The Twelve-Section Brocade
十二段锦 · Shí Èr Duàn Jǐn · also called the seated Baduanjin
The Twelve-Section Brocade is a seated routine of twelve movements from China, and it is the official seated counterpart to Baduanjin — its other names are the seated Baduanjin and, in Chinese, wen baduanjin (文八段锦). It is mostly stillness, breathing and self-massage rather than exertion. This site gives a chair version of every one of the twelve forms, because the official version is practised on a floor cushion that many people cannot get down to.
- Also called
- Seated Baduanjin · wen baduanjin (文八段锦)
- Movements
- 12, plus a preparation and a closing
- Position
- Seated — cushion in the official form, chair here
- Duration
- 20 to 30 minutes
- Official status
- Promoted routine, General Administration of Sport of China
- Standard version
- 2010, Beijing Sport University research team
- Origin
- Eight figures in the Ming dynasty, twelve by the eighteenth century
Why this is the seated routine, not an adaptation
The General Administration of Sport of China publishes a catalogue of promoted Health Qigong routines. The Twelve-Section Brocade is on it — alongside Baduanjin, Yi Jin Jing, the Five Animal Frolics and others.
Unlike a chair adaptation of a standing routine, this one has been seated from the start. The Ming texts record it as a sitting practice; only the cushion has changed.
There is no stance work to lose and no balance challenge to remove, so the chair version here changes the seat rather than the movement.
The twelve forms
The official routine is not only the twelve forms: it opens with a preparation that takes you from standing into the seat, and closes with a short closing form. Practised in this order. Each page gives the official cushion version and the chair version, plus the classical verse line the form belongs to and the official English title from the published English edition of the routine (Health Qigong — 12-Routine Exercises, Foreign Languages Press 外文出版社, 2012).
How it relates to the eight-figure set
The seated strand of the eight-section brocade was recorded in eight named figures in the Ming dynasty. In the eighteenth century those eight figures were expanded to twelve and given the new name. The 2010 official version then renamed all twelve descriptively, so none of the modern titles is a classical name. Ten of the twelve still correspond to a specific line in the classical verse; two — 前抚脘腹 and 摇身晃海 — do not appear in it at all and came in with the expansion. The table below maps every Ming figure to its modern counterpart.
| Ming figure (wen baduanjin) | In the twelve-form routine |
|---|---|
| 叩齿集神 · Tapping the Teeth and Gathering the Spirit | 第二式 叩齿鸣鼓 |
| 摇天柱 · Swaying the Heavenly Pillar | 第三式 微撼天柱 |
| 舌搅漱咽 · Stirring the Tongue and Swallowing the Fluid | 第十二式 鼓漱吞津 |
| 摩肾堂 · Rubbing the Kidney Hall | 第八式 背摩精门 |
| 单关辘轳 · The Single Windlass | 第五式 摇转辘轳（单摇） |
| 左右辘轳 · The Paired Windlass | 第五式 摇转辘轳（双摇 / 交叉摇） |
| 左右按顶 · Lifting and Pressing the Crown | 第六式 托天按顶 |
| 钩攀 · Hooking and Grasping the Feet | 第七式 俯身攀足 |
The cushion problem, and what we do about it
The official form is practised sitting cross-legged on a firm wedge-shaped cushion — roughly sixty centimetres square, lower at the front, higher at the back. For anyone who cannot comfortably get down onto the floor, that single detail removes the whole routine.
So every form on this site has a chair version alongside the official one. The movement is the same; the seat is a stable chair with both feet flat on the floor. Where a form assumes the legs are crossed, the chair version says what to do instead.
Sources
- General Administration of Sport of China, Notice on the catalogue of promoted Health Qigong routines (2020)
- Chinese Health Qigong Association, Health Qigong · Shi Er Duan Jin
- General Administration of Sport of China, practice notes on the Twelve-Section Brocade
- General Administration of Sport of China, updated catalogue of promoted routines (2026)
Common questions
What is the Twelve-Section Brocade?
It is a seated Chinese health qigong routine of twelve movements, published as an official routine by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2010. It is also called the seated Baduanjin, and its traditional Chinese name is wen baduanjin (文八段锦) — the seated, or "literary", eight-section brocade.
Is the Twelve-Section Brocade the same as wen baduanjin?
Yes — the two names refer to the same seated routine, and have been used interchangeably since the Qing dynasty, when the routine was widened from eight figures to twelve and given the new title. Where the two differ is only in stage of development: the Ming text documents eight named figures, the eighteenth-century revision has twelve, and the official version in use today has twelve forms plus a preparation and a closing.
Is it the same as Baduanjin?
No. Baduanjin has eight movements and is normally practised standing. The Twelve-Section Brocade has twelve and is practised seated. The two share a common ancestry and were standardised separately.
Do I have to sit on the floor?
The official form uses a firm wedge-shaped cushion on the floor, with the front edge lower than the back. This site gives a chair version of every one of the twelve movements, for anyone who cannot comfortably get down onto the floor and back up.
How long does it take?
About twenty to thirty minutes for the full set in the standard form, depending on how long the stillness movements are held. You can also practise single movements on their own, which is what the traditional texts suggest for specific areas.
Is it suitable for someone who is frail?
It is one of the gentler official routines and is largely stillness and self-massage rather than exertion. That said, this site provides general movement education, not medical advice — a clinician should advise on whether it is appropriate for a particular individual.
Written by LiHe — practitioner, teacher and consultant in qigong and traditional health practice. Review status and sources are shown below where available.
This is general movement education, not medical advice. It does not diagnose, treat or cure any condition. Read the full disclaimer.
The Chinese names are the traditional names of the movements. They are not medical claims, and this site does not diagnose, treat or cure any condition.
- Movement data
- Standing form follows the Chinese Fitness Qigong Association standard routine. The chair versions are this pack's own adaptation, written for a seated reader.. Version v0.5.
- Additional source
- The Twelve-Section Brocade is the routine promoted by the General Administration of Sport of China (2010). Step text follows Zhang Hailing, Shi Er Duan Jin (Beijing Sport University Press, 2012, ISBN 978-7-5644-1117-6). English form names follow the English edition of the routine (Foreign Languages Press, 2012, ISBN 9787119078717).