What is Feng Shui?

Professor Yu Xixian, a former Peking University professor who has studied Feng Shui (now retired), said, "Nowadays, there are countless self-proclaimed Feng Shui masters with superficial knowledge everywhere in the public." Professor Li Shuyou from the Department of Philosophy at Nanjing University also stated, "The Feng Shui community is a mixed bag, which has tarnished the reputation of Feng Shui culture." Some Feng Shui practitioners have countered, claiming that it is the others who practice fake Feng Shui.

To discuss the authenticity of Feng Shui, we must first clarify what Feng Shui truly is.

In fact, the definition is quite clear, as explained in the Cihai (a comprehensive Chinese dictionary):

[Feng Shui] Also known as "Kan Yu." A form of superstition in ancient China. It holds that the surrounding wind, water flow, and other natural features of a residential site or burial ground can influence the fortune or misfortune of the family living or buried there. It also refers to the methods of selecting and arranging such sites. The Book of Burial (traditionally attributed to Guo Pu of the Jin Dynasty) states: "Burial should harness the vital energy (qi). As the classics say, qi disperses when carried by the wind and stops at the boundary of water. The ancients gathered it to prevent dispersion and guided it to ensure it stops, hence the term Feng Shui."

The passage quoted from the Book of Burial provides the classical definition of Feng Shui. The term "Feng Shui" became a specialized term only after the appearance of this book. This Feng Shui does not refer to the natural wind and water; rather, "qi" is its core concept. This qi is not the air or atmosphere in the scientific sense but a mysterious, supernatural energy that "flows beneath the earth and gives rise to all things." The human body is considered a "condensation of qi," with "the solidified parts forming bones." Therefore, if a person is buried in a place where "vital qi" gathers, the remains can "absorb the qi internally," and the descendants will receive "blessings from the spirits."

Thus, Feng Shui should not be understood as merely a natural environment; it has its own specific and complete connotation. When translating the term "Feng Shui" into Western languages, it does not carry the meanings of "wind" or "water" but is instead phonetically translated as "Feng Shui." The purpose of practicing Feng Shui is to gain "spiritual blessings," such as career advancement, wealth, and a prosperous family lineage. Without this aspect, Feng Shui would have long disappeared in China.

If we compare the definition of Feng Shui in the Book of Burial with the practices of modern Feng Shui masters, we find that the latter align more closely with the original intent of the Book of Burial. They openly admit that "from the perspective of modern science, Feng Shui is not a science" but rather "a kind of specious idealist philosophy" (Kan Yu Guan Jian, p. 31, Hong Kong Creation Publishing不、 Company, 1991). They also explicitly state, "Facing a tranquil water body in the front attracts wealth, while backing against a famous mountain ensures authority" (Twenty Feng Shui Tips for Buying Property, Hong Kong Juxian Cultural Co., Ltd.). Practicing Feng Shui is all about seeking career success and wealth. They have no intention of integrating Feng Shui into the realm of science. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, Feng Shui books are typically categorized under "metaphysics," alongside fortune-telling and spiritual texts. In Canadian Chinese communities, Feng Shui is highly popular, and Chinese TV channels feature dedicated Feng Shui programs, but none claim to be scientific. Wang Chengya of the China Taoist Association has also made it clear that discussing Feng Shui purely from a scientific perspective detaches it from its original meaning, as Feng Shui contains elements that science cannot explain.

Some experts and scholars, however, obscure this critical aspect of Feng Shui, reducing it to wind and water and treating it as a synonym for the natural environment. They even simplify it to "having mountains and water constitutes Feng Shui," thereby dressing Feng Shui in the guise of science. But if your version of Feng Shui is entirely different from that of traditional Feng Shui masters, why still wave the banner of Feng Shui?

Interestingly, the "Architectural Feng Shui Culture Training Course" originally planned for all participants to visit Guo Pu's memorial tomb at Xuanwu Lake Park in Nanjing. This action can only be interpreted as an effort to align with the Feng Shui defined in the Book of Burial, rather than demonstrating a critical stance toward the superstitious aspects of Feng Shui. Guo Pu, traditionally regarded as the author of the Book of Burial, is revered as the founding figure of Feng Shui by practitioners.

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