ABSTRACT
On the Logical System and Meaning of the Orientation Method of Feng-shui
- Focused on the Aspect of Architectural Design Theory -
In-choul ZHO
Department of Architecture
Graduate School of Sungkyunkwan University
Supervised by Professor S...
ABSTRACT
On the Logical System and Meaning of the Orientation Method of Feng-shui
- Focused on the Aspect of Architectural Design Theory -
In-choul ZHO
Department of Architecture
Graduate School of Sungkyunkwan University
Supervised by Professor Sang-hae LEE
Feng-shui orientation method(風水向法) is one of the architectural design methods of determining building direction. This method has been applied for deciding orientation of traditional architecture of East Asia, mainly in China and Korea. As an architectural design tool, it is necessary to understand the logical system and meaning found in feng-shui orientation method. The purpose of this dissertation is to introduce and investigate the logical system and meaning of feng-shui orientation method. In this dissertation, six types of the method are mainly investigated with brief review of three more types of the method.
The orientation method of feng-shui is mainly based on the theories of 'Yinyang and Five Phases(陰陽五行論)', 'Eight Trigrams(八卦論)', 'Nine Stars(九星法)', and 'Twelve Moving Stars(12運星法)'.
Even though some other types of feng-shui orientation method are not included in this study, they are very similar in terms of system and meaning. This study is based on historical documents rather than on field survey. Some of the examples, nonetheless, are discussed by examining some actual facts found in the documents in Korea for accurate and deep-dive understanding of feng-shui orientation method.
In fact, this study starts with some assumptions on feng-shui orientation method as follows. First, feng-shui orientation method means the expression of world view(世界觀) of the people. Second, feng-shui orientation method embodies one of the good manners. Third, feng-shui orientation method reveals diverse patterns and their various applications through periods and regions. To prove these assumptions, it is important to analyze the relationship between logical system and geographical character of a region that gave birth to the type of feng-shui orientation method. A type called Jirisinbeob(地理新法), as an example, is founded by 'Hu Shunshen(胡舜申: 1131~1162) who had been lived in Jixi(績溪) region of Anhui Province(安徽省) located in the back of mountain Hwangshan(黃山). Jirisinbeob emphasizes the importance of main mountain(主山) to the back of a building or a village, which concerns with the importance of Mountain Hwangshan. It is also interesting that some of the representative types of feng-shui orientation method transmitted to Korea are related to the types originated from the regions between the upper and lower reaches of the River Zhangjiang(長江), that is, Sichuan Province(四川省) and Zhejiang Province(浙江省).
Feng-shui orientation method denotes the diversities and includes common meanings as well. The method embraces three elements of Heaven, Man and Earth(天地人), and considers the importance of the relationship between them. The stars in the heaven are identified with the mountains on the earth. One of the most often mentioned stars in the heaven for feng-shui orientation method is the big dipper(北斗七星), It is also called as Nine Stars(九星) with inclusion of 'left guardian star'(左輔星)' and 'right guardian star'(右弼星). Combination of the Nine Stars and the Eight Trigrams is usually employed for judging fortune. There are many kinds of diverse patterns in combining the Nine Stars and the Eight Trigrams according to each type of orientation method. The moon and the Eight Trigrams are also combined for explaining Napgap(納甲) system. It is intended to interrelate the heaven and the earth that the star appears in feng-shui orientation method.
The heaven is related to time, and the earth is space. The earth and the human beings appeared in the feng-shui orientation method are assigned to their own peculiar system. The earth and the human beings are treated as the equal value in this relationship. Both of them are variables in selecting each other. This relationship is not allowed to the human-beings selecting site one-sidedly but valuing both sides equally. In feng-shui orientation method, the theory of YinYang(陰陽論) contains some aspects of dynamic and static(動靜), pure and impure(淸濁), four forms(四象)', and clockwise and counterclockwise(順逆) respectably. For example, the aspect of pure and impure can be found in Jirisinbeob(地理新法) method. Except the theory of YinYang, the theories such as Five Phases(五行論), Eight Trigrams(八卦論), Nine Stars(九星法), Twelve Moving Stars(12運星法) are also applied on feng-shui orientation method. The meanings found in these theories are relative, but not absolute.
It is known that various types of feng-shui orientation method are transmitted to Korean Peninsula from China. Nonetheless, it can be found that some types of orientation method is identified as originated in Korea. It is also found those from China are applied in Korea showing diversities between different regions, periods and social status. As for these aspects, It is necessary to perform more study.
Architectural design is a kind of structuring space, including large or small building. Proving the structuring space is the main role of feng-shui orientation method. This method provides architecture to have sufficient meanings. Feng-shui orientation method denotes a viewpoint of nature related three elements of the Heaven, the Earth, and the Man with the meaning of both space and time. It also denotes the dynamic and applicable characters, and the cultural and historical aspects fertilizing architecture. It is evident that feng-shui orientation method shows the possibility to be developed as an architectural design theory, despite the contradiction in the logical systems in it.
In conclusion, it can be maintained that feng-shui orientation method can work successfully as an architectural design theory on condition of design ability and strong desire of the architect.