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Man Mountain (page 3)
Source :
Date : 28 Jun 2004
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extracted from TheEdge (THE WEEK OF JUNE 28 - JULY 4, 2004)
Similar, expansive landforms and architecture are observed in the tombs of two actual emperors of the dynasty.
The North Tomb, Zhaoling, is the location of the tomb of Huangtaiji and provides a good example of the application
of what is termed as the Flat Land Dragon Theory. This provides my amateur feng shui mind with the answer to the
nagging question: Where good natural surrounding landforms do not exist, is it still possible to create a mountain
through man-made means to tap the Qi?
Yes, but only if one can replicate it on the scale and extent in which it is found at Zhaoling. The tomb is
impressive, to say the least, and its surrounding buildings palatial and restful. This environment of wide-open spaces
(“bright halls”) and gentle breezes engenders self-reflection.
The tomb itself, an imposing, concrete-covered mound capped by a dramatic, singular tree (said to have been planted
to attract crows, considered good luck in Manchu culture), is almost like a beautiful film location. It is an
application of Flat Land Dragon theory, which advocates such practice to receive Heaven Qi. By standing “above”
the rest of the area, this site automatically draws in Qi from the Hun river in the distance, and is able to
circulate it and trap it, thus maintaining a constant flow of Qi in the site of the tomb.
Zhaoling represents one example of superior feng shui; it is the application of the art in its simplest
form without the help of formulas. It is touted to have contributed to the good fortune enjoyed by Huangtaiji’s
grandson, Emperor Kang Xi (1662-1722), who, together with Emperor Qian Long (1736-1795), was regarded as one of
the most skilled and longest reigning Qing Emperors.
On the other hand, the Fuling tombs, with the defining feature of their 108 steps (of no feng shui significance),
where Nuerhachi was buried, are said to have less than favourable feng shui, hence the relatively short reign of
Shun Zi, his grandson and son of Huangtaiji.
Two other sites visited provide further insight into the rise of the dynasty under its early leadership.
The first, the beautifully ornate Shenyang Imperial Palace, with its lively dragons with outstretched claws,
is only one of the two ancient palace groups preserved intact in China (the other being the Forbidden City).
It was built from 1625 to 1636, during the reigns of Nuerhachi and Huangtaiji. This second Forbidden City, with
its spacious courtyards, houses the Da Zheng Dian (Hall of Great Affairs, where the throne hall is located) in
what Yap points out as a Clipper formation.
The Clipper formation is not readily visible to the untrained eye and we are asked to visualise it in our mind’s
eye. It is meant to resemble a person sitting with his or her legs splayed when viewed from above. Yap explains that
the Clipper formation is usually linked to sex scandals. However, the deliberate tilting and elevation of the main
building, where the Emperor’s throne is located, to one side is an illustration of an intelligent application of
feng shui designed to deflect the negative energy entering from the long straight concentration of Qi.
Nuerhachi also built Hetuala City, where he was just a Han King, and it was considered the capital before it was
moved to Shenyang. Here, the crucial thing to note is the placement of the door, in this case, the entrance to the
city. Yap notes that, “If the formation is right, a door at the right place (will allow) Qi (to) flow in.” The
excursions also take students via Beijing to the Eastern Qing Tombs, as well as to the more famous attractions of
The Forbidden City, Jing San, the Summer Palace and the Yonghe Gong Lamasery.
Yap thinks that Shenyang will become even more popular in the next 20 years. “If you study the form of feng shui,
(Shenyang) picked up in Period 8. And this is (again) the Period 8. I believe, after our visit, more and more
practitioners will also visit Shenyang in view of the feng shui. Large international companies will come to Shenyang
and open factories and businesses. This place will pick up based on the mountain structure alone. Period 8 is a time
frame where Qi changes. You see, feng shui is not fixed. Period 8 lasts from now (until) 2023. And every 20 years,
there is a capital transformation of energies; that’s why no fortunes will last forever. The idea of feng shui is
to get it to last for as long as you can.”
The excursion to various sites in China highlights the fact that the feng shui study of landforms, also known
as the “Luan Tou” method, must not be neglected in our preoccupation with adjusting to unsuitable elements within
the house; feng shui is dependant on the surroundings of the building as well as its interior. “(I)n order to advance,
you must first understand the context of the past,” Yap reminds us.
The “real” Joey Yap, the layers within, that which is not Joey Yap the teacher, is almost elusive. He particularly
dislikes that people do not always appreciate being told that they cannot obtain instant gratification with feng shui.
In “the old days,” he says, they used to call the feng shui master when they were building their homes but “today,
they buy the house, furnish it, then ask you to go and see it”.
Yap started off learning feng shui through “master worship”, and came to realise that masters were, like medical
specialists, not equally good in all fields and prone to keeping secrets. “The problem is, a layman doesn’t know that.
In my devised syllabus, I teach all the systems, present them comprehensively and in a very structured way that
students can learn.”
Asians, though, are difficult learners. “Asians have a fixed mindset of what feng shui is and is not. It is easier
to fill an empty teacup (than one already full). It’s very important to be a little bit scholarly in this as well.
You have to do a lot of research, and there is a difference between the scholars and the practitioners in the field.
Some people practise only; they are not interested in the theory. Some people only study and talk about the theory
but never practise.”
The two basic ideologies of classical feng shui are called San He and San Yuan, or the “Oxford and Cambridge of
feng shui.” “They are both unique schools. Both teach feng shui systems and have their own methods of analysis.
The strength of San He lies in formula-based calculation, especially in the calculation of time…
“The problem in the old days, there was the Chinese ‘cultural flaw’ – if you were schooled in one ideology,
you would dismiss the ideology of the other. Why? Because the teacher tells you everything in the other school
is wrong… but the smart ones will know that these two come from one Master.”v
In reality, the two schools “have to be and are complementary”. The problem is a classic one: the politics of
ideology. The feng shui that Yap advocates covers form and formula. “I learnt from two types of teachers and some
people say they conflict. In fact, they work on different planes and they complement each other. It is how you see it.”
Reported by Choo Li-Hsian
(business analyst from TheEdge)
Page 3 of 3
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