The taijitu is the Chinese symbol representing the complementary forces of yin and yang in Taoist thought.
The familiar black-and-white circular design is called taijitu, meaning a diagram of the Supreme Ultimate. Its two interlocking halves represent yin and yang, while the small contrasting dots indicate that each contains the potential or seed of the other. The curved division emphasizes dynamic interaction rather than a rigid split.
Yin and yang are not simply equivalent to evil and good. In Chinese thought they describe complementary aspects such as dark and light, receptive and active, or cool and warm. Their relationship is one of transformation, balance, and mutual dependence.
The modern symbol became especially widespread through later Chinese philosophical and religious traditions. Although strongly associated with Taoism today, yin-yang theory also influenced Chinese medicine, cosmology, martial arts, and other intellectual traditions.