Which acupuncture point is located on the abdomen 2 cun lateral to the midline and 5 cun superior to the umbilicus, level with Shàngwǎn REN-13?

• A. ST 20
• B. ST 21
• C. ST 22
• D. ST 23

Answer: (A)

Understanding abdominal point locations on the stomach channel helps you pinpoint these points by using reliable landmarks. The abdomen is organized so that several stomach-point locations sit about 2 cun lateral to the anterior midline, and their vertical positions are referenced from the umbilicus with the midline Ren channel as a guide. Shangwan on the Ren channel (Ren-13) sits on the midline 5 cun above the umbilicus. When you combine “2 cun lateral to the midline” with “level with Ren-13,” you arrive at the stomach-point that lies at the same height as Shangwan but off the midline by 2 cun. That location corresponds to the abdominal stomach point ST-20.

ST-21 would occupy a different vertical level above the umbilicus, ST-22 another, and ST-23 yet closer to the upper region, so they do not align with the same horizontal line as Shangwan. The key idea is using Ren-13 as the vertical reference and 2 cun lateral as the horizontal offset to identify the correct abdominal point.