Geomancy or pungsu (fengshui in Chinese) is not of Korean origin, but is of Chinese origin, probably from the Loess Plateau. This idea was introduced to the Korean Peninsula along with the first waves of ancient Chinese culture. The exact date of the ...
Geomancy or pungsu (fengshui in Chinese) is not of Korean origin, but is of Chinese origin, probably from the Loess Plateau. This idea was introduced to the Korean Peninsula along with the first waves of ancient Chinese culture. The exact date of the introduction of geomancy into Korea is not yet known. When researchers investigate the diffusion of geomancy into Korea, it is important to consider the following three points. (1) That the ancient practice of using 4 guardian deities while observing landforms of a proposed capital city site could be evidence of the introduction of geomancy into Korea. (2) The establishment of gardens (ponds and hills) in the South side (front) ground of a palace could be evidence of the diffusion of geomancy into Korea. This is because geomantic principles require having a watercourse in front of an auspicious site (myongdang, hyol). In geomancy, it is believed that the vital energy (senggi in Korean, shengqi in Chinese) can not cross water and thus is stored in the auspicious site. (3) In the study of the introduction of geomancy into Korea, a cross-cultural investigation will provide important perspectives which would otherwise not be available. It is suggested that the date of introduction of geomancy into the Korean Peninsula may date much earlier than the 8th Century that has previously been suggested by some scholars.