Chen Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Tree (mù) 栞 Kangxi Strokes: 10 Page 522, Entry 21 Pronounced kan Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen) states: The original form of the character was written as, meaning to cut trees to make marks. Book of Documents (Shangshu), chapter Tribute of Yu (Yu Gong): Following the mountains and marking the trees. Xu Xuan says: Marking trees means, as one travels through the forest, to cut and trim branches to serve as road markers. The shape of the character resembles the form of trees being cut and bent downwards; it belongs to the category of indicative characters. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Annals of Xia: The nine mountains were marked and traveled. It is written as the present character; in the Modern Script Book of Documents (Jinwen Shangshu), it is written as a variant form (kan). Also pronounced zhen. The meaning is the same.