Thanks to Richard Nixon’s visit to the People’s Republic of China in 1972, feng shui practices became popular in the US, yet another aspect of Asian culture that us Westerners have inherited.
Critics warn that claims of its scientific validity have been proven false and that the practices are pseudoscientific.
Others argue that it has been reinvented and commercialized by New Age entrepreneurs, or are concerned that much of the traditional theory has been lost in translation, not given due consideration, frowned upon, or disregarded.
However, feng shui has found many uses in the modern world, whether or not they’re considered scientifically valid.
Landscape ecologists often find traditional feng shui an interesting study. In many cases, the only remaining patches of old-growth Asian forest are “feng shui forests,” associated with cultural heritage, historical continuity, and the preservation of various species of flora and fauna.
Some researchers interpret the presence of these forests as indicators that the “healthy homes,” sustainability, and environmental components of traditional feng shui should not be easily dismissed.
Environmental scientists and landscape architects have investigated traditional feng shui and its methodologies. Architects study feng shui as an Asian architectural tradition.
Geographers have analyzed the techniques and methods to help locate historic sites in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and archaeological sites in the southwestern United States, concluding that traditional feng shui is a key element in the design of buildings and landscapes.
Believers use it for healing purposes, to guide their business, or to create a peaceful environment in their homes, although there is no empirical evidence that it is effective.
In particular, they use feng shui in the bedroom, where a number of techniques involving color and arrangement are thought to promote comfort and peaceful sleep. Typically this is accompanied by increased care for high-quality modern furniture, fine ware and the equipment to maintain it, minimalist design, and delicate colours.
Some feng shui users may be trying to gain a sense of security or control, for example by choosing auspicious numbers for their phones or favorable locations for their houses. Their motivation is similar to the reasons why some people consult fortune tellers.
In 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland recognized feng shui as an important part of Chinese culture by shifting the front door twelve degrees in its construction plans.
This was one of the actions suggested by Walt Disney Imagineering’s architectural and design planner Wing Chao. At Singapore Polytechnic and other institutions, professionals such as engineers, architects, property agents and interior designers take courses in feng shui and divination every year, and several of them become part-time or full-time feng shui consultants.
So is it myth or is it modern advancement? Perhaps we could say it’s both.
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