摘要
The Wu Xing (五行,wǔ xíng),also known as the Five Phases,the Five Agents,the Five Movements, and the Five Steps/Stages,are chiefly an ancient mnemonic device,in many traditional Chinese fields.
Wu Xing is sometimes translated as Five Elements, but the Wu Xing are chiefly an ancient mnemonic device, hence the preferred translation of "movements", "phases" or "steps" over "elements". By the same token, Mu is thought of as "Tree" rather than "Wood".