The concepts of Yin Yang (阴阳) and Five Elements (五行) are the two most fundamental frameworks in Chinese thought — used to understand everything from the cosmos to the human body.
Yin Yang
Yin (darkness, femininity, cold, passivity) and Yang (light, masculinity, warmth, activity) are complementary and interdependent. Nothing is purely one or the other — each contains aspects of both.
The Five Elements
Wood (木), Fire (火), Earth (土), Metal (金), Water (水) — building blocks of reality that interact in cycles of generation (相生) and conquest (相克). Used in medicine, feng shui, martial arts, and date selection.
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