Feng Shui Research Articles

Цифра/число в китайской традиции и «наивной» картине мира китайцев

The subject of the article is the numerical culture of China, the meaning of numbers in the traditional and modern Chinese culture. When investigating issues related to intercultural philosophy, we should remember about the bearers of a certain traditional philosophy - people who grew up in a specific cultural and historical environment, who absorbed certain cultural, philosophical and worldview attitudes, manifested in everyday household traditions and views. One of the most important elements of Chinese everyday traditions is numbers, which, except for the division into even-odd (yin/yang), each have their own symbolic meaning, reflected in customs, holidays, gifts, interiors, etc. The study of cultural and philosophical roots of these phenomena will allow us to form a wider angle of view on Chinese rationality. Materials related to the traditional understanding of numbers associated with the Lo Shu square were studied, in particular, the numeric expression of ideas about the universe. Also, we considered some features of Chinese traditional architecture that reflect these representations, superstitions and some details of everyday life associated with numbers, folk holidays and important dates that arose in connection with the ordinary and traditional perception of numbers. An attempt has been made to trace intracultural worldview and linguistic connotations. It is shown that the traditional ‘numerical’ worldview is still manifested in areas related to aspects typical of Chinese culture - everyday life, arrangement of space (including feng shui), traditional medicine, etc. The belief of the Chinese in the magic of numbers is still quite strong. In some cases, the socialization of ancient texts has taken place, and we see how traditions cement the social space. It can be concluded that the modern everyday understanding of numbers among the Chinese, on which modern signs and customs are based, is closely connected with emotional perception, associative thinking, as a special kind of rationality, which can also be described as the rationality of everyday life.

화성 정시영고택의 입지 및 공간배치의 풍수고찰

It can be seen that Traditional house of Jeong Si-yeong is located in a place where Saenggi(good energy), which is important in Pungsu(Feng Shui), can be gathered and that energy can be properly maintained. According to the theory of feng shui, a place that is not easily exposed by the surrounding mountains and is well protected by the strong wind was selected, and the main room was placed on the south side so that the sunlight was adequate while facing the north, so that you can live a comfortable life for a long time. Located on such a relatively well-hidden site, it is a location that can cope well with the invasion of Japanese invaders through the sea in the past, and even today, it is seen as a reasonable base that can be properly protected from strong sea winds in reality. On the other hand, if we look at the Hyungguk theory, it was a house built in the late Joseon Dynasty, and we could see the hidden hopes of the nobles at the time. The mountain behind the house is a haebok-type with a crab lying on the seashore, and what the crab symbolizes is the past national exam for official. Considering that the name of the place where the house is located is also Oyat(cucumber tree)-ri, where many cucumber trees closely related to the royal family of the Joseon Dynasty were planted, it seems that the family wished for prosperity by producing many Sadaebu(upper class gentry) in the past and forming a good relationship with the royal family.

Physical Environment Study of Traditional Village Patterns in Jinxi County, Jiangxi Province Based on CFD Simulation

As a theory in ancient China, Feng Shui is used in terrain exploring to find ideal living environments. In this study, 62 traditional villages documented on China’s and Jiangxi’s protection lists in Jinxi County, Jiangxi Province were divided into four categories according to their landscape patterns and were simulated by CFD (computational fluid dynamics) with PHOENICS and quantitatively analyzed based on their wind and thermal environments. The results showed that hills greatly improve the wind environment of villages when they are in the windward direction. Concerning thermal environments, water and vegetation effectively reduced the summer temperatures in villages, while hills kept villages warm in winter. This paper verified the positive effect of elements such as mountains, water and forests on the improvement of wind and thermal environments of villages and the rationality of the site election principle of Bei Shan Mian Shui, also known as back mountain facing water, which is upheld by Feng Shui. This paper explored the philosophy of traditional village location selection, demonstrating the ecological wisdom of ancient Chinese people in creating a good living environment, and provides a new direction for current sustainable development planning.

Review: Building Socialism: The Afterlife of East German Architecture in Urban Vietnam

Review: <i>Building Socialism: The Afterlife of East German Architecture in Urban Vietnam</i>

Fungsi dan Makna Fengshui Bagi Kehidupan Masyarakat Tionghoa di Kota Makassar dalam Pembelajaran Pengetahuan Lintas Budaya

This study aims to examine the function and meaning of feng shui for the Chinese community in Makassar City. This research is an ethnographic study. Research data were obtained through interviews. The informants of this study were selected from Chinese residents in Makassar City. The results showed that feng shui means to harmonize, balance, and harmonize between humans and the universe. Meanwhile, the function of feng shui is as a benchmark to organize and arrange buildings to create good and balanced energy to bring good luck. The learning of knowledge across feng shui cultures is a stage so that the Chinese community is aware of their own culture and the local community respects the existence of cultural diversity.Keywords: Fengshui, Chinese Society, Makassar City, Cross-Cultural Knowledge

조선시대 국도 한성의 풍수적 경관 경영과 풍수 담론의 노정

The Feng Shui of the Joseon Dynasty Period formed the basis of traditional geography used for spatial arrangement and landscape management of various landscapes and places including the location of Hanseong, the capital. From the early days of the Joseon Dynasty, Feng Shui was recognized as a major national academic field by government officials, and was one of the exam subjects of Gwageo (bureaucratic recruitment) system, and professional bureaucrats were appointed to government posts. Immediately after the Imjin War[壬 辰倭亂], King Seonjo mobilized the idea of Feng Shui as a theoretical basis to restore the main landscape elements of Hanseong destroyed by the war. However, after the late Joseon Dynasty, the idea of Feng Shui was criticized by many bureaucrats and Confucian scholars, and even the king added it. Even harsh criticism from some official historians followed the king for his excessive favoritism of Feng Shui. In particular, during the reigns of king Yeongjo and Jeongjo, critical opinions on Feng Shui arose greatly. After the late Joseon Dynasty, Feng Shui was greatly reduced to the level of Eumtaek[陰宅風水] in charge of the location or relocation of royal tombs. At the same time, unlike the early Joseon Dynasty Period, when the meaning of ‘geography=Feng Shui’ was strong, in the late Joseon period, ‘geography concept with a meaning different from that of Feng Shui’, like the usage examples in King Jeongjo’s ‘Geography Policy Questions[地理策問]’, certainly existed.

Negotiating in China: Principles of Justice

Abstract China does not have a unified and consistent ethical understanding. Ethics have to be mostly conceived and applied in personal terms. At the negotiation table, parties bring their own moral principles and values from their cultural background, education, and experience. Justice principles anchored in Chinese moral philosophy clearly take precedence over legal justice principles. For a Chinese negotiator, striking a deal is a process of balancing between two contradictory sets of values: Confucius’ notions of rightness, and those of modern distributive (and procedural) justice. Now, distributive justice implies a whole range of criteria, such as rewards according to efforts, merits, and contribution, as well as need. Equality is still not on the Chinese justice agenda. Fairness has to find its own way between guanxi requirements, traditional nepotism, the influence of symbols, propitious numbers, references to ancestors, feng shui, and astrology.

Care

Care

Theological Review of the Concept of Feng Shui According to Colossians 2:8

Feng shui was a part of the cultural heritage of ancient Chinese society mainly used to design buildings and spaces according to the birth date or the basic elements of the owner or the person who occupied a building to achieve harmony and balance with the environment aimed to bring peace and prosperity. Feng shui practices had become a matter of debate among Christians. The question was whether feng shui practices such as calculations in building construction, determining the direction a tomb should face, or finding a date to start a business did not conflict with God's Word. From a non-theological point of view, feng shui was well accepted because it seemed reasonable. This article discussed feng shui from a theological perspective by referring to Colossians 2:8. In the research of this article, the researchers used a qualitative descriptive method with an exposition approach where data collection was obtained from literature studies and interviews. The results of the discussion on this topic showed that theologians concurred that feng shui did not correspond with God's Word, while the Bible interpreted feng shui as a false philosophy. The conclusion drawn was the rejection of feng shui practices by theologians and the Bible.

조선후기 정조의 지리책문(地理策問)과 다산 정약용의 지리대책(地理對策)

In the late 18th century, King Jeongjo's geographical policy questions[地理策問] and Dasan Jeong Yak-yong's geographical strategies as answers of those questions were important materials that explicitly show the traditional geography discourse, such as the geography concept and geography thoughts of the ruling class in the late Joseon Dynasty. King Jeongjo's geographical policy questions includes seven questions such as the definition of geography, the reason for the existence of geography, the shape of the earth's surface, the division plan for the national territory for national prosperity, historical examination of the land area and major geographical names, and the management plan for the country's abundant products, customs, and resources, geography as a fundamental science of politics, and the direction of compilation of geography of the land. Dasan defines geography as a field that studies the human-nature relationship according to the five geographic environments, while arguing for the reason for the existence of geography as the king's discipline for national management. In this way, Dasan answered each question based on a variety of ancient oriental geography books, his extensive geographic informations, and historical geographies of the country. In the discourse of traditional geography between king Jeongjo and Dasan, the discipline of geography that thinks about the realization of social justice and humanistic politics[文治], the search for geography that breaks away from feng shui[風水] and the waters sutra[水經] that should be published to be paired with the geography book, and the need for mapping for completeness was discussed. The geography discourse between king Jeongjo and Dasan is also a reminder of the aspect of scientific geography that appeared in the early days of Western modern geography.

A Contemporer Design of Karunia Memorial Park and Green Crematorium in Medan

Death is not the end. Quoting from Chuck Palahniuk, “We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” It means, death is something certain dan the goal in life isn’t to live in eternity but to create something that will be eternal. In Karunia Memorial Park and Crematorium together we create eternity. Funeral ceremonial is very important for chinese born Indonesian (Tionghoa) as it is believed to be showing their respect to their anchestors. To create a design that could fulfilled one’s needs and solved one’s problem author had analyzed the pros and cons of traditional Tionghoa’s cemetery. The site is located in Medan Tuntungan, Simalingkar B. Focusing on Feng Shui, the shape of the building itself was taken from yin-yang and the number eight that are considered as a lucky number. Not only the green burial and green cremation as the main focus. Implemented the advanced of Virtual Reality Techonology is one of the catch. Through this design, it is hoped to increase not only the society awareness of the importance of the environment and chinese culture but also sublimated everyone.

Coupling CFD Simulation and Field Experiments in Summer to Prove Feng Shui Optimizes Courtyard Wind Environments: A Case Study of Prince Kung’s Mansion in Beijing

Feng shui in ancient China was harmonized with the natural environment. The layout of houses following feng shui is conducive to a comfortable wind environment. To explore the positive influence of feng shui on ventilation, this study takes Prince Kung’s Mansion, which has the characteristics of a feng shui layout, as the research object. In parallel, the study assumes a dissimilation layout that has lost the feng shui layout characteristics. Comparing the ventilation of courtyards in the summer for both the feng shui layout and the dissimilation layout through CFD simulation, the results were as follows: (1) the wind speed values in the summer, taken from 60 points in Prince Kung’s Mansion by way of CFD simulation and field experiments, were well coupled, which proves that PHOENICS is suitable for the courtyard wind environments simulation in this study. (2) The CFD simulation results show that the average wind speed and the comfortable wind speed zone ratio in the courtyards of the feng shui layout were higher than those of the dissimilation layout during the summer, and the courtyard wind speeds of the two layouts were linearly related. Therefore, the feng shui layout is more conducive to the comfort of courtyards’ wind environment than the dissimilation layout. (3) The front and rear wind pressure differences of the main houses in the feng shui layout can optimize the indoor ventilation better than those of dissimilation layout in the summer. (4) According to the evaluation criteria for the wind environment, the wind speed and wind pressure of the feng shui layout are superior to those of dissimilation layout in the summer. In summary, this study verifies that the layout of feng shui optimizes the courtyard wind environment in the summer, which embodies the ecological concept of the Chinese ancients in the layout of houses.

A Case Study for the Protection of the South-North Tourism Agreement: Focusing on Tourism Feng Shui Storytelling

Purpose: This study seeks to present ways to realize tourism and unification for North and South Koreas based on the development of tourist destinations which can help link tourism to exchanges including mutual visits for the separated families of North and South Koreas, the North-South dialogue, politics, economy, culture and sports by developing tourist destinations from which politics of the two Koreas are fully excluded towards the realization of multi purposed tourism as well as the realization of mutual tourism for the two Koreans absent South Korean tourists for North Korea. Based on which, it would be possible to review, first, the development of tourist destina-tions of South Korea through which South Koreans can visit Mt. Geumgang of North Korea and North Koreans can visit tourist destinations of South Korea. Second, it would be possible to review a plan for carrying out ex-changes for the mutual visits of separated families by linking the exchanges of separated families of North and South Koreas at Mt. Geumgang of North Korea with tourist destinations of South Korea. Third, by developing tourist destinations for the purposes of tourism only which North Korea might demand, it would be possible to review alternatives for North Korea s South Korean tourist destinations in the future. Fourth, based on the afore-said, the purpose of tourism and unification may be realized and tourist exchanges may be reviewed under the premise of free travel. Methods: This study seeks to analyze changes in the tourism related conditions according to the expected changes in the North-South Korean relations and changes in tourism due to the expected changes of the North-South Korean relations via the previous data. Furthermore, through the current status of human exchanges of North Korea, the start of the North-South Korean tourism, and the performance achievements of Mt. Geumgang tourism, this study seeks to examine and understand the changes in the North-South Korean relations according to the North-South Korean summit and the tourism related feng shui storytelling intended for the North-South Korean tourism. Results: Achieving a form of tourism through the North-South Korean exchanges is the top priority. Hence, in order to achieve the purpose of feng shui tourism in the future, it would be necessary to develop the tourist destinations from which politics of North and South Koreas are completely excluded. Towards this end, it is necessary to develop a tourist program by utilizing the tomb of Kim Tae-Seo located at Mt. Moak in Jeonbuk in which the North Korean leadership expressed deep interest ever since the North-South Summit of 2000. To this end, it will be necessary to develop a program which utilizes the storytelling of tourist feng shui utilizing the simple Korean culture which goes beyond the politics, while developing tourism. Conclusion: Tourism has clear points of contact for the unification, and it will be necessary to utilize the points of contact for the North-South Korean tourism through the mutual linkage of the North-South Korean relations moving forward to achieve the purpose of tourism and expect the unification on the Korean Peninsula.

Biblical Forests and Feng Shui Forests: Towards the Problem of Understanding the Religious Concept of “Spiritual Ecology”

Biblical Forests and Feng Shui Forests: Towards the Problem of Understanding the Religious Concept of “Spiritual Ecology”

Mathematical Method to Assess the Yin-Yang Balance of Commercial Complexes’ Entrances

Shopping malls are important landmarks of modern and sustainable cities as they are substantial business and investment by themselves, and as they also facilitate the social activities of communities. Entrances to shopping malls provide a first impression to customers, thus affecting the business performance of the malls. This paper presents a method to assess the entrances of modern shopping malls by applying traditionally qualitative Feng shui practices quantitatively with an innovative mathematical model. The assessment is based on the manipulation of the yin-and-yang concept applied to the layout of Ming tang (bright court) as the focus of consideration. By applying this novel approach to three shopping malls in Guangzhou, China as a pilot study to match their commercial performance, our hypothesis appears workable. The ideology of balancing yin and yang may be practically meaningful to urban planning and the successful measurement of such balance could shed light on future studies.

Arsitektur Kontemporer Kota Pada Penggal Jalan D. I. Panjaitan, Kampung Cina Bengkulu

The old town of Bengkulu has elements of urban architecture with distinctive characteristics, one of which is Chinese Town. .D. I. Panjaitan is the main street of Chinese Town which is busy with vehicles, so it acts as the main image of the area. Over time, various architecture has changed in the area, as evidenced by indications of contemporary city architecture in the form of geometric spaces (building form, solid, void, skyline) and functional spaces (functions of spaces and buildings) so it is very interesting to study. Therefore, this research aims to formulate a contemporary architectural formulation of the city on D. I. Panjaitan street by using qualitative and deductive method with geometric space and functional space approach. This research reveals that the contemporary architecture of the city at D. I. Panjaitan street tends to consist of original chinese architecture on the south side and modern architecture on the south side. The functional space consists of settlement, trade and tourism areas. The character of space tends to be related to Chinese cosmological architecture, namely the concept of Sanqing, Wuxing, Bagua or Feng Shui, Jiugongtu and Jingtianzhi. These formulation shaped due to hictorical influences, policies, location, culture and important event.

Study on Feng Shui (Geomantic) Suitability Evaluation of Mausoleums in Nanjing City Based on GIS

Taking the mausoleums in the main urban area of Nanjing city as the study object, with the support of GIS technology, this paper extracts eight influencing factors (surface roughness, elevation, surface cutting depth, surface peaks, outfall, river system, slope, and aspect) corresponding to geomantic elements (“Long”, “Sha”, “Shui”, and “Xue”) in the geographical environments of mausoleums. The AHP is applied in the correlation weight method to calculate the weights of the eight influencing factors, while the information content method is applied in the grading method to calculate the numerical index of each factor. The feng shui (geomantic) suitability of the mausoleums in the main urban area of Nanjing is evaluated using the AHP-weighted information content method and by combining expert knowledge and experience with mathematical statistical techniques. According to the feng shui (geomantic) suitability evaluation results obtained for the mausoleums in the study area, the relatively low-suitability area accounts for 14.55% of the entire study area, the low-suitability area accounts for 25.40%, the suitable area accounts for 29.13%, the relatively high-suitability area accounts for 22.00%, and the high-suitability area accounts for 8.92%. Finally, through a sensitivity analysis of the model, a verification analysis applied using random mausoleums and a feng shui (geomantic) analysis of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, the feng shui (geomantic) suitability evaluation results obtained for the mausoleums analyzed herein are found to be consistent with the actual distribution of the mausoleum sites. The research shows that the AHP-weighted information method based on GIS is suitable for evaluating the feng shui (geomantic) suitability of mausoleums.

A Comparison Review of Kevin Lynch’s Urban Theory with the Chinese Cosmography of Feng Shui in the Heritage Area, Case Study: Pasar Baru, Jakarta

Jakarta is facing the reality of becoming one of the megacities in the world. As a megacity, Jakarta will continue to face critical problems, including environmental issues that occur not only in Jakarta but also in the surrounding areas. The research area is Pasar Baru, the oldest shopping area in Central Jakarta established in 1820. Naturally, this area should have a high historical value for the development of the City of Jakarta. This study explored the “shopping arcade” corridor from Kevin Lynch’s urban theory of “The Image of The City” to strengthen the implementation of re-planning the Pasar Baru in the future. This study aims to find how the view of The Image of The City can support the idea of re-planning the Pasar Baru from a tangible point of view, physically visible, and an intangible point of view through the spiritual approach of Feng Shui cosmography. The research uses qualitative methods supported by collecting data in literature reviews, surveys and analyzing them. The study found that the concept given by Kevin Lynch can help decision-makers of a city to be more responsible in making policies in designing a sustainable city to carry out conservation actions, not only political goals.

A Comparative and Critical Analysis of Application of Vastu Shastra’s Concepts with Philosophy, Psychology, Feng Shui, Seismic Design and Contemporary Architecture Design Principles: A Review

The critical thought of Vastu Shastra's comprehension of design was to guide individuals to make spaces in amicability with nature and with widespread forces. As a conventional engineering guide, Vastu Shastra endeavors to develop structures as per the universe's normal laws. The article endeavors to think about the thoughts of Vastu Shastra with different ideas of Philosophy, Psychology, Feng shui, Seismic design, Contemporary architecture design and in request to confirm Vastu Shastra as logical and scientific in recent times. There have been a great deal of conversations about Vastu Shastra's pertinence or superfluity to the structure plans of today. So there is a requirement for consistent and logical clarifications for its suggestions. The main concepts of Vastu Shastra are briefly explored in this analysis, and then an attempt has been made to identify a comparative pattern language among these concepts. The significance of these concepts was also considered in recent times and the main emphasis was on identifying prominent parallels between all the concepts listed above. The vast majority of the guidelines are based on Vastu Shastra, making it rational and scientific. This examination will likewise assist with building up a superior discernment and comprehension of Vastu Shastra on the planners and proprietors.

Dychotomy of the phenomenal and semiotic bodies of the performer in the context of a theater without an actor

modern theatrical art and to reveal the features of the phenomenal and semiotic body of the performer in theater performances without an actor. Research methodology. A synergetic method is applied, due to which the essence of the dichotomy of the phenomenal and semiotic body of the performer and the mechanism of its transformation in the process of transition from traditional theater to the theater without an actor is considered; a systemic method for analyzing the phenomenal and semiotic body of the performer as a manifestation of integrity in the unity of all connections and relationships; the method of comparative analysis, which contributed to the comparison of the ways of perception and understanding by the spectator of the semantic content of the stage performance in the traditional, puppet theater and theater without an actor, etc. Scientific novelty. The problems of theater without an actor are considered in the context of the theory of body dichotomy by B.S. Turner and the model of the alternation of the phenomenal and semiotic body of the performer in the post-dramatic theater E. Fischer-Lichte; the absence of actors as traditional components of the stage production of the play is theoretically substantiated; it was found that, despite the absence of performers, a theater without an actor is a unique phenomenon of modern theatrical art, realized due to the dichotomy of the phenomenal-semiotic nature of the actor's corporeality. Conclusions. The study revealed that the dichotomy of the phenomenal and semiotic body of an actor is a meaningful tool for studying the interpretation of various types of modern theater. Based on the analysis of theater performances without an actor ("Feng Shui in a theater without an actor" B. Bulatovic, A. Mustar and J. Šimenc, Slovenia, Ljubljana, Cultural Center "Španski borci", 2011, etc.) it was found that in the absence of the phenomenal body of the actor in the stage action, scenography and props become the material vehicle of the semiotic body. Destroying traditions and moving away from the "actor - spectator" attitude, depriving the viewer of an actor of a person, theatrical figures strive for contemplation, open new horizons for the theater, which can cause unusual sensations and feelings.