on Feng Shui
on Feng Shui

Article FS00/4

Prof. Dr. Ong Hean-Tatt September 2000

Disclaimer: The guidelines given here are for intellectual interest only. Those who want to apply Feng Shui should consult experienced Feng Shui practitioners.

Feng Shui of Buildings



Chinese temples, next to the ancient Chinese imperial tombs, are the best examples of how Feng Shui principles are applied in buildings.

The Feng Shui of a building has three main aspects:

  • Auspicious location of a building with respect to the natural resources.
  • Qualities of a building.
  • Interiors of the building.


Yet, it is strange that the Chinese would try to avoid living near a temple. They also avoid living near religious places and funeral parlours. Religious buildings would drain off "ch'i" from your building, while funeral parlour would give you bad "sha". Remedy: Entrances of homes should not face nearby religious buildings or funeral parlours.

Towering buildings are said to be bad Feng Shui for adjoining smaller buildings through absorbing all and blocking off "ch'i" from entering into the smaller buildings. Lower floors of the smaller building often get less sunlight and are especially bad "ch'i". Remedy: Put a "Pakua" mirror at teh window facing the tall building. A convex mirror is especially good as it distorts the tall building into a smaller size.

Trading shops should be located where "ch'i" easily enter. Good locations are where people would slow down, like at corners. People tend to rush pass inbetween locations - the remedy is obvious, put up something to attract people's attention and slow them down.

Plot Shapes

A square or rectangular plot is the best balanced plot for a house.

Plots with narrower fronts mean occupants' future will become narrower and narrower. Remedy: Use flowers or brick oath to create a curve at the front so that the plot looks like a money-bag.

The south side should be open to receive the sun [the Four Heraldic Animals principle].

A large plot can have its backyard slightly higher than the front. But for a small plot, a raised back would mean the "ch'i" would flow down too fast, bringing misfortunes to the inhabitants. Remedy: place a lamppost at the lower end to trap and hold back the "ch'i" .

In a large plot, the house should be cnetral, so that there is balance. Remedy: If the house is too far in the front or rear, put a tree or lamppost at the opposite end to balance the plot

The Driveway

A smooth meandering driveway, like a semi-circular driveway, to the door of the house is best

Circular driveways are very good. Plant flowers in the centers to increase further the wealth.

A fork like driveway from the door means father and son will quarell. Remedy: place red bricks or paint red dots on the path from the driveway to the door.

A driveway which narrows as it leaves the house is bad. Remedy: place posts or lampposts on both sides of the narrow end.

A narrow driveway restricts the wealth of the family. Remedy: widen the path.

The Entrance

"Door at the east, dragon brings pearl;
door at the west, tiger waiting to eat you".

Neither have an entrance facing north-east,
which is the devil's gate.

The home is a fortress and therefore its entrance, through which friends or enemies may pass, is an important feature of the Feng Shui of a building.

The best entrance is located in the centre.

Based on the principle that "Demons travel in straight lines" screens are placed inside doorways as shields against entry of evil influences.

A talisman may be placed over the doorstep to ward off evil. The "Pakua" with its central mirror is a popular door device to ward off evil. [However, the actual purpose of the "Pakua" is a "Eight Members Family principle" to ensure family harmony, which brings resultant blessings and makes the home a "sacred" place. The unity of the family is also the best weapon against the entry of evil]

Entrance should be wide enough to welcome in "ch'i". It should not face blocking things like a tree or column.

Rooms Arrangenments

The ancient Chinese home has an internal often central courtyard, a feature still remaining as an airwell in modern homes. Rooms are arranged around the courtyard according to the principle of the "Ming Tang". The original "Ming Tang" is described in Confucius' "Li Chi", where the emperor would rotate to stay in each part of the twelve parts of the building according to the time of the 12 months of the year.

This "Ming Tang" principle is also equivalent to the "Pakua" eight sided pattern for the home, where the entrance side is taken to denote the "northern boundary" and the opposite inner wall the "southern boundary". The eight sectors represent different aspects of career and family status as follows:

Northern boundary

  • Centre = career
  • Right (west) = helpers
  • Left (east) = knowledge

Southern boundary

  • Centre = fame
  • Right (west) = marriage
  • Left (east) = wealth

Eastern boundary, centre = family
Western boundary, centre = children

House Layout Shapes

The best house layout shapes are circular, square, rectangular or armchair.

In the ill-shaped house, there is often a core which is balanced. Those parts who jut out, thus causing the ill-shapes, are "out of the house" and have bad "ch'i". People staying too long in these "out of the house" sections do not feel like being at home and will have both family and financial problems .

Ill-shapes include boot or knife shapes, where sleeping along the sole or sharp edges would be bad. The bad "ch'i" could be countered by placing a mirror along the opposite edges.

Irregular shapes could be rectified by the principle of chr-sur" which uses bright "ch'i" drawing devices to "extend the house to the correct shapes.

House fronts must be wider than the backs for "ch'i" to flow in. Otherwise, the reverse shape would mean "ch'i" will flow out and the house would be unlucky.

Uncomplicated box-like or cylindrical buildings are fine. Octogonal shaped buildings are especailly auspicious as they look like the shape of the "Pakua".

Western Shapes

Many Feng Shui practitioners, wrongly, adopted Western symbolism to determine bad or good "ch'i":

  • Crosses taken as symbols of death.
  • Downward pointing arrow shapes as "falling luck".
  • Hexagonal windows as coffin-like.

House Spirits

Supersitious Chinese will avoid houses where people had died. They would avoid buying old houses where the chances of death are greater.

Old buildings or biuldings where people died should be consecrated by a suitable priest. There should be sprinking of some "holy" water, like that with sliced lemon in it (similar to "sintok" bath water). One could also walk in with a flute (symbolising a sword) and a flower vase (symbolising security and peace).

Wrong alignments of buildings can be dangerous. Find out here!