Wei Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Meat (ròu) 肝 Kangxi Stroke Count: 9 Page 974, Entry 09 Pronounced gan Shuowen Jiezi explains it as an organ associated with the element of wood. Born from wood, it is the dwelling place of the hun and po souls. Zhengzitong records: The liver has three lobes on the left and four on the right, with the gallbladder as its associated organ, attached to the ninth thoracic vertebra. It belongs to the yang category, and its shaoyang qi corresponds to the season of spring. Suwen states: The liver is like the general in command, from whom plans and strategies emerge. Shiming explains: Liver means the main trunk. Because it belongs to the wood element of the Five Phases, its form and structure resemble the branches and trunk of a tree. In all things, the larger part is referred to as the main trunk. Book of Odes (Shijing), Daya, Huofan Huozhi commentary records: Use the liver when roasting meat. Book of Rites (Liji), Yueling records: When sacrificing to the gate deity, the liver is used as the primary offering. Huainanzi, Jingshen Xun records: The liver corresponds to the wind. Also, Baihu Tong explains: Liver carries the meaning of defending and protecting. There is also Ganyu, which is the name of a country overseas. Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing) records: The corpse of Ganyu is located to the north of the Country of Giants.