Xu Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Metal (jīn) Character: hou Kangxi stroke count: 14 Page 1305, Entry 06 According to the Collection of Rhymes (Jiyun), pronounced hou. It refers to a neck clamp. According to the Erudite Refinements (Boya), metal ornaments attached to a vessel are called ouhou. Also, in the Biography of Yi Zong from the History of the Former Han (Qian Hanshu), it mentions casting a hou to collect information on crimes. The commentary states that a hou is a device used for receiving submitted reports.