Lieque
列缺 · Liè Quē
Lieque (LU7, 列缺) is a point on the Lung meridian. Location, functions, classical indications, and needling reference.
Last reviewed May 2026
About Lieque (LU7)
The name Lieque means “Broken Sequence” or “Fissure in a Row” — a name read both for the small gap at the wrist where the point sits and for the place where the channel breaks from its line to send a connecting branch across to its partner. That branching is the heart of the point.
LU7 is the Luo-Connecting point of the Lung, the place where the Hand Taiyin channel throws off a collateral to the Hand Yangming Large Intestine, so that one needle can influence the yin-yang pair together. To this it adds two further titles that make it one of the most important points on the whole channel: it is a Command point, classically said to govern the head and the nape, and it is one of the eight Confluent points, the opening point of the Ren Mai, the Conception Vessel, traditionally paired with KI6.
This convergence — a Luo point, a master point for the head and neck, and a key to one of the eight extraordinary vessels — gives LU7 a reach far beyond its modest size at the wrist. It is the point through which the Lung channel speaks to its partner, to the head, and to the deep midline of the body, and for that reason it is among the most studied and most frequently taught points in the tradition.
Luo-Connecting point of the Lung; Confluent (opening) point of the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel); Command point of the head and nape
What are the functions of Lieque in TCM?
In TCM this point is classically described as releasing the exterior and expelling wind, descending and dispersing Lung qi, and — through its Luo-Connecting role — regulating the paired Lung and Large Intestine channels. As Command point of the head and nape it governs disorders of the head and neck, and as Confluent point it opens the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel), classically paired with KI6 Zhaohai.
What is Lieque classically indicated for?
Classically indicated for cough, asthma, common cold with wind, headache and stiff neck, facial paralysis and toothache, sore throat, and disorders of the wrist. Through the Ren Mai it is also cited for chest, throat and urogenital patterns reached via that vessel.
Where is Lieque located?
The WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations places LU7 on the radial aspect of the forearm, between the tendons of abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis, in the groove for the abductor pollicis longus tendon, 1.5 cun proximal to the wrist crease, superior to the styloid process of the radius.
Lies over the styloid process of the radius between the tendons of abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis; the superficial branch of the radial nerve and the radial artery lie nearby.
Needling reference
Educational reference only — describing how classical and standard texts characterize this point, not clinical instruction.
Standard references describe oblique insertion, often directed proximally along the channel, to roughly 0.3–0.5 cun. The point is at the wrist, away from the chest, so no pneumothorax caution applies.
What are the cautions for Lieque?
No pneumothorax risk. General wrist needling cautions apply; the radial artery and superficial radial nerve are nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Lieque (LU7) acupoint located?
Lieque (LU7, 列缺) is a point on the Lung meridian, in the wrist region. The WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations places LU7 on the radial aspect of the forearm, between the tendons of abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis, in the groove for the abductor pollicis longus tendon, 1.5 cun…
What does the Lieque acupoint do in TCM?
In TCM this point is classically described as releasing the exterior and expelling wind, descending and dispersing Lung qi, and — through its Luo-Connecting role — regulating the paired Lung and Large Intestine channels.
What is Lieque (LU7) classically indicated for?
Classically indicated for cough, asthma, common cold with wind, headache and stiff neck, facial paralysis and toothache, sore throat, and disorders of the wrist. Through the Ren Mai it is also cited for chest, throat and urogenital patterns reached via that vessel.
What is the Chinese name for LU7?
LU7 is Lieque — 列缺, pinyin Liè Quē. Classical category: Luo-Connecting point of the Lung; Confluent (opening) point of the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel); Command point of the….
How is Lieque (LU7) needled?
Standard references describe oblique insertion, often directed proximally along the channel, to roughly 0.3–0.5 cun. The point is at the wrist, away from the chest, so no pneumothorax caution applies.