hub, such as a traffic network; center; pivot; key position or link

The core part of a system that plays a leading or dominant role, such as a hub, pivot, or control center

The main part of the nervous system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord, that coordinates activities and transmits impulses throughout the body.

A large-scale multipurpose water control project or complex, typically consisting of dams, spillways, locks, and power stations, built to manage water resources for flood control, irrigation, and power generation.

Government body in imperial China from the Tang to the Yuan dynasties that managed state secrets and military affairs; also refers to similar councils in other monarchies.

A part of the central nervous system that regulates and integrates specific physical functions, such as breathing or heart rate; a ganglion.

High-ranking government official or head of the Bureau of Military Affairs from the late Tang through the Yuan Dynasty; sometimes translated as 'prime minister' for the Tang and Song periods.

(literary) important state secrets or confidential government affairs

The most important part or central mechanism of something; the pivot or mainspring of a matter.

the part of an electrical machine where voltage is induced, such as the rotating coil of a motor or generator

pivot; fulcrum

(bound form) a central government office or a key administrative position; the center of government power

a high-ranking official of the Roman Catholic Church, with the power to elect the pope; also called [[红衣主教|紅衣主教|hong2 yi1 zhu3 jiao4]]

lit. a door hinge never becomes worm-eaten; used to describe how regular activity or exercise prevents things from rotting or losing their function, often used in the phrase [[流水不腐|流水不腐|liu2 shui3 bu4 fu3]]

important hub; key position; vital strategic point

Southern Song dynasty historian (1131–1205) who created the "narrative from beginning to end" style in his work "Tongjian Jishi Benmo"

A house with a broken jar for a window and a rope for a door hinge; describes extreme poverty.

central nervous system (CNS)

a major center or junction where multiple transportation routes or systems meet

The part of the brain that processes information from the ears; located in the temporal lobe, it receives signals from the auditory nerves and maps specific frequencies to specific areas of the cortex.

the central nervous system within the brain responsible for regulating specific functions

the first star of the Big Dipper; Alpha Ursae Majoris

(literary) an informal name for the Grand Council [[军机处|軍機處|jun1 ji1 chu4]] during the Qing dynasty, or the Grand Secretariat [[内阁|內閣|nei4 ge2]] in earlier periods

(bound form) confidential information or secret affairs

central government administrative office or council in imperial China, particularly during the Song dynasty

(literary) the office of the Privy Council or the high-level military administrative body in ancient Chinese dynasties

(literary) high-ranking official at the center of the imperial government, such as a prime minister or premier.

the primary organs of government or a central administrative body

main route or key road; essential thoroughfare

(literary) a door hinge made of mulberry wood, used as a metaphor for a poor household

Used to describe a very poor or humble home, literally meaning a door with a mulberry-wood hinge and a window made from a broken jar

(literary) an extremely poor household; refers to a house using curved wood for a door hinge

literally 'flowing water does not rot, and a door hinge is never eaten by worms'; used as a metaphor for how things that stay active do not deteriorate and can maintain their vitality

the second part of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, a foundational ancient Chinese medical text focusing on acupuncture and meridians

An ancient Chinese medical text dating back to approximately the 1st century BC, also known as the "Divine Pivot" or "Spiritual Pivot"; it is one of the two parts of the [[黄帝内经|黃帝內經|huang2 di4 nei4 jing1]], alongside the [[素问|素問|su4 wen4]].

extremely poor house with a rope for a door hinge and a broken jar for a window; metaphor for extreme poverty

The central nervous system of the brain or the major functional centers within the brain