The 12 Palaces of Chinese Face Reading — Location & Meaning of Each Palace
The Twelve Palaces (十二宫) divide the face into twelve zones, each tied to one area of life — from wealth and career to marriage, health and family.
This guide goes palace by palace: where each one sits on the face, what it governs, and the signs classical texts associate with a strong or weak palace. For a shorter overview of all Mian Xiang frameworks, see the complete Mian Xiang guide.
How the Twelve Palaces Work
Classical texts such as 《麻衣神相》 read each palace by its shape (full or hollow), texture (smooth or lined) and color (bright or dull). A full, smooth, bright palace is considered strong; a sunken, scarred or dull one points to an area of life that needs more effort.
No palace is read alone. A strong Wealth Palace, for example, is more reliable when the Career Palace on the forehead is also good. The palaces work as a map of the whole life, not a list of separate verdicts.
The Twelve Palaces One by One
1. Life Palace 命宫
Location: Between the eyebrows (印堂, Yintang)
Overall destiny, willpower and clarity of mind — the master palace that colors every other reading.
Strong: Smooth, open and bright, about two fingers wide, free of lines or scars.
Weak: Narrow, with brows nearly joining, or marked by deep vertical lines.
2. Wealth Palace 财帛宫
Location: The nose, especially the tip (准头)
Earning power, savings and how money flows in and out.
Strong: A full, rounded tip with nostrils hidden from the front.
Weak: A thin, sharp tip or nostrils clearly visible from the front.
Read more →3. Siblings Palace 兄弟宫
Location: The eyebrows
Siblings, friends and peer support; also drive and temperament.
Strong: Brows that are long, glossy and lie smoothly, extending past the eye.
Weak: Short, sparse or tangled brows, or brows that are broken.
Read more →4. Property Palace 田宅宫
Location: Between the brows and the eyes (upper eyelids)
Home, real estate, inheritance and family stability.
Strong: A broad, full space between brow and eye.
Weak: Brows pressing low over the eyes, leaving little space.
5. Children Palace 子女宫
Location: Under the eyes (泪堂, the “tear hall”)
Children, fertility and relationships with younger people.
Strong: Slightly full and smooth with healthy color.
Weak: Deeply hollow, dark or criss-crossed with fine lines.
6. Subordinates Palace 奴仆宫
Location: Both sides of the chin (地阁)
Staff, followers and support from others in later life.
Strong: A full, rounded chin area.
Weak: A sharply pointed or receding chin.
Read more →7. Marriage Palace 夫妻宫
Location: Outer corners of the eyes (奸门)
Romance, marriage and the quality of partnership.
Strong: Smooth and full, without lines, dents or dark spots.
Weak: Sunken, lined or blemished outer eye corners.
Read more →8. Health Palace 疾厄宫
Location: The nose root between the eyes (山根)
Constitution, stamina and resilience to illness.
Strong: A raised, unbroken nose root with clear skin.
Weak: A very low or broken nose root, or horizontal lines across it.
9. Travel Palace 迁移宫
Location: The temples and upper forehead corners near the hairline (驿马)
Travel, relocation and fortune away from home.
Strong: Full temples without hollows or scars.
Weak: Sunken temples or a cramped hairline.
10. Career Palace 官禄宫
Location: The center of the forehead (中正)
Career, status, recognition and relations with authority.
Strong: A high, broad, smooth forehead center.
Weak: A dented or scarred center, or deep messy lines.
Read more →11. Fortune Palace 福德宫
Location: Above the outer ends of the eyebrows (天仓)
Inner contentment, luck and blessings from past effort.
Strong: Full, smooth flesh above the brow tails.
Weak: Hollow or sharply angled areas above the brows.
12. Parents Palace 父母宫
Location: The upper forehead corners (日角 & 月角)
Parents, upbringing and early-life support.
Strong: Two softly raised, even mounds on the upper forehead.
Weak: Sloping or uneven corners, or scars in this area.
A Note on the Appearance Palace (相貌宫)
Older lists, including the one in 《麻衣神相》, count the Appearance Palace (相貌宫) — the face as a whole — as the twelfth palace, and fold the Parents Palace into the forehead corners. Many modern teachers list the Parents Palace separately instead. Both versions describe the same face; they simply group the zones differently.
See Your Own Palaces
Upload a photo for an instant Mian Xiang reading of your Key Palaces, Five Officers and personality type. Free preview, no login.
Start Free Reading