Feng Shui
/ˌfʌŋ ˈʃweɪ/
lit. “wind-water”
The Chinese practice of arranging space — buildings, rooms, furniture — to harmonise with the flow of energy.
Origin
An ancient Chinese system blending cosmology, geography, and architecture. Practitioners use a compass (luopan) and the I Ching's eight trigrams to align structures with auspicious directions and the flow of qi. Originally applied to siting graves, palaces, and cities — Beijing's Forbidden City was laid out on its principles. Two main schools: the Form school (reading landscape) and the Compass school (reading direction).
Modern usage
Mainstream Western interior-design vocabulary since the 1990s. 'The feng shui of this room is off', 'rearranging for better feng shui'. Most popular advice (a fountain in the wealth corner, no mirrors facing the bed) is a heavily simplified slice of the actual practice.
Tags