Fengshui Lesson (01) Original Form of Fengshui

2024年10月9日

3 min read

The original form of Fengshui can be traced back to the Zhoukoudian Peking Man site.

Archaeologists tell us that the Zhoukoudian Peking Man lived around 600,000 years ago. Therefore, we believe that this cave dwelling from 600,000 years ago marks the beginning of human settlement. In the early stages of human habitation, people lived in caves. The caves provided protection from the undesired weather, as well as from animal attacks. These caves were surrounded on multiple sides, with only one exit.

As humans settled down, they began to establish the foundations of civilization. The

Zhoukoudian site can thus serve as a reference for the original form of Fengshui.

Mountains to the North

The site is surrounded by large mountains to the northwest and northeast. Given China’s climate, with cold north winds in winter, people preferred to build their homes facing south with their backs to the north. This positioning helped avoid the harsh winter winds, making homes warmer in the winter.

At that time, humans may have already discovered that living in a place with mountains to the northwest and northeast provided warmth during winter.

Later, the Chinese developed the "I Ching" (易經) and its eight trigrams (八卦), which identify the northwest as "Qian." (乾) Qian represents the sky and strength, so having strong mountains in the northwest aligns with the need for firm and powerful protection. Some say that all of China’s mountains originate from the Kunlun Mountains, located in the northwest of China. The Kunlun Mountains are so tall that they were considered to reach the heavens. This is why, in the "I Ching," the Qian trigram and having mountains to the northwest complement each other, with the residents being able to receive natural support.

The northeast trigram is "Gen," (艮) which also represents mountains and symbolizes "small mouth," referring to birth rate or population size. Gen thus generally symbolizes population. We find that the Zhoukoudian site also has a large mountain to the northeast. In addition to providing warmth in winter, having a mountain in the northeast aligns with the "I Ching’s" emphasis on population stability.

With three sides enclosed and only one exit, people in the cave would have felt a sense of security. Later, China’s "Siheyuan" courtyard houses followed a similar principle, with three sides enclosed and only one exit.

Open in the Front

To the southeast and directly south of the site, there are open plains. This also aligns with the Chinese preference for houses with windows and doors facing south, which allows cool southern breezes during summer. This arrangement helps achieve warmth in winter and coolness in summer.

For the southern side, including the southeast and southwest, it is desirable to have an open and expansive space with a wide view.

This forms the original shape of Fengshui. China’s culture developed early, and from the Zhoukoudian Peking Man site, we can already find traces of Fengshui from 600,000 years ago.

Ancient Ruins Unearthed

The Xia and Shang dynasties (夏商朝) are the earliest historically recorded periods in China. From the Bronze Age ruins of Erlitou, dating back to the Xia and Shang dynasties, we also find a layout with three sides enclosed and one exit, facing south. This design inherits the original form seen in the Zhoukoudian site. The three-sided enclosure with one exit increases protection and a sense of security.

Many ancient Chinese cities, temples, and homes unearthed over time show similar designs. Most are oriented north to south, while some face northwest to southeast. Beijing's Forbidden City, for example, is designed with a north-south orientation, and much of the city of Beijing follows the same layout. This matches the idea of the ruling power being in the north and governing by "looking south."

Why do some cities, temples, and houses face northwest to southeast? It turns out that this mirrors the geographic structure of China: the northwest is where China’s mountain ranges originate, while the southeast is more open with plains.

Archaeologists have also found that early dynastic buildings in China followed similar original forms.