Modern environmental design of Feng-shui Culture Ecological Analysis. XueJie-Chen 1, a

Transcription

1 Applied Mechanics and Materials Online: ISSN: , Vols , pp doi: / Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland Modern environmental design of Feng-shui Culture Ecological Analysis XueJie-Chen 1, a 1 Guangdong Engineering professional technology institute Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China a cxj197911@sohu.com Keywords: feng-shui;environment design;ecology; Abstract.Chinese geomancy Fengshui was the fundamental basis, norm and guiding ideology for site selection of environment, planning, design and building of a residence. Its effect scope showed a homology and similarity with the building goal and environment design. Long-term since, someone put feng shui as a kind of feudal superstition, and give the negate, others believe the praise highly of feng shui, vehemently. However feng shui as a kind of culture, historically have been enmities, which inevitably contains a some reasonable factors. Based on this, the author tries to from scientific point of view, make use of ecology theory to explore the Fengshui culture s scientific, hoping to reveal its rationality, and acquire the correct understanding of Fengshui culture. In this way, the paper attempts to establish an environment designparadigm with Chinese characteristics, which can guide the design of environmental art.this paper uses the ecological system theory in the residential Fengshui on to homestead,explores the external environment and reveals the existing in the residential Fengshui culture s scientific, thereby,we can correctly put forward reasonable views on the residential Fengshui culture. OVERVIEW Feng-shui (literally wind and water), Chinese geomancy, emerged gradually over thousands of years. The Chinese characters for feng-shui, can be directly translated as "wind" and "water", To avoid wind and to have water is the basic premise in feng-shui site selection. The name for feng-shui which is used in classical Chinese sources is kan-yu.it reflects the world view or the traditional Chinese mind: actions on earth affect the heavens and movements in the heavens act upon the surface of the earth. It stands for the forces that shape the natural environment; the wind and mountain air that prevails and the streams and rain that bring fertility and floods. Their composite meaning points to the dynamism of the world. Over the millennia, feng-shui has emerged from traditional Chinese philosophy. It has been developing throughout the existence of Chinese history and civilization, having its roots from the Taoist philosophies. The basic tenets feng-shui draws from include qi (vital energy flow), Yin-Yang theory, the eight diagrams system, the five elements theory and the theory of the reaction between vital energy flow and landform. Feng-shui embraces Taoism and Confucian thoughts. Taoism pursues the balance and harmony with natural environment while Confucianism emphasizes the whole social value, proprieties, and the sense of place. The harmony between humans, society, and nature can be achieved by finding the right amount of Qi in a location. Thus, Feng-shui contains practical wisdom to choose ideal locations for human habitation. Feng shui principles and practices aimed to create a harmonized built environment for people to live and work in, representing a traditional Chinese architectural theory of selecting favorable sites as well as designing and planning buildings and cities. For many centuries the Chinese have relied upon this intelligent relationship with nature to ensure their protection and survival in this world. All rights reserved. No part of contents of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of Trans Tech Publications, (ID: , Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA-13/05/16,10:46:35)

2 520 Sustainable Cities Development and Environment Protection Feng-shui is not only used for selecting sites, but also for landscape and architecture design, such as gardens, yards and houses. Feng Shui practice focuses on the utilization of natural environment conditions and landscapes while landscape architecture focuses on building artificial structures on the basis of natural landscapes Therefore, landscape design, planning and building in ancient China were influenced deeply by Feng Shui theory.feng Shui theory has a profound influence on ancient and modern environment design theories.including the Ming Dynasty imperial tombs of the Qing Dynasty Summer Palace and so on, are Outstanding masterpiece of Chinese feng shui. 2 The Development Process of Feng-shui The origins of feng-shui can be traced to the Western Zhou dynasty ( B.C.). At that time, a primitive form of geomancy was used to determine locations of houses or graves.feng-shui is an ancient geomancy and art practiced in China for site selection and arrangement.evolving for thousands of years, this doctrine has been developed into two fundamental schools: Li-qi or Compass School, and Xing-shi or Form School.The Li-qi School entails the use of astrology, numerology, and other cosmological approaches to anticipate the future, while the Xing-shi School emphasizes distinct physical features of the surroundings to assess and interpret landscape values. Until the 19th century, feng-shui was firmly connected to events of every day life such as births, marriage, house-building, funerals, as well as to the selection of housing or grave sites. It is historically proven that feng-shui has shaped the landscape of China throughout the ages. As John Michell said: Feng-shui has an impressive record. However, after the 19th century, the Western sciences became increasingly influential in China.Fewer and fewer intellectuals believed in feng-shui theory and method.at the same time, due to the Cultural Revolution in the mid 一 20th century during the leadership of Mao Zedong that set about destroying most of the old culture of China, making it illegal to practice feng-shui on the charge of fraud.even though feng shui originated in China, its practice was actually less common in the People's Republic of China today as it is often thought of as peasant superstition.they looked upon feng-shui as a superstition unsupported by science. The feng-shui master was regarded as a fake, who only deceived the public. But, underground, especially in the countryside, there is still strong belief in feng-shui, feng-shui also remains strong in Chinese communities outside of China.Feng shui is practiced everywhere in East Asia and Southeast Asia and increasingly by those from Asian cultures living in the West. In early 2001 Hong Kong billionaire businessman Eric Hotung decided to sell the house he bought for six million dollars from Senator Ted Kennedy in 1997 because he thought that the house suffer from bad feng shui.more and more commercial enterprises are also not ashamed to identify the use of feng-shui publicly in their policies and designs. Interest in the four thousand year old tradition of feng-shui is also picking up quickly in the West. According to Ralph and Lahni DeAmicis' The Geomancer, a feng-shui Web site, the list of well-known personalities who practice feng-shui includes celebrities like Donald Trump; Bill Clinton, Madonna, Cher, Brooke Shields, Eric Clapton, Oprah Winfrey, and Julie Andrews. In addition, mega-companies like The Body Shop, British Airways, CBS TV Studios, Motorola, Panasonic, Hyatt Hotels, Kellogg's and Chase Manhattan Bank, to name a few, also admit to using feng-shui officially for their businesses. Apparently, the television, newspapers, magazines, radio, books, and the Internet are all fighting to be the feng-shui on this latest and hottest new fad. Western researchers were faced with the global eco environmental crisis and realized that Chinese Feng Shui theory contains elements of science and is an effective approach to handle the

3 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols global eco environmental crisis. Inspired by the research achievements abroad and stimulated by the fact that Japan and Korea seek to list Feng Shui theory as a world cultural heritage, researchers in Chinese academic circle sloughed off the complete repudiation of the Feng Shui theory since the May 4th Movement. They came to realize that in spite of the elements of superstition in it, the Feng Shui theory is very scientific. Though Feng Shui theory is also superstitious in many ways, it embodied a marked aesthetic component, which accounts for the great beauty of the sitting of so many farms, houses and villages throughout China. 3 Application principles of feng-shui in Ecology Environment design China has a long history of civilization for over 5,000 years, and many traditional classical philosophies are preserved.the traditional Chinese Feng-shui theory is mainly about how to locate and orient a house or a grave to bring good luck for the family. It is a unique culture resulting from large amount of practices in site selection and orientation. We should understand and evaluate the culture properly and appreciate its good aspects. While the word "feng-shui" has gained popularity and even acceptance in North America during the last number of decades its principles are not well understood or integrated in contemporary western architectural practice. This stands in strong contrast to eastern cities such as Hong Kong where very few structures are built without consulting a feng-shui expert.in addition, it is a serious omission that current research into Chinese city planning, architecture and garden design seldom even mentions feng-shui. This discipline, moreover, is not only of historical import. Many major architectural decisions around the world still hinge on the consultation of feng-shui experts, most notably in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and in the Chinese communities of California in the United States. Yet most professional designers have little understanding of the methods of these traditional practitioners of the art. As a result, conflicts arise between planners who are skeptical and clients who are of adherents of feng-shui. Feng-Shui is a comprehensive concept dealing with design professions such as city and regional planning, architecture, indoor design and landscape architecture as a design phenomenon. Feng-Shui is an environmentally friendly way of living. As human beings are considered part of the nature in ancient China, Feng-Shui is a way of life in harmony with nature and it shows respect to the nature. Chinese paid close attention to Feng-Shui as well as courtyard landscaping in ancient time. The layout of buildings, flowers, trees, rockworks and water systems in the garden should correspond with the principles of Feng-Shui theory as it is considered propitious for physical and mental health, fortune and business. This is the simple environmental consciousness in traditional Feng-Shui theory. The purpose of studying the Feng-Shui theory is to connect traditional Feng Shui theory with modern environmental landscape, search, select and create regular patterns and methods of environmental landscape that is propitious to the health and business of man. The fundamental principle of Feng-Shui is integration with nature. Feng-Shui theory highlights on maintaining and developing ecosystems in the designing process. In the history of Feng-Shui there is a strong idea that you don't want to do anything to damage the environment, because that will bring bad fortune.harmony with the environment is a very important aspect of Feng-shui. Feng-Shui theory has a profound influence on ancient and modern gardening theories We should reject superstitious elements of Feng-Shui theory in practical application and rejuvenate the outstanding cultural heritage.

4 522 Sustainable Cities Development and Environment Protection Generally speaking, Feng Shui theory is considered to be an environmental design theory and primary environmental science developed in ancient China. Feng Shui theory, the ancient Chinese art stems from the ancient practices in choosing the ideal dwelling place. The essence of Feng Shui theory is the pursuit of an ideal environment for survival and development. When people choose where to live, places with beautiful views, abundant sunshine, fresh air and water without geological disasters are always the best choice The study of Feng Shui theory shows astonishing similarity and synchronization with the ecological structure of modern landscape. For example, Feng-Shui theory attaches importance to Shui (water), Feng (wind), Tu (soil), Qi (gas) and a variety of expressing ways. It is consistent with water circulation, atmospheric circulation, soil lithosphere, vegetation and animals, etc. Human comes from nature, and human life is directly or indirectly influenced by ecosystem. Feng Shui theory is also a design concept including space design principles whose main design aims are observing nature to ensure balance with nature and conserving nature by designing harmonies environments with nature. These principles make Feng-shui extracted only from being hobby, mystical belief or art. Many actual design approaches such as sustainable design, ecological settlements, ecological planning and design were based on this philosophy which appeared centuries ago in the Far East. Feng Shui is regarded as the earliest form of ecology. During the thousands of years of practices in site selection and orientation, design and layout of structures, Feng Shui theory has been developed into an integration of arts and science of landscape architecture that is still meaningful and being practiced in the world today. There are some necessary connections between traditional Feng Shui site selection and ecological site design. The natural factors of the two methods are related. Meanwhile, the analysis of the core parts of site selection, such as wind, sunlight, physiognomy and water system integrates the two methods and explores the science of Feng-Shui site selection in terms of agrology. A holistic overview and tool kit of Feng-Shui and ecological principles are available to incorporate into new homes and offices and to improve the existing living and working environments. It is good news that we have the technology to build houses in harmony with nature. 4 Analysis on Application examples of feng-shui The ancient city of Langzhong is situated in Sichuan Province, It lies on the Sichuan Basin, middle reaches of Jialing River. Langzhong experiences the typical tropical monsoon climate of South Asia, now there are 850,000 inhabiting the city.the ancient city has noteworthy elements from several cultures, and is one of the rarest and best preserved ancient mufti-cultural towns in the Southwest of China. The city's development was affected by Daoism and Confucianism, and its structure manifests Feng-shui culture in terms of the city site selection, road network layout, and housing arrangement (Figure1). Fig. 1 The ancient city of Langzhong Langzhong located in the Sichuan Basin north edge, urban areas meters above sea level, Mainly in hilly landforms, there are some hills Pingba terrain. The territory of stream length of 59.4 kilometers, the city's forest coverage rate reached 41 percent.the City illustrates an ideal

5 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols Feng-shui (wind and water) location for retaining Qi. The surrounding mountains in the northwest shelter it from the cold wind. In the southeast are extensive fertile fields favoured with plentiful sunlight, an east wind, and clear spring water. The ancient city of Langzhong selecting the site and planning the layout of the town. The whole city is like a net woven with rivers. Sifang Street at the mouth of the river, formed from streams, is the center of the ancient city at the mouth of the river from three streams, playing an important role in building the city's identity In the langzhong ancient town, you can reach the Sifang Street from any point as long as you walk down along the stream. Meanwhile, its ancient ingenious water-supply system still functions effectively today in the natural way. Dykes have been constructed across the streams and each night, when the bazaar closes people shut the dykes and let water spill over to rinse Sifang Street. The whole water network consisting of these streams also protects the city from flooding by releasing storm water. The Book of Burial says Qi is closely connected to retained water. conveys Qi; and by creating vital river-friendly city space, the water becomes the important cultural element of "Genius loci" to shape the city's form and present a solution for enhancing the integrity of the city. Thus, water becomes the soul of the city. Modern environmental design will also be used feng shui principles, For example, the October 2002 vision statement found on the Web site of Suntec City, a colossal commercial project on reclaimed land in a new section of the city of Singapore, proudly proclaimed its architecture to be feng-shui inspired: Suntec City is a fascinating synergy of state-of-the-art technology and meta-physical symbolism.inspired in particular by the Chinese geomancy or feng-shui, its buildings and features are arranged to create harmony and attract good fortune. The Suntec City Web site explains that the water in the Fountain of Wealth flow inwards, instead of outwards, into the centre of the ring.water being a symbol of wealth and life to the Chinese, this inward flow is a symbolic retention of fortune, bringing prosperity to both occupiers and visitors. Figure2 shows Suntec City's actual composition of six complexes, simulating the wrist and five fingers of a hand: In the design, the hand is grasping the Fountain of Wealth. Fig. 2 The Suntec City 5 CONCLUSION The environment is being destroyed, ecosystems damaged and landscapes disturbed with the continuous growth of world population, acceleration of global urbanization, and irreversible large scale industrialization. Developing and maintaining sustainable landscapes have become one of the most challenging and imperative tasks for scientists and stakeholders of all sorts. In order to accomplish this task, Feng-shui can and should play a critical role. Since ancient times the tradition of Feng-shui rooted in Eastern cultures has reflected a similar concept committed to building harmony between heaven, earth, and humans. This thought also affects the selection and arrangement of human habitats in terms of meteorology, hydrology,

6 524 Sustainable Cities Development and Environment Protection topography, sociology, esthetics and psychology, all of which are involved in modern environmental design. The ancestors created a splendid culture. Only by inheriting the good aspects and abandoning the bad ones can we promote the advancement and development of the society.it should also be the way we treat Feng-Shui theory. References [1] Chen Xiangqiao, Wu Jianguo. "Sustainable landscape architecture:implications of the Chinese philosophy of unity of man with nature and beyond," Landscape Ecology, vol. 24, no. 8, pp , March [2] Yeow Beng Mah. "CRITICAL CONTEXTUALIZATION OF CHINESE FOLK BELIEFS AND PRACTICES:FENG SHUI AS A CASE STUDY," Asbury Theological Seminary, March [3] Bo Chul Whang, Myung Woo Lee, "Landscape ecology planning principles in Korean Feng Shui, Bi bo woodlands and ponds," Landscape Ecology, vol. 21, no. 2, pp , August [4] Wang Jin-tao;Du Ai-ling. "The Modern Landscape Architecture Education Using Traditional Feng Shui Theory in China, "J. Circuits, Communications and System (PACCS), 2011 Third Pacific-Asia Conference on, March [5] Lennon H. T. Choy, Stephen W. K. Mak, Winky K. O. Ho. "Modeling Hong Kong real estate prices, "J. Hops and the BuiltEnviron, vol. 22, no.2, pp , March [6] Nabila, As'ad;Masayu, Leylia K. "Feng Shui expert system for evaluating residential architectural design," Electrical Engineering and Informatics (ICEEI), 2011 International Conference on, March 2011.in Bandung, Indonesia. [7] HU Yi cheng. "In search of geomantic omen while coping with crises,"journal of qingdao University of Science and Technology ( Social Sciences), vol. 25, no. 1, pp , March 2009.in Chinese. [8] Peng; Dali.. "Towards a sustainable community: Applying Xing-shi Feng-shui pattern to reshape community structure in West Don Lands," University of Guelph (Canada), April, [9] Joseph Needham, Science And Civilisation In China, Volume 2 History of Scientific Thought., Cambridge University Press, 1980, pp [10] Lam; Kelly Wai Ying.. "CRITICAL CONTEXTUALIZATION OF CHINESE FOLK BELIEFS AND PRACTICES:FENG SHUI AS A CASE STUDY," University of Waterloo, March [11] Xu;Ping.. "Feng-shui: A model for landscape analysis," Harvard University, MAY, [12] Erdogan E, Erdinc L. "Landscape Design and Feng Shui," Journal of Tekirdag Agriculthral Faculty, vol. 6, no. 3, pp , September 2009

7 Sustainable Cities Development and Environment Protection / Modern Environmental Design of Feng-Shui Culture Ecological Analysis /