolateral aspect of the upper arm, just lateral to the border of the biceps brachii muscle, 4 cun inferior to the anterior axillary fold — 1 cun below LU3 Tianfu.
Lies on the radial side of the biceps brachii just distal to LU3, near the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm and the cephalic vein, with the brachial vessels lying deep.
Needling reference
Educational reference only — describing how classical and standard texts characterize this point, not clinical instruction.
Standard references describe perpendicular insertion to roughly 0.5–1.0 cun. The point is on the upper arm, away from the thoracic cavity, so the chest-wall pneumothorax caution does not apply.
What are the cautions for Xiabai?
No pneumothorax risk at this site. General needling cautions for the upper arm apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Xiabai (LU4) acupoint located?
Xiabai (LU4, 侠白) is a point on the Lung meridian, in the arm region. The WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations places LU4 on the anterolateral aspect of the upper arm, just lateral to the border of the biceps brachii muscle, 4 cun inferior to the anterior axillary fold — 1 cun below LU3 Tianfu.
What does the Xiabai acupoint do in TCM?
In TCM this point is classically described as descending Lung qi and regulating the qi and blood of the chest; it is used as a local point for the chest and the inner upper arm.
What is Xiabai (LU4) classically indicated for?
Classically indicated for cough, fullness and oppression of the chest, shortness of breath, and pain along the medial aspect of the upper arm.
What is the Chinese name for LU4?
LU4 is Xiabai — 侠白, pinyin Xiá Bái. Classical category: Point of the Hand Taiyin Lung channel.
How is Xiabai (LU4) needled?
Standard references describe perpendicular insertion to roughly 0.5–1.0 cun. The point is on the upper arm, away from the thoracic cavity, so the chest-wall pneumothorax caution does not apply.