Feng Shui uses energy forces to balance people with their surroundings. From ancient times, landscapes and bodies of water were supposed to guide the flow of the universal Qi – “cosmic current” or energy – via architectural, cosmological, geographical, topographical, astronomical, astrological, cosmic elements.

Reaching back to the early Zhou era (1046–256 BCE), Feng shui is probably the first enduring geographic practice in the world. Originally used literally as “wind water,” the word feng shui first appears in The Book of Burial, according to poet Guo Pu (276–324 CE), who claims that wind may distribute qi and water can hinder it.

Built on a north-south axis with the main entrance facing south, the Forbidden City in Beijing is a typical example of feng shui design; at the time of construction, the feng shui masters regarded the most fortunate direction as being south.

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Yin & Yang Concept

The Yin and Yang concept describes opposing yet interdependent forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe is created from a primordial chaos of material energy, which is then organised into the yin and yang cycles and used to create objects and life. Yin is the receptive principle and yang is the active principle, as seen in all forms of change and difference, such as the annual cycle (winter and summer), the landscape (north-facing shade and south-facing brightness), sexual coupling (male and female), the formation of both men and women’s personalities, and sociopolitical history (disorder and order).

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