Fengshui
Farves Hossain
Professor DREW HOPKINS
ASIA 31304 HJ (2554)
20 November, 2012
WIND&WATER: FENGSHUI IN THEORY&PRACTICE
Fengshui 風水 is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. Qi is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, life force, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. The literal translation of "qi" is breath, air, or gas. The term fengshui 風水 literally translates as "wind-water" in English. Fengshui 風水 was widely used to orient buildings often spiritually significant structures such as tombs, but also dwellings and other structures in an auspicious manner. Depending on the particular style of fengshui 風水 being used, an auspicious site could be determined by reference to local features such as bodies of water, stars, or a compass. Fengshui 風水 was suppressed in China during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, but since then has increased in popularity.
Currently the Yangshao and Hongshan cultures provide the earliest evidence for the origin of fengshui 風水. Fengshui 風水 relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and the universe. Cosmography that bears a striking resemblance to modern fengshui 風水 devices and formulas was found on a jade unearthed at Hanshan and dated around 3000 BC. An example of cosmography is a grave at Puyang contains mosaics, a Chinese star map of the Dragon and Tiger asterisms and Beidou oriented along a north south axis. The presence of both round and square shapes in the Puyang tomb, suggests that cosmography was present in Chinese society. Beginning with palatial structures all capital cities of China followed rules of fengshui 風水 for their design and layout. These rules were codified during the Zhou era in the Kaogong ji. Rules for builders were codified in the carpenter 's manual Lu ban jing. Graves
Professor DREW HOPKINS
ASIA 31304 HJ (2554)
20 November, 2012
WIND&WATER: FENGSHUI IN THEORY&PRACTICE
Fengshui 風水 is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. Qi is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, life force, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. The literal translation of "qi" is breath, air, or gas. The term fengshui 風水 literally translates as "wind-water" in English. Fengshui 風水 was widely used to orient buildings often spiritually significant structures such as tombs, but also dwellings and other structures in an auspicious manner. Depending on the particular style of fengshui 風水 being used, an auspicious site could be determined by reference to local features such as bodies of water, stars, or a compass. Fengshui 風水 was suppressed in China during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, but since then has increased in popularity.
Currently the Yangshao and Hongshan cultures provide the earliest evidence for the origin of fengshui 風水. Fengshui 風水 relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and the universe. Cosmography that bears a striking resemblance to modern fengshui 風水 devices and formulas was found on a jade unearthed at Hanshan and dated around 3000 BC. An example of cosmography is a grave at Puyang contains mosaics, a Chinese star map of the Dragon and Tiger asterisms and Beidou oriented along a north south axis. The presence of both round and square shapes in the Puyang tomb, suggests that cosmography was present in Chinese society. Beginning with palatial structures all capital cities of China followed rules of fengshui 風水 for their design and layout. These rules were codified during the Zhou era in the Kaogong ji. Rules for builders were codified in the carpenter 's manual Lu ban jing. Graves
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