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serapan lengkong...................
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assalamualaikum!
today Im gonna talk about feng shui
since my history lecture pn suzana ask me to make an assignment about history of china
so i choose feng shui because i think that feng shui is very famous among the chinese.
and i not make a mistake coz after the research that i made, it is really true that this feng shui is really important in chinese lifestyle. it also influnced the chinese architecture a lot
so here i put some of my work about what is feng shui and the influances of feng shui in chinese architacture
INTRODUCTION:
The term Feng Shui means literally Wind and Water. It is the forces that shape the landscape. It is pronounced "Fung Schway" and it refers to a set of rules in Chinese philosophy that govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to patterns related to the Universal Laws, as expressed in the Natural World.
It is said that the term Feng Shui is actually a short way to refer to an ancient poem, which described the ideal conditions of a place where human life could thrive, in harmony with Heaven and Earth.
Feng Shui is at least 5,000 years old. The Feng Shui masters of Ancient China had the responsibility of finding sites where palaces, farms, and villages could be built with a certain guarantee that people could not only survive, but prosper there. They also were to find burial sites where the memory of ancestors could be honored for generations. At a time when there were no weather reports and history had just started to be recorded, Feng Shui practitioners had to rely on their powers of observation of the natural world. They would take note of things like:
* the abundance and availabilty of drinking water
* the quality and fertility of the soil
* the shapes of mountains, hills, rivers, lakes and valleys
* the condition of vegetable and animal life
* the presence of enough fish and game
* the strength and direction of the winds
* sun exposure
THE PRINCIPLE OF FENG SHUI:
· The way (tao)
· Ying and yang
· Chi
THE WAY (TAO)
It shows us how to order our lives to live in harmony with ourselve, each other and the natural. Not only a human live in this whole world. There is the animal, plant and also other creature in this world.
For that reason, this tao will help us to make a harmony relationship with ourselve. Then it also create a harmony relationship between human and human, also human with nature surrounding.
YING AND YANG
Positive and negative forces act together in order to create energy . ying and yang represent these two forces which are in constant movement and each attempting to gain dominance.
If one of them achive the dominance, the imbalance will occur. So, when one force become too strong its influence subsides and the other takes over. So the aim of ying and yang is to achieve the balance between the two forces.
CHI
Chi is the life force of of all animate things, the quality of the environment, the power of the sun, the moon and wheather system, and the driving force in human beings.
The purpose of feng shui is to create environment in which chi flows smoothly to achive phisical and mental health.where chi flow gently through a house, the occupant will be positive and will have easy passage through life.
If chi move sluggish or stuck, then the chances are that problem will occur to those who living there.
FIVE TYPES OF ELEMENT IN FENG SHUI
Ø Wood
Ø Fire
Ø Earth
Ø Metal
Ø Water
WOOD
Wood Characteristic:
Symbolise spring, growth and plant life. Viewed as a tree . this wood energy is expansive, nurturing and versatile. Wood colour is green.
Wood Personalities:
· Wood people are public-spirited and energetic. Ideas people. They also an outgoing people.
· Positively they are artistic and undertake task with enthusiasm
· Negatively they become impatient and angry and often fail to finish the task they have begun.
FIRE
Fire Characteristic:
Symbolise summer, fire and heat. It can bring light, warm and happiness or it can errupt, explode and destroy with a greate violence. Positively it stand for honour and fairness. Negatively it stand for honour and fairness. Fire colour is red.
Fire Personalities:
· Fire people is leaders and crave action. They inspire other to follow but they dislike rules and fail to see censequences
· Positively they are innovative, homorous and passionate people
· Negatively they are impatient exploit others and have little thought for their feeling
EARTH
Earth Characteristic:
Symbolise the nurturing environment that enable seed to grow, from which all living things emanate and return to. Positively it denotes fairness, wisdom and instinct. Negatively it represent nervous and non existent problem. Earth colour is yellow, orange and brown.
Earth Pesonalities
· Earth people are supportive and loyal. They also practical and do not rush anythings.
· Positively they are loyal, depandable and patient
· Negatively they are absessional
METAL
Metal Characteristic:
Symbolise autumn and strength. Its nature represent solidity and ability to contain object. Positively its represent communication, idea and justice. Negatively it can suggest destruction. Metal colour is white, silver, grey and gold.
Metal Personalities:
· Metal people are dogmatic and resolute. They are good organizers and indipendent.
· They are srious and do not accept help easily.
· Positively they are stong and intersting people. Negatively they are inflexible, melancholic and serious
WATER
Water Characteristic:
Symbolise winter and water itself, gentle rain and storm. Positively it nurtures and support with understanding. Negatively it can wear down and exhaustit also can suggest fear, nervousness and stress. The colour of water is blue and black.
Water Personalities:
· Water people communicate well. They are diplomatic and persuasive.
· They are sensetive to the mood of other and a good listener
· Flexible nad adapted, they view things holistically.
· Positively is stand for artistic, sociable and sympathetic
· Negatively they are sensitive and intrusive.
THE INFLUENCES OF FENG SHUI IN CHINESE ARCHITECTURE (FORBIDDEN CITY)
· Shape of the city
· Building or house with animal
· The proportion of the entrance to the size of the city
· The city with a river
· The placement of the main gate
· The uses of colours of the feng shui elements.
Shape of the building
· A lot’s shape can affect the house or city that sits on above it
· The most favorable plots are those regular in shape which is square, rectangular or oval
· The Forbidden City used the ractangular shape
· In the Feng Shui theory, this shape attract a good balance of chi
· Try to avoid triangular, trapezium and other shapes with narrow portion. This is becaus if the narrow portion is at the front, chi will choked on its way in and out of the lot.
· If the wide portion is at the front, the chi will escape to readily.
Building or house with animal
· In Feng Shui theory, animal generate positive chi.
· Having a animal in the building will create a positive energy to crowd out any negative energy waiting to enter the building.
The proportion of the entrance to the size of the city
* In the Feng Shui theory, the entrance of the city should be proportion to the size of the city.
* A large entrance on a small city or house will allow beneficial chi to escape while letting unlucky chi slip in.
* A small entrance on a large city or building will block the entrance of beneficial chi while simultaneously trapping a negative chi inside.
The entrance is proportion to the size of the city.
The city with a river
* In the Feng Shui theory, a city that have a river is blessed by the god.
* This is because, the river bring a good Chi. So, the river works to distribute a positive chi to all of the city.
· Water symbolise wealth and the water flowing into the city symbolise receiving wealth.
The placement of the main gate
· The main gate of the Forbidden City is facing south.
· A south orientation was preferable because the wind from Mongolia carried a carried a great deal of yellow dust and was terribly cold. It is also considered ad a bad chi.
· For that reason, people avoided placing window on the north, and such practice become common. Even now many beijing building do not have window or other openings on the north.
the main gate of the forbidden city is facing south to avoid bad chi from the north.
The uses of colours of the feng shui elements
· The Forbidden City used a colour of five element of the Feng Shui which is green (wood), red (fire), white (metal), yellow (earth) and blue (water)
· We can see the green colour came out from the tree aroun and inside the city.
· The red colour is used a lot for the column and wall.
· The yellow and brown is used as the colour of the roof
· White is used at the stair and bridge
· Blue is for the water and the sky background of the city.
CONCLUSION:
Feng Shui is an important element of the Chinese architecture since a long time ago. We can find a lot of influences of Feng Shui in the Chinese architecture especially at the Forbidden City since it was the largest Feng Shui project ever constructed. Every detail of the palace complex was studied and approved by the finest Feng Shui priests of the time
By applying Feng Shui in our daily life, we can learn how to be more responsible to our nature.it also teach us to be harmony with ourselves, to each other and to the natural world.
In modern times Feng Shui also deals with the surroundings of a building including streets and other buildings, its shape and landscaping, as well as with the colors and materials of the outside and inside of a space. Feng Shui rules can help find a site where family life is more likely to be harmonious, or a locale where a business is more likely to succeed.
While Architecture is based mainly on rules of functionality and Interior Design concentrates on beauty, Feng Shui adds the dimension of feelings. How people react emotionally to a place is as important as proper architectural or interior design. It is essential that people feel comfortable and safe in their home or workplace in order to create environments where we can be happier, healthier, more prosperous and free.
REFERENCES:
Books:
· The Feng Shui Garden by Gill Hale
· Applied Pa-kua and Lo Shu Feng Shui by Lillian Too
· Feng Shui For The Home by Evelyn Lip
· Feng Shui Harmonizing Your Inner And Outer Space by Zaihong Shen
· Feng Shui The Way Of Harmony by Albert Low
Web :
· http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui
· http://www.asianartmall.com/fengshui.htm
