Whether five peaks work well together, and how four channels flow.
If the Three Zones looked at the face by slicing it horizontally, this time it's two different frameworks. the Oak (五嶽, Five Peaks) looks at the five raised spots on the face, and the Sadok (四瀆, Four Rivers) looks at the four open channels.
The Five Peaks is a name that likens the forehead, both cheekbones, the nose, and the chin to China's five sacred mountains. The forehead is the Southern Peak, the chin the Northern Peak, the nose the Central Peak, the left cheekbone the Eastern Peak, and the right cheekbone the Western Peak. Each direction is sometimes also assigned the Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger.
This peak was traditionally seen as the seat of wisdom and ideals; a broad, rounded rise here was considered favorable.
This peak was traditionally seen as the seat of patience, dignity, and follow-through; a broad, full chin was considered favorable.
This is the central axis of the face. Its weight was considered so great that, traditionally, if the Central Peak lacked strength, the other four peaks were said to count for little no matter how favorable they were.
This peak was traditionally read for outward drive and self-regard; balance with the Western Peak, as if facing one another, was considered favorable.
This peak was traditionally read for one's way of facing the world and the distance kept in relationships.
The Five Peaks follow two principles. One is "what should rise should rise, and what should recede should recede" — meaning it's not simply better for everything to be high; each peak should be exactly where it should be. The other is jogong (朝拱, paying tribute) — meaning the mountains from all four directions should gather toward the center. The nose was seen as so central that it was said if the Central Peak (the nose) lacks strength, the other four count for nothing no matter how favorable they are.
This is where the core attitude of gwansang shows through: looking at not whether any single spot looks good, but whether the five work well together. It isn't a scorecard for ranking better or worse — it's a map for reading which direction this face's strength gathers toward.
Now for the Sadok. The ears, eyes, mouth, and nose are likened to great rivers. If the Five Peaks are the raised terrain, the Four Rivers are the flowing channels. They were seen as the four channels through which a person exchanges with the world.
Well-defined ears tend to indicate someone who listens well and holds onto what they hear, keeping information rather than letting it pass through.
Clear, well-defined eyes tend to show one's thoughts openly, while narrower, elongated eyes tend to mull things over inwardly before offering them with care. This isn't a matter of better or worse — just a difference in pace of expression.
A large, well-defined mouth tends to indicate someone who builds relationships by speaking things out loud, while a firmly closed mouth tends to indicate someone who speaks sparingly and keeps what should be kept.
This is read as both the axis that sets one's own standards and the strength that actually carries those standards forward.
Here's what's interesting — the nose shows up twice. In the Five Peaks it's the Central Peak (the mountain at the center), and in the Four Rivers it's the Nose Passage (the river that holds steady). The nose is essentially both a mountain and a river, which is why it carries so much weight in gwansang. In the Twelve Palaces, which we'll learn next, the nose also takes on the important role of Wealth Palace.
For reference and entertainment, based on traditional physiognomy. It doesn't rank appearances or reveal a fixed fate.