In Chinese medicine the Large Intestine receives what the Small Intestine has finished with, draws off the last of the usable fluid, and moves the rest out. It's paired with the Lung, belongs to the Metal element, and its channel ends beside the nose.
A quick note on spelling. We capitalize Large Intestine when we mean the Chinese medicine system and use lowercase for the anatomical organ. The functional overlap is close. What is added is the pairing. Chinese medicine puts the Large Intestine and the Lung together as the two organs of letting go, and describes both as needing to move downward. That connection has no Western equivalent and it is the reason this page and the Lung page keep referring to each other.
On this page. At a glance · What it does · The meridian · Common patterns · Herbs · Questions
At a glance
The Large Intestine is the yang organ of the Metal element, paired with the Lung. In the twelve channel cycle it comes second, immediately after the Lung.
| Chinese name | 大腸 (Dà Cháng) |
| Element | Metal |
| Yin or yang | Yang (fu) |
| Paired organ | Lung (Fèi) |
| Season | Autumn |
| Color | White |
| Climate | Dryness |
| Flavor | Pungent |
| Emotion | Grief and sadness. In balance, the ability to let go. |
| Opens into | The nose, shared with the Lung |
| Governs | Passing on and letting go |
| Qi moves | Downward |
| Peak hours | 5 to 7 a.m. |
| Meridian | Hand Yangming, 20 points (LI1 to LI20) |
What does the Large Intestine do?
It receives and passes on. The classical description is that it takes what the Small Intestine has separated out and moves it along. The texts call it the organ of transmission and conduction.
It draws off the last of the fluid. Before anything leaves, the Large Intestine is described as reclaiming what water remains. This is why dryness is the climate of the Metal element and why the traditional patterns in this organ so often turn on how wet or dry things are.
It lets go, in both senses. Metal is the element of grief and of release, and Chinese medicine does not separate the physical and the emotional versions of that. The Lung takes in and the Large Intestine lets out. The texts describe difficulty releasing on one side as connected to difficulty releasing on the other, and the pairing is the reason.
It shares the Yangming with the Stomach. Together they form the level the classical texts describe as richest in qi and blood, which is why LI4 and ST36 are two of the most used points in the system.
The Large Intestine meridian
The Large Intestine channel begins at LI1, at the outer corner of the index fingernail. It runs up the edge of the index finger and crosses LI4, in the web of muscle between thumb and index finger, the single most used point on the channel and one of the most used in Chinese medicine.
From there it runs up the outside of the forearm, past the elbow, up the outer upper arm to the shoulder. It crosses the top of the shoulder, goes up the side of the neck and the cheek, and then does something unusual. It crosses the midline to the other side of the face, ending at LI20 beside the opposite nostril.
Twenty points. It is one of only two channels that crosses to the opposite side of the body, which is why the classical texts describe it as ending beside the nose the Lung opens into.
Where it falls in the organ clock
| Hours | Organ |
|---|---|
| 3 to 5 a.m. | Lung |
| 5 to 7 a.m. | Large Intestine |
| 7 to 9 a.m. | Stomach |
The Metal pair takes the four hours before breakfast. The Large Intestine hour sitting first thing in the morning is the traditional explanation for the body's timing at the start of the day.
Common Large Intestine patterns
These are traditional pattern descriptions, not diagnoses. Working out a pattern is a practitioner's job.
| Pattern | Traditional signs |
|---|---|
| Dryness in the Large Intestine | Dry stool, a dry mouth, a tongue with little coating, more common with age |
| Damp heat in the Large Intestine | Urgency, a burning sensation, a yellow greasy tongue coating, thirst |
| Large Intestine cold | Loose stool, discomfort eased by warmth, a pale tongue, worse in cold weather |
| Large Intestine qi stagnation | Fullness and distension, discomfort that moves, relief after passing wind |
Herbs and formulas traditionally associated with the Large Intestine
Chinese herbal medicine describes each herb as entering certain channels. The ones below are traditionally described as entering the Large Intestine channel, grouped by their traditional action.
These are not recommendations for the patterns above. The sections are separate on purpose.
Traditionally used to moisten
| Product | Traditional description |
|---|---|
| Moisten the Intestines (Run Chang Tang) | The name is the classical indication. Traditionally used where the texts describe dryness rather than cold or heat. Enters Large Intestine. |
| Run Chang Wan (Easy Flow) | The teapill form of the same classical formula. |
Traditionally used to move things along
| Product | Traditional description |
|---|---|
| Easy Go Support (Run Chang Wan) | A third preparation in the same family. |
Traditionally used as food
| Product | Traditional description |
|---|---|
| Luo Han Guo (Monk Fruit) | Enters Lung and Large Intestine, the Metal pair, and the clearest single illustration of it in the catalog. |
Questions people ask
Where does the Large Intestine meridian run? It starts at the outer corner of the index fingernail, crosses LI4 in the web between thumb and index finger, runs up the outside of the forearm and upper arm to the shoulder, up the side of the neck and cheek, then crosses to the other side of the face and ends beside the opposite nostril. Twenty points.
What is LI4? It is the point in the web of muscle between the thumb and index finger, also called Hegu. It is one of the most used points in Chinese medicine and belongs to the Yangming, the level the texts describe as richest in qi and blood.
Which organ is paired with the Large Intestine? The Lung. They are the yang and yin organs of the Metal element and share the same associations, which are autumn, white, dryness, the pungent flavor, and the nose.
Why are the Lung and Large Intestine both called organs of letting go? Because Metal is the element of release and each does a version of it. The Lung releases the breath and the Large Intestine releases what the body has finished with. Both are described as needing to move downward, and the texts treat difficulty in one as connected to the other.
Why does the channel cross to the other side of the face? It is one of two channels that do. The classical description has it ending beside the opposite nostril, which links it directly to the Lung, the organ that opens into the nose.