The history of Feng Shui

Feng shui before the Qin dynasty

Before the Qin dynasty, theAncient art of Feng Shui was then known as Xiangdi, which means "observation and appreciation of the earth". Its precepts made it possible to properly choose the construction sites, the locations of the temples, the places of the sanctuaries and even find fertile land. It was during this period that the Basic principles Feng Shui have been installed. We then decided the location of the buildings according to the position E friending rivers and buildings were often built on high land. They were oriented in a north/south way, the back of the house being oriented north, and we cared to protect this part against the cold north winds thanks to a mountain, a hill or a few trees.

It is also under the zhou dynasty (11th century BC - 246 BC), that a book formulating the basic rules of Feng Shui appeared, known as the name of Zhan drunk, Or The classic changes. From 475 to 221 BC, the CE Book was studied in detail by Feng Shui experts and thus laid the foundations for this ancestral philosophy. In addition to its influence. It is even one of the oldest Taoist works, which makes Feng Shui one of the arts of Taoism in the same way as Chinese medicine or acupuncture.

Feng shui during the Qin dynasty

The Qin dynasty (221-207 BC) announced the study of "Dimai": the study of the crests and valleys of mountain ranges by geographers. It was at this time that some of the greatest projects to build humanity were undertaken, such as the Great wall of China. It was at this time that the people of the Qin dynasty developed the ritual From the burial and selected the sites for their ancestors according to favorable criteria. The dead were buried, the head turned to the west and the grave itself turned east. A theory argues the idea that this was due to the fact that the Qin dynasty tended to extend to the east to the coast and that they therefore buried their dead by pointing towards their ancestral homeland as a sign of respect. In addition, at the level of Yin and Yang, Est is the energy of the newborn (Yang) and the West represents older life (Yin) and the transition to the other world. Life is linked to the north/south orientation, which is why the ideal location for a bed is oriented north (towards the North Pole). The opposite is true if you live south of the equator (that is to say that the bed must be oriented towards the South Pole).

Feng shui during the Han dynasty

Western Han and Xin dynasties

During the Hans dynasties (206 BC after J.-C.) and Xins (9-24), he undertook to study heaven and earth, and the combined study of the geography and Astrology therefore appeared. Detailed maps and drawings of peaks, ridges, valleys and rivers were made, as well as sky maps.

The Han Dynasty of the East

During the East Han Dynasty (25-220) many techniques and customs were developed and transmitted from one Feng Shui master to another. It was during this period that the roots of Feng Shui really asserted themselves. Some of his fundamental ideas, such as placement of funeral sites or the accommodation located to ensure a prosperity Maximum families have been developed and theorized.

Feng shui during the three kingdom period

The period of the three kingdoms extends from 220 to 280 AD. It includes the WEI period (220-265), the SHU period (221-263) and the WU period (222-280). It was at this time that the Shui Jing : The comment on the classic of water. This is a work on the ancient geography of China, describing the traditional understanding of its navigable ways and its old canals

Feng shui during the southern dynasty

The southern dynasty (420 - 589) was also interested in the funeral sites and the rituals associated with it. During this period, we used a lot Shui Jing To better understand the many navigable pathways of China, providing a wide range of information for Feng Shui masters on harmony between earth and buildings.

Feng Shui during the Suis dynasty, Tang and the five dynasties

During the suis dynasties (581 - 618), Tang (618 - 907) and the period of the five (907 - 979), the art of Feng Shui has become more rigorous and more scientist. Different points of view were expressed within the Feng Shui community, which has aroused many debates and discussions. The use of feng shui on the tombs was now common. THE cultural arts were then held in very high esteem and the influence of Feng Shui was now felt even in the border countries of the Empire. Around 600 AD, the famous water dragon classic was written, establishing the foundations of the Feng Shui relationship to rivers. During the five dynasty period, Feng Shui practice differs in 2 distinct domains : Yinzhai, La Résidence des Morts and Yangzhai, La Résidence des Vivants.

Feng Shui during the Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty, composed of Northern Song (960 - 1127) and South Song (1127 - 1279) announced the progress of technology and scientific and geographic knowledge.

Feng shui then made it possible to make decisions such as construction of construction sites, funeral sites and land irrigation which, together, had a huge impact on world architecture.

It was also at this time that Feng Shui was divided into two grandes écoles:

• The School of Form, which deals with the evaluation of topography, geography and navigable waterways.
• The Bousson school, or compass school seeking to regulate Qi energy.

The School of Form

Feng shui of the School of forms is the basis of Feng Shui in practice since it helps us to orient the spaces according to the natural flow energy Qi, Or Chi, mountains and hills, as well as bodies of water. Using these characteristics of earth and water as a guide, the school of form gives us basic guidelines on how life can be integrated and harmonized in the environment. The School of forms has been further improved and refined in 888, thanks to the lessons and the practice of Yang Yun Sung, who was at the time adviser to the emperor. By continuing his work with the School of Forms, Sung has laid the foundations for the Bousson school. His work was refined some 100 years later by Wang Chih, whose work is today considered as essential texts on which the modern school of compasses was built.

The Bousson school

The school of the compass, as its name suggests, used a precise type of compass: the Luo Pan. Moreover, the compass itself was invented by the Chinese in the fourth century BC, to help be precise in the practice of Feng Shui. In addition, this school used models astrological and the numerology To determine the location of a new home.

From the 10th century, precise mathematical calculations, relating to cardinal points, appeared. From Antiquity, the Chinese wise men knew the relationship between the gravitational field of the earth and its effects on animals and men.

The Luo Pan compass was designed as a calculator to save time for the Expert in Feng Shui during his search for architectural location, and also helped him determine the relationship between man, earth and heaven. The school of the compass was born in the north of China, where the relatively flat nature of the terrain required the development of a method different from that of the School of Form.

Feng shui during the Qing dynasty

During the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), all the buildings built in northern China were in agreement with the principles of Feng Shui. For example: all the entry doors of the courtyards of the courtyard were located in the front left corner of the courtyard, this is called "Green dragon door". The Imperial Court of the Qing Dynasty even appointed a city according to one of the poems of Guo Pu, Master Feng Shui of 276 - 324 AD, showing the importance of this philosophy.

Throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties and during the years of the Republic of China (1911 - 1949), many Feng Shui techniques have been developed. Among these methods, some techniques are still very popular today: 

• The flying star method (alias "fei xing")
• The eight house method (or "ba zhai")
• The triple mixed school (alias "San He")
• The School of Destiny Number (alias "ming kwa")
• Chinese horoscope (alias "4 pillars of fate") and
• Astrology of the Purple Palace (alias "tzu wei")

Feng shui today

There cultural revolution (1966 - 1976) witnessed a great upheaval in China and, at that time, the belief systems of the old order, such as Feng Shui, were prohibited. Naturally, Feng Shui is still very present in China today, and many universities teach the precepts and establish research. For example one of the concepts of Feng Shui is to bring nature and flowers to your environment, this concept is not limited to traditional fresh flowers. Indeed you will find today the representation of flowers in a good number of decorative objects such as for example the Flower duvets covers which will decorate your room with the image of Feng Shui wonderfully

A relatively recent example of the application of Feng Shui concerns a government building in the province of Guangdong which, in 1990, had the reputation of having a bad harmonization Feng Shui due to a number of accidents and deaths. With the help of Feng Shui experts, many modifications were then made. 

Today, Feng Shui has won many supporters around the world and plays an increasingly important role in the business world where Feng Shui consultations are flourishing. From Hong Kong to New York, the silhouettes of cities are constantly evolving, more and more under the watchful eye of the masters of Feng Shui. You can also decide to add feng shui to your home house Zen statues.