subject: Learn Remarkable Facts On Feng Shui History [print this page] Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese system of utilizing certain so called laws governing the heavens and earth which could get better through what is known as having positive Qi. Feng Shui history is definitely an ancient one and covers over 3,500 years. It truly is even older than the invention of the magnetic compass. A major portion of its origins can stem from primeval astronomy.
The astronomical history of Feng Shui is evident in the primeval instruments that were created in its practice. The earliest identified Feng Shui instrument might have been what is known as the gnomon. This instrument was used along with trying to circumpolar the stars in order to find out the north and south axis. This was essentially used in laying down early Chinese settlements.
The antique Yangshao and Hongshan cultures in China provide the initial evidences of the tradition of feng shui. As prematurely as 4000 BCE, doors from Banpo dwellings were aligned to the star named Yingshi immediately after the winter solstice. This allowed the houses to be positioned for improved solar gain. During the Zhou era, the star Yingshi was acknowledged as Ding and had a huge impact in trying to decide the appropriate time to build their capital city. This is relating to minutes on the Shijing.
One more example of the practice of ancient feng shui may also be found from the crypt at Puyang that dates back to about 3000 BCE. This precise tomb contains mosaics of the stars called Dragon and Tiger along with the Beidou, known in the Western world as the Big Dipper constellation. The mosaics appear to be oriented along the north to south axis. The presence of round and square shapes were also found at the Puyang tomb as well as at the Hongshan cultural ritual centers and the previous Longshan settlement. These evidences imply that the custom of gaitian astronomy (belief in a circular earth and a square earth) was already existing in the primeval Chinese civilization.
One of the oldest instruments utilized in ancient feng shui were the liuren astrolabes. These very old instruments consist of a lacquered, two-sided plank equipped with astronomical sightlines. The oldest of the liuren astrolabes have been found and discovered from graves dating from 278 BCE and 209 BCE. These antique astrolabes demonstrate the cord-hook diagram and some of those found even incorporate the magic square of three. The markings on these instruments remained unchanged, from the ancient astrolabe down to the first magnetic compasses.
The tradition of astronomy that bears a striking resemblance to many contemporary feng shui devices and theories were also discovered on a jade relic found in Hanshan that dated at about 3000 BCE. Ancient structures in China which incorporated its palaces in the capital cities are all influenced by feng shui in their pattern and layout. The rules that were adopted were written in the Zhou period on the "Kaogong ji", or the "Manual of Crafts".
The magnetic compass was originally invented for the practice of feng shui and has been in use since its creation. Traditional feng shui devices include the Luopan or the earlier south-pointing spoon or the zhinan zhen. This demonstrates the extent of feng shui history and its long standing tradition in early Chinese history.
