In the "Huangdi Neijing·Lingshu", the Yellow Emperor once asked his teacher Qi Bo: "Among ordinary people, what is the special secret of those who can live to be over a hundred years old?" Teacher Qi Bo replied: "It can be seen from their appearance or heredity."
First, these people have "long and deep nasal passages." "Long and deep nasal passages" refers to the nose, meaning their noses are higher than average. "Deep and long" indicates that their nasal cavities are deeper and longer than average. Therefore, people with long noses and high bridges are relatively more likely to live longer.
Secondly, these people have a "high and square foundation." This "foundation" represents a person's stomach; a person's growth begins "with the mother as the foundation and the father as the shield," meaning these people naturally inherit abundant vital energy from their parents. This abundant "foundation" is reflected in the face as full cheeks, jaw joints, and chin. The jaw joint is a facial organ frequently used for chewing and eating; a person's digestive function depends on the jaw joint.
Nowadays, many celebrities undergo surgery to thin their jaw joints (also known as the cheekbone joint in Traditional Chinese Medicine) in an effort to achieve a slimmer face. A thinned jaw joint is very detrimental to digestion. Therefore, the saying "a high and square foundation" refers to a person with strong digestive function, capable of effectively transforming ingested food into vital energy, thus nourishing the body. Many young women, who originally had broad faces, are prone to health problems due to cosmetic surgery that damages their facial structure.
The body's material basis gives rise to its corresponding blood and qi circulation patterns, which in turn determine our facial structure. Looking back, it's not fair to say that ancient physiognomy theories were entirely without basis; our internal organs are what give us our external appearance.
