Tracing the Conceptual Connotation of"Heavenly Gate and Earthly Door"in the Yunqi Theory of Inner Canon of Huangdi
XIONG Weifeng
HE Juan
Abstract：The concepts of"Heavenly Gate"(Tianmen)and"Earthly Door"(Dihu)are foundational to the Five Circuits and Six Qi(Yunqi)theory in Inner Canon of Huangdi.However,their precise connotations remain incompletely elucidated in academia.This study explores ancient astronomical observations and timekeeping practices,revealing that Tianmen and Dihu are closely tied to the ancient Chinese observation of the twenty-eight lunar mansions—specifically the Azure Dragon of the East(Canglong)—and the apparent motion of the Sun for calendrical regulation.Furthermore,the temporal markers represented by Tianmen and Dihu evolved from early references to the Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox(based on Canglong's celestial phenomena)to later direct observations of the Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice(determined by the Sun's apparent movement).This research provides empirical support for the objectivity and scientific validity of Yunqi theory.
Keywords：Inner Canon of HuangdiYunqi theoryHeavenly Gate(Tianmen)Earthly Door(Dihu)Connotation
Publication Date：2026-01-28
Online Publishing Date：2026-01-30(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 79-83 )