Face reading
Take a photo of your face, or pick each feature yourself, from face shape, forehead and brows to eyes, nose, mouth and chin, and get a reading from traditional physiognomy for each feature and for the face as a whole. The photo is used only for that moment and is not stored.
Where this comes from
Physiognomy reads character from the face. In Vietnam face reading mostly follows manuals such as the Mayi Shenxiang and the Shenxiang Quanbian; the manuals disagree, and the same feature is read differently from book to book. The face-shape names, the three zones and the features follow the manuals; the character readings and the pairing of features are Nhật Nguyệt's own, and where the old manuals read a feature differently the reading says so.
Look in a mirror and pick the closest match; it does not have to be exact. Read about physiognomy
This tool is part of Physiognomy and palmistry. See every tool and article on Physiognomy and palmistry.
Classical allusion
“Cư trần lạc đạo thả tuỳ duyên, cơ tắc xan hề khốn tắc miên.”
Translation: Dwell in the world, delight in the Way, and follow what comes: eat when hungry, sleep when tired.
Trần Nhân Tông · Rhapsody on Dwelling in the World and Delighting in the Way
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Palm reading
Curious about another reading? Palm reading looks at the three main lines of your hand.
Open Palm readingWhat no one has shown
No study has confirmed that facial features reveal a person's character or fate. Photographs mislead as well: lighting and angle change the shape of a face.
Read on
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What does face reading look at?
Physiognomy reads character from the face. It turns up in many cultures: China, India, and ancient Greece, where the Physiognomonica is linked to the school of Aristotle. In Vietnam, face reading mostly follows Chinese manuals such as Ma Y Thần Tướng (Mayi Shenxiang) and Thần Tướng Toàn Biên (Shenxiang Quanbian).
The manuals divide the face into three zones, the tam đình. The upper zone runs from the hairline to the eyebrows, the middle from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose, and the lower from under the nose to the chin. The three zones stand for three stretches of life: youth, middle age and old age. Whichever zone stands out more, the manuals read that stretch of life as more marked.
The manuals also speak of the five mountains (ngũ nhạc) and the four rivers (tứ độc). The five mountains are the raised points: forehead, nose, chin and the two cheekbones. The four rivers are the features likened to flowing water: ears, eyes, mouth and nose.
Here you pick the clearest trait for each of seven areas: face shape, forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth and lips, and chin. You can also upload a photo so the fields are filled in for you, then check and correct them; the photo is not stored. The reading looks at the areas in pairs, such as forehead with chin, eyes with mouth, and eyebrows with chin, because the manuals never read a feature on its own.
The manuals do not agree with one another, and the same trait can be read differently from book to book. Photos can mislead too: a flash flattens the bone structure, and an angled shot changes the shape of the face. Look in a mirror or take the photo in daylight, facing straight ahead, with your hair off your forehead.
| Area | What the manuals read in it |
|---|---|
| Face shape | A person's overall frame: stamina, how they cope, whether they lean to doing or to thinking. |
| Forehead | Early life, study, ways of thinking, dealings with elders and superiors. |
| Eyebrows | How feelings are shown and held back; also tied to siblings and friends. |
| Eyes | Held to be the most important area: presence, will, sincerity. |
| Nose | Middle life, money and how well it is kept. |
| Mouth and lips | Speech, how one treats others, matters of the heart. |
| Chin | Later life, what one can lean on, staying power. |
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to upload a photo, and is it kept?
No, you can pick each trait yourself. If you upload a photo, it is only used to fill in the fields for you to correct, and it is not stored.
What is tam đình in face reading?
It is the face split into three zones: hairline to eyebrows, eyebrows to the tip of the nose, and under the nose to the chin. The manuals tie them to youth, middle age and old age.
What are the five mountains and four rivers?
The five mountains are the face's raised points: forehead, nose, chin and the two cheekbones. The four rivers are the ears, eyes, mouth and nose, which the manuals liken to flowing water.
Why does someone with a face like mine get a different result?
Because the result follows the traits each person picks. Two similar faces can still end up with two different sets of choices.
Is face reading connected to Tử Vi?
They are separate arts. In Vietnam people often consult both together, but they share no method of calculation.
Should I use face reading to judge other people?
No. Judging people by their faces is easily wrong and easily turns into prejudice. The reading here is for looking at yourself.
Is face reading backed by science?
No. The psychologist Alexander Todorov sums up the research in Face Value (2017): people judge character from faces very quickly and often agree with each other, but those judgments mostly fail to match real character.