Feng shui a force to be reckoned with in Hong Kong, shaping homes and even cityscapes
Concept of enhancing life through optimising arrangement of objects still key principle in city
At the beginning of every Lunar New Year, Hongkongers will look at ways to improve their homes, and hopefully their prospects for the 12 months ahead – with the help of feng shui.
Pronounced fung shway, and translated as “wind/water”, it is the concept that objects around us can affect our energy (chi), and by optimising the arrangement of those objects, it is possible to enhance your life.
The practice originates from Taoism and is perhaps most commonly applied to home furnishings. But in Hong Kong, it is also a principle used to influence cityscapes. The elements which must be kept in balance include water, wood, fire, metal and earth.
Louis Wong, a feng shui practitioner at Sky Fortune in Causeway Bay, said the positioning of the No 1 star (water) in the middle of the chart means Hong Kong’s economy could be “unstable” this year. “It also affects people’s emotions,” he said. “It is very easy to argue and quarrel. If people want to avoid those unstable elements, they need to enhance the No 9 star (fire) or the No 4 star (wood). These two stars can stabilise the impact and bring good luck.”
For 2017, he suggested the following strategies to achieve balance at home: