What is Feng Shui

Feng Shui is one of the traditional Chinese cultures. As early as in ancient times, Chinese ancient people have studied and mastered Feng Shui. Since ancient times, why do Chinese people believe in feng shui so much and why do so many people study it diligently, first we need to understand, what is Feng Shui?

Definition of Feng Shui

Feng Shui is a metaphysical art with a long history in China, also known as Qingwu art, Qingnang art, in more academic terms, it is called Kangyu.It is more academic and is called KAN (堪), which stands for “topography”, and YU (舆), which means “to study the topography”, focusing on the description of landforms.

Feng Shui, in Chinese, Feng means Wind, wind is Yuan Qi (It refers to the primordial material that generates and constitutes all things in heaven and earth.) and field energy. Shui, means water, water is flow and change. To more academic, Feng Shui is called KAN-YU, KAN (堪), which stands for “topography”, and YU (舆), which means “to study the topography”, focusing on the description of landforms.

Actually, it is a philosophy of studying the environment and the laws of the universe. Since man is a part of nature, nature is also a part of man, achieving the realm of “unity of heaven and man” (in Chinese, “Tian Ren He Yi”). It is a study of the environment and the laws of the universe. The core idea of Feng Shui is the harmony between man and nature, to achieve the “unity of heaven and man”, the early Feng Shui is mainly concerned with the methods and principles of selecting the location, orientation and construction of palaces, houses, villages and cemeteries, as well as the metaphysics of choosing the right place.

History of Feng Shui

Feng shui has existed since the Bronze Age in China. Its earliest reported mention in writing was around 220 B.C. The term first appeared in the classic work “The Book of Funerals” by Guo Pu (276-324 AD). Feng Shui considers the earth as a living being, with life and vitality. The energy or Qi of a site depends on its topography and physical environment. Vibrant sites are very healthy, and sites full of bad energy cause damage to those who live in them. Since then, it has been incorporated into traditional Chinese architecture, with both the rich and the poor following close behind. In ancient China, cities were designed as concentric rectangles surrounded by walls surrounded by lakes, hills, valleys, gardens, courtyards and parks. The Chinese tried to ensure that the natural and built environment was planned to enhance positive energy.

Emperors began building magnificent palaces and buildings during the Shang Dynasty (1711-1066 B.C.). Chinese emperors were considered the sons of heaven and were accustomed to Feng Shui principles when building palaces to create environments conducive to power. Feng Shui principles created harmony between the forces of nature and this affected people, so the emperors ensured that they followed Feng Shui principles when building their palaces.

Contemporary Feng Shui Research

10 of Feng Shui Research Principles

1. The principle of holistic system

Feng Shui theoretical thinking of the environment as a whole system, this system is centered on people, including all things in heaven and earth. Each overall system in the environment is interconnected, inter-constrained, interdependent, and mutually opposing and transforming elements. The function of Feng Shui is to macroscopically grasp the relationship between the subsystems, optimize the structure and seek the best combination.

2. The principle of localization

According to the objectivity of the environment, we should adopt a way of life that is suitable for nature. China is a pragmatic country, and adapting to local conditions is a reflection of pragmatic thinking. According to the actual situation, adopt practical and effective methods to make people and buildings suitable for nature, return to nature, return to the truth, and unite heaven and man, which is the true meaning of Feng Shui.

3. The principle of relying on mountains and water

The mountain is the skeleton of the earth, the water is the source of life, without water, people can not survive. Archaeologists found in ancient primitive tribes almost all in the riverside terrace, which is compatible with their hunting, fishing, picking fruit at that time.

4. the principle of observing the shape of the situation

The Qing Dynasty’s “Ten Books of Yang Residence” states, “The dwelling of man should be dominated by the earth, mountains and rivers, because it has the greatest source of qi, and at the same time is most mainly related to the happiness and misfortune of man.” Feng Shui attaches importance to the mountain shape and terrain, and puts the small environment into the larger environment for examination.

Just observe the small environment from the large environment, you can know the small environment by the external constraints and influences, such as water, climate, physical products, geology, etc.. Any piece of residential land performance of good or bad, are determined by the general environment, as if the Chinese medicine pulse, from the pulse of the Hong thin string deficiency tight slip floating sinking late speed, you can know the general condition of the body, because it is determined by the cardiovascular function of the state.

Only when the situation is perfect, the residence is perfect. Every city built. Every building, every factory, should first examine the environment of the mountains and rivers. The big picture, small start, there will be no worries, and then the blessing is great.

5. Geological test principle

Feng shui thinking is very careful about the geology, and even picky, that geology determines the human physique, modern science also proved that this is scientific. Some feng shui master in the phase of the ground, the scene, grinding with their hands, chewing with their mouths to taste the soil, and even digging wells to check the deep soil, water quality, leaning down to listen to the flow of groundwater and sound, these seem to pretend, in fact, not without reason.

6. The principle of water quality analysis

Different regions contain different trace elements and compounds in the water, some can cause disease, some can cure disease. Feng Shui theory advocates the examination of the origin of water, identify water quality, master the flow of water, optimize the water environment.

7. the principle of sitting north facing south

China is located in the northern hemisphere, the eastern part of the Eurasian continent, most of the land is located north of the Tropic of Cancer (23°26 north), the sunlight is coming in from the south all year round. South-facing houses are convenient for taking sunlight.

Sunlight has many benefits for people: first, it can be warm, and the temperature of the south room is 1-2 degrees higher than the north room in winter; second, it is involved in human vitamin D synthesis, and children often sunbathe to prevent rickets; third, the ultraviolet rays in sunlight have a sterilizing effect; fourth, it can enhance human immune function.

Sitting north facing south, not only for light, but also to avoid the north wind. The topography of China determines its climate as monsoon type. There are cold currents in Siberia in winter and cool breezes in the Pacific Ocean in summer, and the wind direction changes throughout the year.

There are records of wind measurement in oracle bone divination. The “Book of History – Book of Laws” says: “The wind of Bu Zhou lives in the northwest, in October. The wind from Guangmo is in the north, in November. The wind in the northeast is in the first month. The Ming Shu wind lives in the east, in February.”

8. the principle of moderate centering

Moderate, that is, just right, not biased, not too big, not too small, not too high, not too low, as far as possible to optimize, close to the best and most beautiful.
The principle of “moderate” also requires that the center be highlighted, the layout be neat, and the additional facilities be tightly centered around the axis. In a typical Feng Shui landscape, there is a central axis, which runs parallel to the longitude of the earth and extends north to south.

The northern end of the central axis should preferably be a horizontal mountain range forming a ding-zi combination, and the southern end should preferably have a spacious mingtang (plain) with buildings clustered on the east and west sides of the central axis, as well as a curving river. The imperial tombs of the Ming and Qing dynasties and the gardens of the Qing dynasty were built according to this principle.

9. the principle of following the Qi

Qi is the origin of all things, Taiji that is, Qi, a gas accumulation and the birth of two yi, a life of three and five elements with the earth to get the gas, water to get the gas, people to get the gas, gas sense and response, all things are not to get the gas. Therefore, feng shui speaks of poor gas is born, no gas is dead.

Feng shui theory refers to advocate the construction of town houses in places where there is anger, which is called Shunyang anger. Only when you get the roll of anger, plants will thrive and humans will live a long and healthy life.

10. The principle of transforming feng shui

The purpose of people knowing the world is to transform the world to serve themselves. It is said in the “I Ching” that people can only create optimal living conditions by transforming the environment.

Feng Shui has now received attention from experts in different fields in different countries. They have adopted modern scientific theories and technical means to study it and apply it in practice, from which they have learned its infinite charm and expressed their heartfelt admiration. For example, Kevin Lynch, the famous American urban planning authority, pointed out in his book The Image of The City that Chinese Feng Shui “is a promising discipline that experts are seeking to develop”.