Discover

In ancient times as well as today, 'Feng shui,' pronounced in English as [] ("fung shway"), was known as "Kan-Yu" which means 'The Law of Heaven and Earth.’ ^[1] Today's Feng Shui schools teach that it is the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment. Feng shui literally translates as "wind-water." This is a cultural shorthand taken from the following passage of the ''Zhangshu'' (''Book of Burial'') by Guo Pu of the Jin Dynasty:^[2]

The qi that rides the wind stops at the boundary of water.^[3]

Feng shui is a discipline with guidelines that are compatible with many techniques of architectural planning. Space, weather, astronomy, and geomagnetism are basic components of feng shui. However, many believe there are inexplicable factors involved and so consider it a metaphysical art. Proponents claim that feng shui has an effect on health, wealth, and personal relationships.

Contents

Introduction

Instrumentation

Foundation theories

Qi (ch'i)

Polarity

Bagua (eight symbols)

Fundamental techniques

New Version

Criticism

Current research

Modern Usage

Running Gags

References

Further reading

See also

Introduction

Early feng shui relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and the universe ^[4] and it is inseparable from an understanding of political power in premodern China.^[5]
Chinese often used the celestial pole determined by the pole stars to determine the north-south axis of settlements. This technique explains why Shang palaces at Xiaotun lie ten degrees east of due north. In some cases, as Paul Wheatley observed^[6], they bisected the angle between the directions of the rising and setting sun to find north. This technique provided the more precise alignments of the Shang walls at Yanshi and Zhengzhou.
Currently Early Yanshao and Hongshan cultures provide the earliest evidence for feng shui. Professor David Pankenier and his associates reviewed astronomical data for the time of the Banpo dwellings (4000 BCE) to show that the asterism ''Yingshi'' (Lay out the Hall, in the Warring States period and early Han era) corresponded to the sun's location at this time. Centuries before, the asterism ''Yingshi'' was known as ''Ding''. It was used to indicate the appropriate time to build a capital city, according to the ''Shijing''. Apparently an astronomical alignment ensured that Banpo village homes were sited for solar gain.^[7]
The grave at Puyang (radiocarbon dated 5,000 BP) that contains mosaics of the Dragon and Tiger constellations and Beidou (Dipper) is similarly oriented along a north-south axis.^[8] The presence of both round and square shapes in the Puyang tomb, and at Hongshan culture ceremonial centers, suggests that the gaitian cosmography (heaven-round, earth-square) was present in Chinese society long before it appeared in the ''Zhou Bu Suan Jing''.^[9]
Cosmography that bears a striking resemblance to modern feng shui compasses (and computations) was found on a jade unearthed at Hanshan (c. 3000 BCE). The design is linked by Li Xueqin to the ''liuren'' astrolabe, ''zhinan zhen'', and Luopan. ^[10]
All capital cities of China followed rules of Feng Shui for their design and layout. These rules were codified during the Zhou era in the "Kaogong ji" (Manual of Crafts). Rules for builders were codified in the "Lu ban jing" (Carpenter's Manual). Graves and tombs also followed rules of Feng Shui. From the earliest records, it seems that the rules for the structures of the graves and dwellings were the same.

Instrumentation

Emperor Di Ku was said to dabble in astronomy. Shun consulted the stars before he assumed the throne. There were feng shui devices before the invention of the magnetic compass (which occurs comparatively late in the long history of feng shui). According to the ''Zhouli'' the original device may have been a gnomon, although Yao, Huangdi, and other figures were said to possess devices such as the south-pointing chariot.
As Derek Walters observed^[11], "The luopan was originally a scientific instrument, used for astronomical observation." The oldest excavated examples of instruments used for feng shui are ''liuren'' astrolabes. These consist of a lacquered, two-sided board with astronomical sightlines. Liuren astrolabes have been unearthed from tombs that date between 278 BC and 209 BC. The markings are virtually unchanged from the astrolabe to the first magnetic compasses.^[12]
Since the invention of the magnetic compass for use in Feng Shui^[13], authentic feng shui has required the use of a compass. This compass could be a ''Luopan'' (Chinese Feng Shui compass of the types ''San Yuan, San He'', and ''Zong He)'' or one of the earlier versions such as a south-pointing spoon ''(zhinan zhen)''.

Foundation theories

The goal of feng shui as practiced today is to situate the human built environment on spots with good qi. The "perfect spot" is a location and an axis in time. Some areas are not suitable for human settlement and should be left in their natural state.
Some current techniques can be traced to Neolithic China, while others were added in later times (most notably the Han dynasty, the Tang, and the Ming). Today, to determine a perfect spot, local manifestations of qi must be assessed for quality. Quality is determined by observations and by using a compass (Luopan).

Qi (ch'i)

Qi is a difficult word to translate and is usually left untranslated. Literally the word means "air". In feng shui, "Qi" means "flow of energy". Max Knoll suggested in a 1951 lecture that qi is a form of solar radiation.^[14]
A Luopan is used to determine many things. One those being to detect the direction of the flow of qi. Compasses reflect local geomagnetism which includes geomagnetically induced currents caused by space weather.^[15] It could be said that feng shui assesses the quality of the local environment and the effects of space weather -- that is, feng shui is ''qimancy'', or qi divination. ^[16].
Beliefs from the Axial Age, feng shui among them, hold that the heavens influence life on Earth. This seems preposterous to many people, yet space weather exists and can have profound effects on technology (GPS, power grids, pipelines, communication and navigation systems, surveys), and the internal orienting faculties of birds and other creatures.^[17][18][19] Atmospheric scientists have suggested that space weather creates fluctuations in market prices.^[20][21]

Polarity

Polarity is expressed in feng shui as Yin and Yang. The polarity within feng shui is buildings of the living (yang) and buildings of the dead (yin).

Bagua (eight symbols)

Two diagrams known as bagua (or pa kua) loom large in feng shui, and both predate their mentions in the Yijing or I Ching. The Lo (River) Chart (''Luoshu'', or Later Heaven Sequence) and the River Chart (''Hetu'', or Early Heaven Sequence) are linked to astronomical events of the sixth millennium BCE, and with the Turtle Calendar from the time of Yao.^[22] The Turtle Calendar of Yao (found in the ''Yaodian'' section of the ''Shangshu'' or 'Book of Documents') dates to 2300 BCE, plus or minus 250 years.^[23]
It seems clear from many sources that time, in the form of astronomy and calendars, is at the heart of feng shui.
In ''Yaodian'', the cardinal directions are determined by the marker-stars of the mega-constellations known as the Four Celestial Animals.
'East:' the 'Bluegreen Dragon' (Spring equinox) --- ''Niao'' (Bird), α Hydrae
'South:' the 'Red Bird' (Summer solstice) --- ''Huo'' (Fire), α Scorpionis
'West:' the 'White Tiger' (Autumn equinox) --- ''Xu'' (Emptiness, Void), α, β Aquarii
'North:' the 'Dark (Mysterious) Turtle' (Winter solstice) --- ''Mao'' (Hair), η Tauri (the Pleiades)
The bagua diagrams are also linked with the ''sifang'' (four directions) method of divination used during the Shang dynasty.^[24] The ''sifang'' is much older, however. It was used at Niuheliang, and figured large in Hongshan culture's astronomy. And it is this area of China that is linked to Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, who allegedly invented the south-pointing spoon.^[25]

Fundamental techniques

An often-misunderstood term in Feng Shui is that of ''schools''. A ''school'' (at least in Feng Shui) is a technique. The concept is well known to Chinese -- for example, the "Thousand Schools of Thought" mentioned by Mao Zedong. But Westerners often confuse the term with a ''physical'' school, when something less tangible may be meant. There are many 'masters' of the different Feng shui schools. However, some maintain that authentic masters impart their genuine knowledge of Feng shui only to selected students.^[26]
For example, there is the classical misunderstanding of Form and Shape aspects of Feng Shui, and Time and Space aspects. Westerners are not usually aware of the tendency in Chinese culture to reduce long-winded terms to shorthand (the best example being the often-complex definitions for ''Feng Shui'' itself). Because the history of feng shui covers at least 3,500 years before the invention of the magnetic compass,^[27] defining authentic feng shui as having a "compass school" and a "form school" misses the point.
In his fieldwork in China, Ole Bruun^[28] noted that traditional methods of feng shui (increasingly referred to worldwide as "classical feng shui") all use a compass. Traditional or classical Feng shui is what is practiced and taught in Asia. Classical Feng shui has some features similar to those found in the archaeological record, and in Chinese history and literature, but the application of classical Feng Shui is not identical to that of ancient Feng Shui techniques.
Classical feng shui is typically associated with the following techniques. This is not a complete list; it is merely a list of the most common techniques.^[29]

★ Bagua (relationship of the five phases or ''wuxing'')

★ Five phases (wuxing relationships)

★ Xuan Kong (time and space methods)

★ Xuan Kong Fei Xing (Flying Stars methods of time and directions)

★ Xuan Kong Da Gua ("Secret Decree" or 64 gua relationships)

★ Xuan Kong Shui Fa (time and space water methods)

★ Zi Bai (Purple-White Flying Stars methods)

★ Ba Zhai(Eight Mansions)

★ San Yuan Dragon Gate Eight Formation

★ Major & Minor Wandering Stars

★ San He Luan Dou (24 Mountains, Mountain-Water relationships)

★ San He Shui Fa (water methods)

★ Qimen Dunjia (Eight Doors and Nine Stars methods)

★ Zi wei dou shu (Purple King, 24-star astrology)

New Version

One of the grievances mentioned when the anti-Western Boxer Rebellion broke out was that Westerners were violating the basic principles of Feng shui in their construction of railroads and other conspicuous public structures throughout China. At the time, the Westerners concerned had indeed little idea of or interest in such Chinese traditions.
Since Richard Nixon journeyed to China, Feng Shui has been rediscovered by Westerners. It has been reinvented by New Age entrepreneurs for Western consumption. Feng shui speaks to the profound role of magic, mystery, and order in American life.^[30]
The following list does not exhaust the varieties.
'Black Sect' -- Incorporated as a US church in 1984, with temples in California and New York. (The church deviates from what is known of the history of Tantrism in China.) ^[31]
This new version of Feng Shui was invented in the early 1980s by Thomas Lin Yun Rinpoche who came to the US from Taiwan. ^[32] Called Black Sect (or Black Sect Tantric Buddhist, or BTB) Feng Shui, it relies on "transcendental" methods, the concept of clutter as metaphor for life circumstances, and the use of affirmations or ''intentions'' (what some deride as "happy talk").^[33] BTB Feng Shui has a unique and specially created bagua, with each of the eight compass segment directions representing a particular area of one's life.
'Shen Dao Feng Shui' - Developed in the late '70's by Harrison G.Kyng.
Shen Dao style became the first school of its type in the UK. Based upon both 'Form' and 'Compass' styles, Shen Dao utilises the Five Element modality to assess its clients health as well as their buildings harmony. This relationship is said to create a unique 'viewpoint' that can then be used to create a greater sense of harmony both inwardly and outwards. Shen Dao's unique compass uses the former heavenly sequence and expands the Ba Gua into over 300 harmonics that help to fine tune its results.

Criticism

Victorian-era commentators on feng shui were generally ethnocentric, and as such skeptical and derogatory of what little they knew of feng shui.^[34]
In 1896 at a meeting of the Educational Association of China, Rev. P.W. Pitcher railed at the "rottenness of the whole scheme of Chinese architecture," and urged fellow missionaries "to erect unabashedly Western edifices of several stories and with towering spires in order to destroy nonsense about ''fung-shuy''." ^[35]
Ernest Eitel derided it as a form of superstition, "a conglomeration of rough guesses at nature, sublimated by fanciful play with puerile diagrams."
Some modern Christians have a similar opinion of feng shui.^[36]

It is entirely inconsistent with Christianity to believe that harmony and balance result from the manipulation and channeling of nonphysical forces or energies, or that such can be done by means of the proper placement of physical objects. Such techniques, in fact, belong to the world of sorcery.^[37]

Feng Shui practitioners have been skeptical of claims and methods in the "cultural supermarket."^[38] Mark Johnson^[39] made a telling point:

This present state of affairs is ludicrous and confusing. Do we really believe that mirrors and flutes are going to change people's tendencies in any lasting and meaningful way? ... There is a lot of investigation that needs to be done or we will all go down the tubes because of our inability to match our exaggerated claims with lasting changes.

A travelogue-type article from the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry explained feng shui initially as "a commonsense alignment of structures to conform to the shape of the land, an idea shared by any sensible architect in a land fraught with typhoons and torrential rains." However, after reading two books (one by field researcher Ole Bruun), the writer's conclusion was that feng shui "is more of a mystical belief in cosmic harmony."^[40]
Penn & Teller did an episode of their television show ''Bullshit!'' that featured several Feng Shui practitioners in the US, and was highly critical of the inconsistent (and frequently odd) advice. In the show, the entertainers argue that if Feng Shui is a science (as some claim), it should feature a consistent methodology.
People have reacted skeptically towards the alleged benefits of crystals, wind chimes, table fountains, and mirrored balls, etc., on one's life, finances, and relationships. Often, these claims are dismissed as New Age, pseudoscience, relying on the placebo effect, or even outright fraud.

Current research

A modern feng shui fountain at Taipei 101, Taiwan

A growing body of research exists on what is now called "traditional" or "classical" feng shui.
'Landscape ecologists' find traditional feng shui an interesting study.^[41] In many cases, the only remaining patches of old forest in Asia are "feng shui woods," which strongly suggests the "healthy homes,"^[42] sustainability^[43] and environmental components of ''ancient'' feng shui techniques should not be easily dismissed.^[44][45]
'Environmental scientists' and 'landscape architects' have researched traditional feng shui and its methodologies.^[46][47]
'Architectural schools' study the principles as they applied to ancient vernacular architecture^[48][49][50].
'Geographers' have analyzed the techniques and methods to help locate historical sites in Victoria, Canada,^[51] and 'archaeological sites' in the American Southwest, concluding that ancient Native Americans considered astronomy and landscape features. ^[52]
Whether it is data on comparisons to scientific models, or the design and siting of buildings,^[53] graduate and undergraduate students have been accumulating solid evidence on what researchers call the "exclusive Chinese cultural achievement and experience in architecture"^[54] that is feng shui.

Modern Usage

'Architects' in Sydney and Hong Kong were surveyed by researchers regarding their selection of the environment for a building and interior layout. The architects generally concurred with the ideal feng shui model.^[55]
The 'hospitality industry' has documented the expensive retrofits members must undertake when accommodations were not designed with feng shui principles in mind.^[56]
Donald Trump and Britain's Prince Charles have used feng shui. San Antonio Business Journal, April 7 2000
News Corporation consulted feng shui experts regarding the headquarters offices of DirecTV after News Corp. acquired that company in 2003.^[57]
It has also recently been included in the Lockie Leonard TV series.

Running Gags

★ Whenever feng shui is demonstrated in a TV show, such as WGN's Becker or PBS's Maya & Miguel, the furniture is often placed where it is inconvenient.

References

1.
''Feng Shui Facts''.
2.
''The Zhangshu, or Book of Burial''.
3. Larry Sang. (1995) ''The Principles of Feng Shui.''
4. Sun, X. (2000) Crossing the Boundaries between Heaven and Man: Astronomy in Ancient China. In H. Selin (ed.), ''Astronomy Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Astronomy.'' 423-454. Kluwer Academic.
5. Aihe Wang. ''Cosmology and Political Culture in Early China.'' 2000:23
6. ''The Pivot of the Four Quarters'' (1971:46)
7. David W. Pankenier. 'The Cosmo-Political Background of Heaven's Mandate.' ''Early China'' 20 (1995):121-176.
8. Zhentao Xu, David W. Pankenier, and Yaotiao Jiang. ''East Asian Archaeoastronomy.'' 2000:2
9. Sarah M. Nelson, Rachel A. Matson, Rachel M. Roberts, Chris Rock and Robert E. Stencel. (2006) ''Archaeoastronomical Evidence for Wuism at the Hongshan Site of Niuheliang''. Page 2.
10. Chen Jiujin and Zhang Jingguo. 'Hanshan chutu yupian tuxing shikao,' ''Wenwu'' 4, 1989:15
11. Derek Walters. ''About the Luopan''. http://www.derekwalters.de/text2.htm
12. Marc Kalinowski. 'The ''Xingde'' Texts from Mawangdui.' ''Early China.'' 23-24 (1998-99):125-202.
13. Wallace H. Campbell. ''Earth Magnetism: A Guided Tour Through Magnetic Fields.'' Academic Press, 2001.
14. Max Knoll. "Transformations of Science in Our Age." In Joseph Campbell (ed.). ''Man and Time.'' Princeton UP, 1957, 264-306.
15. Lui, A.T.Y., Y. Zheng, Y. Zhang, H. Rème, M.W. Dunlop, G. Gustafsson, S.B. Mende, C. Mouikis, and L.M. Kistler, Cluster observation of plasma flow reversal in the magnetotail during a substorm, ''Ann. Geophys.,'' 24, 2005-2013, 2006
16. Stephen L. Field. 1998. [Qimancy: The Art and Science of Fengshui. http://www.fengshuigate.com/qimancy.html].
17. Moore, F. R. 1975. Influence of solar and geomagnetic stimuli on the migratory orientation of Herring Gull chicks. ''Auk'' 92:655-664.
18. Moore, F. R. 1977. Geomagnetic disturbance and the orientation of nocturnally migrating birds. ''Science'' 196:684-686.
19. Thomas Alerstam. Bird Migration Across a Strong Magnetic Anomaly.'' J. exp. Bml.'' 130, 63-86 (1987)
20. L.Pustil’nik, G. Yom Din, Influence of solar activity on the state of the wheat market in medieval England, ''Solar Physics.'' 223, 335–356, 2004.
21. L. Pustil’nik, G. Yom Din, Space climate manifestation in Earth prices – from Medieval England up to Modern U.S.A., ''Solar Physics,'' 224, 473–481, 2004.
22. Deborah Lynn Porter. ''From Deluge to Discourse.'' 1996:35-38
23. Sun and Kistemaker. ''The Chinese Sky During the Han.'' 1997:15-18
24. Aihe Wang. ''Cosmology and Political Structure in Early China.'' 2000:107-128
25. Sarah M. Nelson, Rachel A. Matson, Rachel M. Roberts, Chris Rock, and Robert E. Stencel. ''Archaeoastronomical Evidence for Wuism at the Hongshan Site of Niuheliang.'' 2006
26.
''History of Feng Shui''.
27. Aihe Wang. ''Cosmology and Political Culture in Early China.'' Cambridge UP: 2000.
28. Ole Bruun. Fengshui in China: Geomantic Divination Between State Orthodoxy and Popular Religion. U of Hawai'i Press, 2003.
29. Cheng Jian Jun and Adriana Fernandes-Gonçalves. ''Chinese Feng Shui Compass Step by Step Guide.'' 1998:46-47
30. H. L. Goodall, Jr. Writing the American Ineffable, or the Mystery and Practice of Feng Shui in Everyday Life. ''Qualitative Inquiry,'' 7:1, 3-20 (2001)
31. Chou Yi-liang. Tantrism in China. ''Harvard J. of Asiatic Studies,'' 8:3/4 (Mar., 1945), 241-332
32.
''His Holiness Grandmaster
Professor Thomas Lin Yun''.
33. Wu, Emily Shao-Fan. 2003. ''Fengshui plus Buddhism equals what?: an initial analysis of Black Sect Tantric Buddhism in the United States.'' Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University, 2003.
34. Andrew L. March. 'An Appreciation of Chinese Geomancy' in ''The Journal of Asian Studies'', Vol. 27, No. 2. (February 1968), pp. 253-267.
35. Jeffrey W. Cody. Striking a Harmonious Chord: Foreign Missionaries and Chinese-style Buildings, 1911-1949. ''Architronic''. 5:3 (ISSN 1066-6516)
36. Mah, Y.-B. Living in Harmony with One's Environment: A Christian Response to Feng Shui. ''Asia J. of Theology.'' 2004, 18; Part 2, pp 340-361.
37. Marcia Montenegro. Feng Shui" New Dimensions in Design. ''Christian Research Journal.'' 26:1 (2003)
38. Jane Mulcock. Creativity and Politics in the Cultural Supermarket: synthesizing indigenous identities for the r-evolution of spirit. ''Continuum''. 15:2. July 2001, 169-185.
39. "Reality Testing in Feng Shui." ''Qi'' Journal. Spring 1997
40. Monty Vierra. Harried by "Hellions" in Taiwan. ''Sceptical Briefs'' newsletter, March 1997.
41. Bo-Chul Whang and Myung-Woo Lee. Landscape ecology planning principles in Korean Feng-Shui, Bi-bo woodlands and ponds. ''J. Landscape and Ecological Engineering.'' 2:2, November, 2006. 147-162.
42. Qigao Chen, Ya Feng, Gonglu Wang. Healthy Buildings Have Existed in China Since Ancient Times. ''Indoor and Built Environment,'' 6:3, 179-187 (1997)
43. Stephen Siu-Yiu Lau, Renato Garcia, Ying-Qing Ou, Man-Mo Kwok, Ying Zhang, Shao Jie Shen, Hitomi Namba. Sustainable design in its simplest form: Lessons from the living villages of Fujian rammed earth houses. Structural Survey. 2005, 23:5, 371-385
44. Xue Ying Zhuang, Richard T. Corlett. Forest and Forest Succession in Hong Kong, China.'' J. of Tropical Ecology,'' 13:6 (Nov., 1997), 857
45. Marafa, L. M. Integrating Natural and Cultural Heritage: the advantage of feng shui landscape resources. ''Intl. J. Heritage Studies.'' 2003, 9: Part 4, 307-324
46. Chen, B. X. and Nakama, Y. A summary of research history on Chinese Feng-shui and application of Feng-shui principles to environmental issues. ''Kyusyu J. For. Res.'' 57. 297-301 (2004).
47. Xu, Jun. 2003. A framework for site analysis with emphasis on feng shui and contemporary environmental design principles. Blacksburg, Va: University Libraries, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
48. Park, C.-P. Furukawa, N. Yamada, M. A Study on the Spatial Composition of Folk Houses and Village in Taiwan for the Geomancy (Feng-Shui).'' J. Arch. Institute of Korea''. 1996, 12:9, 129-140.
49. Xu, P. Feng-Shui Models Structured Traditional Beijing Courtyard Houses. ''J. Architectural and Planning Research.'' 1998, 15:4, 271-282.
50. Hwangbo, A. B. An Alternative Tradition in Architecture: Conceptions in Feng Shui and Its Continuous Tradition. ''J. Architectural and Planning Research.'' 2002, 19:2, pp 110-130.
51. Chuen-Yan David Lai. A Feng Shui Model as a Location Index. ''Annals of the Association of American Geographer''s 64 (4), 506–513.
52. Xu, P. Feng-shui as Clue: Identifying Ancient Indian Landscape Setting Patterns in the American Southwest. ''Landscape Journal.'' 1997, 16:2, 174-190.
53. Lu, Hui-Chen. 2002. ''A Comparative analysis between western-based environmental design and feng-shui for housing sites.'' Thesis (M.S.). California Polytechnic State University, 2002.
54. Su-Ju Lu; Peter Blundell Jones. House design by surname in Feng Shui. ''J. of Architecture.'' 5:4 December 2000, 355-367.
55. Michael Y. Mak and S. Thomas Ng. The art and science of Feng Shui—a study on architects’ perception. ''Building and Environment.'' 40:3, March 2005, pp 427-434
56. J.S. Perry Hobson. ''International J. of Contemporary Hospitality Management.'' Dec 1994. 6:6, 21-26
57. Eller, Claudia. "Younger Wife, Exotic Fish: The Mogul's Secret to Vitality." ''Los Angeles Times'', September 18, 2006

Further reading

★ Wu, Baolin, ''Lighting the Eye of the Dragon: Inner Secrets of Taoist Feng Shui'', St. Martin's Press, 2000. ISBN 0-312-25497-0

See also

★ Interior design

★ Vastu Shastra

★ Environmental psychology

★ Kau Cim

★ Aesthetics