Geomantic Interpretation of Architecture —— Geomantic Evaluation of Suzhou Gardens

China attached great importance to Feng Shui in ancient times, and the mentality of pursuing good Feng Shui was integrated into all aspects of ancient life.

The ancient people's pursuit of geomantic omen can be seen in the famous Suzhou garden buildings.

Then let's evaluate the geomancy of Suzhou gardens through architectural geomancy.

China ancient geomantic omen is the embodiment of landscape worship, emphasizing the harmony between man and the universe. The commonly used theories include Yin-Yang Eight Diagrams, Five Elements and Four Images, which reflect the comprehensive concepts of geology, geography, ecology, landscape and architecture in ancient China. This is a geographical view of "harmony between man and nature", which is called "oriental cultural ecology" by western scientists. The famous Suzhou gardens are mainly home gardens, and traditional culture attaches great importance to the "Feng Shui" of home gardens. Therefore, Suzhou gardens will naturally look for "good feng shui" in site selection and layout.

"Tibetan wind gathers gas", "mountains are surrounded by water" and "Longzhen point" are called "three elements of Feng Shui". For example, the site selection of gardens, geomantic omen takes the land of four spirits as the ideal environment, and its composition mode completely applies the orientation schema of the five elements and four spirits, but only concretizes the four spirits into environmental elements such as mountains (Xuanwu), rivers (Qinglong), roads (white tigers) and ponds (Suzaku).

The so-called Zuo Qinglong, You Baihu, Qianshouzhaku and Houxuanwu all use relative positions, not absolute positions of east, west, north and south. The site selection of Suzhou gardens is also based on the four-beast model. For example, in Ten Books of Yangzhai, it is said: "Anyone who has running water, who has a long road on his left, is called a white tiger, and those who have a dirty pool in front of him are called suzaku, and then there are hills, which are called Xuanwu, which is your place." Suzhou Ou Garden, with flowing water in the east (left), river in the south (front), library in the north (back), water behind the building and roads in the west (right), is naturally a bustling place.

"Eight diagrams" are images in eight directions on the plane, and they are derivatives in four directions. Therefore, the door of the house is the mouth of the house, which mainly absorbs aura. Therefore, the orientation of the gate of the garden residence is the most important, generally facing south, with Li (south), Xun (southeast) and Zhen (east) as three auspicious faces, of which the southeast is the best, which is called Qinglong in geomantic omen. A shadow wall is placed next to the door to avoid air impact, and the shadow wall is not closed to maintain "smooth airflow".

The gates of private garden houses are generally located in the southeast, in the position of "wood". "Wood" is the divination of "wind". Compared with Shui Mu, "wind" is the entrance, which means that the financial resources are rolling and the sunshine is penetrating. It is said that people think that the southeast wind can feel peaceful, quiet and simple natural artistic conception, so Feng Shui is the best. The divination of "leaving" due south belongs to noon fire, and the sun is the most vigorous. Only "emperors" and "immortals" can afford it, and most people do not avoid harm, so few people face the south gate of private gardens.