Article Preview
TopIntroduction
Throughout history the cultural phenomenon of Feng Shui has intense traditional characteristics (Wang, 1994; Chen & Nakama, 2004; Cheng, 2011; Deng, 2013) and has firmly taken its place in the daily life of Chinese people (Cheng, 2011). Site selection of cities, villages, houses and graves – all follow the rules of Feng Shui. It has also influence upon the interior layout of dwellings and the proper location of the furniture (Emmons, 1992; Cheng, 2011). As a system for placement, the application of Feng Shui has been extended to national and land use planning, water projects, landscape, finding natural resources as well as the military waylay besides judging the Yin and Yang house (Shang, 2002). Feng Shui is not only widespread in rural areas but also has gained a sound place in the development of modern and westernized cities like Hong Kong, and even in other countries of Asia, Europe and America (Emmons,1992; Shang, 2002).
The Feng Shui philosophy has made numerous contributions to ancient scientific technology and different fields of knowledge and practice. From a natural and philosophic perspective, Feng Shui has developed a holistic and organic view of naturalism and ideas about the harmony between humans and nature; it shares common roots with Taoism which evolves from nature (Shang, 2002; Yoon, 2003). From an environmental science aspect, Feng Shui focuses on various fields such as astronomy, geography, meteorology, biology and anthropology, and has analysed and contributed towards understanding the natural environment in which people live. In the aspect of architecture, Feng Shui has left the world a unique Chinese architectural system, including its own construction theory, method and style. Furthermore, in the realm of science and technology, the discovery of the water vapor cycle theory, the extraction and characteristics of Oxygen, and the invention and application of the compass and graphics are also attributed to Feng Shui (Shang, 2002).
However, Feng Shui is still mysterious and cannot be thoroughly understood by the masses (Wang, 1994). Labelled as superstition, Feng Shui was once prohibited in communist China in 1949, but was then revived in the 1950s first in the field of archaeology and then history of ancient geography, physics and architecture (Cheng, 2011). As a kind of folk culture, Feng Shui has become the topic of conversation and continuously attracted significant attention of the general public (Cheng, 2011). In the 1970s, an upsurge in Feng Shui studies appears outside the Chinese mainland focusing on three main aspects: the relationship between Feng Shui and aesthetics; the relationship between Feng Shui and site-selection, environment and landscape of cities; and the relationship between Feng Shui and the home environment (Bruun, 1996; Cheng, 2011).
One of the reasons behind this upsurge is to discover the environmental value of Feng Shui to deal with the crisis of population explosion, environmental pollution and resource depletion faced by humankind. Since the middle of the 20th century, the western industrial countries have achieved a lot in scientific technology and economic development, yet ignored the connection between humanity and nature which resulted in a series of environmental crises and psychological problems. Historically, China always valued nature and the Feng Shui theory won a lot of praise from present-age scholars for its important role in creating and preserving the living environment. Feng Shui confirms the naturality of humans and encourages people to reconsider their appropriate place in nature rather than being the superior, dominant creatures in the world.