Old and New

In this article, I compare the Feng Shui applications in the ancient palace and today’s modern architecture. The Forbidden City in Beijing was the loyal palace that is once inaccessible to the public. The magnificent architectures and the enormous occupation of the land demonstrate the wealth and the dignity of the loyal family. The use of Feng Shui of the construction was comprehensive. Today, Feng Shui is still largely applied in the field of architecture. One good example of the modern use of Feng Shui would be the construction of commercial buildings since they have indirect relation with the wealth, which is the main concern of the practice of Feng Shui.

The Forbidden City

The layout of the Forbidden City obeyed the concept of urban planning in an ancient Chinese book, State Building Standards. It was essential to place the ancestor worship hall on the left and the shrine for deity of earth on the right. The most important building had to be placed on the central axial line with the public palace in the front and the private ones at the back. The Forbidden City is based on a symmetrical plan with enclosed wall that reflects a style of Si He Yuan. Facing the south, the city was divided into four parts, the north part, the south part, the east part and the west part. The East is the element Wood, which is auspicious for the founding year of Qing dynasty. Thus, all the palaces built during Qing dynasty were situated in the East. Fire represented the South that is supreme Yang. Since Yang embodies the powerful, the three main public administration palaces were position in the South, which is also the frond of the city. The empress and concubines’ palaces were placed in the west, which is the Yin element Gold that signifies the sunset and autumn. All the members of the loyal family were located according to the element of their birthday. At the North of the city, is a coal Hill to reduce the negative energy since the North stands for the element of Water, another Yin element.

The Commercial Buildings

Inside Plan

Commercial Buildings with good Feng Shui would attracts customers. Thus the inside layout must be well planned according to the rule of Feng Shui. The office should be above the street level. Therefore the rain will not flow into the room. However it should not be too much above for customers to approach it. The regular shape of the office is more preferable than the irregular one. The front door must wide, letting people feel welcoming. And it is essential to have a front door and a back door at the same time for the reason that the back door serves as a private access for people to through out garbage. The two doors should not be lined up on a straight line. As the head of the company, The CEOs should have a private and comfortable space for their offices. Hence, the office should be at the back of the building. There should not be the bathroom that faces the office, passageway behind CEO’s chair, or mirror in front of the desk. All the furniture should be placed parallel to one of the walls with the desk and chair being on the right side of the room. For other departments, the placement of the room is also important. For examples, the accounting department should be situated at the front, since people in that department deal with the customer service and billings. The Finance departments as well as the personnel departments need to be in the middle and close to the CEO’s office since they keep the vital information of the company. Furthermore, the color scheme is taken in to the consideration of construction the office. 

Fire- Red: promote Earth

Wood- Green: promotes Fire

Water- Black: nourishes Wood

Metal- White: generates Water

Earth- Yellow: generates Metal

The elements and the business of company should share the same nature. Accordingly, red and green is auspicious for restaurants and bakeries. Green and black is favorable for furniture stores. Black and white is positive for fishing businesses. White and yellow promote the hardware and jewelry stores. Yellow and red benefit the real estates company.  

Exterior Features


Destructive Features

Buildings with Sharp Edges:

The knifelike edges are treats to its target buildings. It causes economic disaster to the target ones.

Buildings with object of destruction:

Having the objects that shaped like weapons, threatening the target buildings.

The most famous examples are the Bank of China tower and the HSBC bank in Hong Kong. With a bladelike edge, the Bank of China tower was believed to harm the business of the target banks. Thus HSBC bank constructed a cannon shaped structures on top of its building to fight back to the Bank of China.

The Bank of China Tower

 HSBC Bank

Buildings with reflective glass windows:

These building sent negative energy to the nearby building, and causes economic disaster to them.

Buildings with irregular shape:

The irregular shape would trap the energy and disturb it flowing in neighborhood.

Buildings with sharp and pointed structures:

They prick everything in their path, sabotaging business.

Benevolent Features


Parks and Gardens:
The open space of parks and gardens gather energy and transform it in to gentle positive force. And the plants breathe life in to the site. Moreover, buildings with glasses and concrete structure diffuse the destructive force in the neighborhood. 


Waterfalls and Fountains:
Water helps to carry the malevolent energy. If waterfalls and fountains are situated in a garden or park, the effect would be enhanced.

Plazas:
The open space of plazas diffuse destructive energy. A circular structure works the best to absorb positive energy. 

Round Buildings:
The round shape could transmit positive Qi and diffuse negative Qi. It also serves as a protection against sharp-edge buildings.