Theory and Reality of Feng Shui in Architecture and Landscape Art

Feng Shui is a practical reality that is rooted in Chinese life, merging the spiritual potential of human existence in life and death. The art of Feng Shui is not confined to houses but is also connected with landscape art. This fact becomes especially evident in traditional temple architecture and locations of Buddhist caves and statues that dot the scenery in Sichuan province and other locations. The volume, edited by Florian C. Reiter, presents the results of a symposium held in 2012, that assembled specialists to discuss theoretical and practical aspects of Feng Shui. Some analysis in the present volume shows the inseparable connection between the ancestors, the graveyards, and the housing for the ancestry at the home altars in residential quarters. It appears that the element of a religious connotation in building practice is a condition that characterizes genuine Feng Shui and must be considered by customers and architects. Some contributions show that comparable elements exist in European building practice, which seems to prove the impact of common notions about human habitation without being due to any intercultural stimulation. With contributions by Gyda Anders, Howard Choy, Huang Lan-Shiang, Michael Y. Mak, Florian C. Reiter, Ellen Van Goethem, Klaas Ruitenbeek, Tsai Sueyling.