Qian is the all-yang trigram. It represents force, initiation, altitude, and concentrated creative movement.
The bagua
The Eight Trigrams of the I Ching
The eight trigrams are the smallest named figures in the I Ching. Learn them as reusable three-line structures, and the sixty-four hexagrams become far easier to read.
Updated April 1, 2026Produced by MahjongHouse
In short
The eight trigrams are the bagua: qian, kun, dui, li, zhen, xun, kan, and gen. Each is a three-line pattern that can appear as the lower or upper half of a hexagram.
Kun is the all-yin trigram. It represents receptivity, containment, support, and the ability to carry form.
Dui is open at the top and solid below. It often suggests exchange, openness, expression, and pleasure with structure beneath it.
Li is solid above and below with openness in the middle. It often marks brightness, discernment, attachment, and what becomes visible.
Zhen begins with a solid line below and opens above. It often marks initiation, arousal, impact, and the first movement that breaks stillness.
Xun is open below and solid above. It often suggests penetration, gradual entry, diffusion, and influence that works by permeation.
Kan is open above and below with solidity in the middle. It often points to depth, risk, flow, enclosure, and a passage through difficulty.
Gen is open below and solid at the top. It often signals stillness, stopping, delimitation, and the moment when movement reaches a boundary.