Face Reading (Mian Xiang)

Face reading, Mian Xiang, is a tradition of assigning symbolic meanings to facial regions and features. Chinese systems include Three Sections, Five Features and Twelve Palaces; observing a facial feature is different from establishing a person's character or future.

On a neutral portrait, the Three Sections describe broad vertical zones, the Five Features identify organs such as brows and eyes, and the Twelve Palaces assign named regions such as the space between the brows. A darker patch caused by side lighting should be described as an image limitation, not a bad-fortune sign.

Shen Xiang Quan Bian documents historical classifications; Xunzi's Fei Xiang challenges judging people by form. Neither a photograph nor an old classification validates personality inference, medical diagnosis or a decision about employment, trust or relationships.

Shen Xiang Quan Bian supplies the Three Sections, Five Features and palace framework. Xunzi's Fei Xiang is a contrasting primary source against deriving a person's worth from appearance.