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69-419: Daidairi ( 大内裏 , also pronounced taidairi ) refers to the greater palace or outer palace precincts of a Japanese palace. In particular, it usually refers to these regions of: Heijō Palace in present-day Nara Heian Palace in present-day Kyoto Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with

138-602: A daidairi ( 大内裏 , also pronounced taidairi ) , a large rectangular walled enclosure which contained several ceremonial and administrative buildings including the government ministries. Inside this enclosure was the separately walled residential compound of the emperor or the Inner Palace . In addition to the emperor's living quarters the Inner Palace contained the residences of the imperial consorts as well as certain official and ceremonial buildings more closely linked to

207-426: A lacquered , two-sided board with astronomical sightlines. The earliest examples of liuren astrolabes have been unearthed from tombs that date between 278 BC and 209 BC. Along with divination for Da Liu Ren the boards were commonly used to chart the motion of Taiyi (Pole star) through the nine palaces. The markings on a liuren/shi and the first magnetic compasses are virtually identical. The magnetic compass

276-549: A Japanese style of the late Nara period. The garden was reconstructed in 1998. The Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has conducted research and investigation of the site on a continual basis since 1959. The Nara Palace Site Museum exhibits the results of the excavations. It consists of galleries for the palace and its administrative offices, artifacts, archaeological science, and special exhibitions. It takes 15 or 20 minutes to walk from Yamato-Saidaiji Station to Heijō Palace. And between May and August in 2010,

345-442: A compass) Others Traditional feng shui was a system designed to aid rural villages from the effects of weather and natural disaster. As a set of consistent rules, feng shui can facilitate collective consensus on development without the need of centralized leadership. Understanding that one's actions could damage the feng shui and fortunes of the entire village, individuals were incentivized to know these rules and carefully manage

414-409: A complex system of beliefs & laws of geomancy . This dictated the grid system of streets, as well as the necessity for spiritually protective shrines or temples to be placed at particular cardinal directions around the city. The city area measured 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from east to west and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from north to south. In accordance with this system, the palace was placed at

483-518: A large plaza. It stands on a north–south axis with another building that apparently housed communal activities. Regional communities may have used the complex. A grave at Puyang (around 4000 BC) that contains mosaics— a Chinese star map of the Dragon and Tiger asterisms and Beidou ( the Big Dipper, Ladle or Bushel )— is oriented along a north–south axis. The presence of both round and square shapes in

552-420: A large well, itself provided with a roof and from which numerous eating utensils have been excavated, stood a group of buildings used as offices and storehouses. The first inscribed wooden tablet recovered from the palace site was found in 1961 in a rubbish pit belonging to this office. The latter audience hall dates to the time after the capital was re-established after the relocation from Shigaraki. Traces of

621-442: A paradigmatic example of pseudoscience. It exhibits a number of classic pseudoscientific aspects, such as making claims about the functioning of the world that are not amenable to testing with the scientific method . The Yangshao and Hongshan cultures provide the earliest known evidence for the use of feng shui. Until the invention of the magnetic compass , feng shui relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and

690-645: A place with ideal qi . It also considers the time of important events such as the birth of the resident and the building of the structure. The Compass branch is a collection of more recent feng shui techniques based on the Eight Directions, each of which is said to have unique qi. It uses the Luopan , a disc marked with formulas in concentric rings around a magnetic compass. The Compass Branch includes techniques such as Flying Star and Eight Mansions . More recent forms of feng shui simplify principles that come from

759-515: A political institution and instead became an increasingly private affair. Many feng shui experts and diviners sold their services to the public market, allowing feng shui to quickly grow in popularity. During the Late Qing dynasty , feng shui became immensely popular. Widespread destitution and increasing government despotism led to feng shui becoming more widely practiced in rural areas. The Qing dynasty attempted to crack down on heterodoxy following

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828-648: Is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in Ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term feng shui means, literally, "wind-water" (i.e., fluid). From ancient times, landscapes and bodies of water were thought to direct the flow of the universal Qi – "cosmic current" or energy – through places and structures. More broadly, feng shui includes astronomical , astrological , architectural , cosmological , geographical , and topographical dimensions. Historically, as well as in many parts of

897-405: Is an emphasis on continual compromise and balance in order to maintain harmony. Feng shui has been observed to play an important role in the mediation of rural conflict. Through its amoral explanation of differential fortunes, feng shui provides a universal set of cosmic rules communities seek to abide by. This can promote community unity while also creating numerous points of polarization. Through

966-404: Is inherently a form of ancestor worship . Popular in farming communities for centuries, it was built on the idea that the ghosts of ancestors and other independent, intangible forces, both personal and impersonal, affected the material world, and that these forces needed to be placated through rites and suitable burial places. For a fee, a Feng shui practitioner would identify suitable locations for

1035-824: Is the oldest branch of feng shui. Qing Wuzi in the Han dynasty describes it in the Book of the Tomb and Guo Pu of the Jin dynasty follows up with a more complete description in The Book of Burial . The Form branch was originally concerned with the location and orientation of tombs ( Yin House feng shui ), which was of great importance. The branch then progressed to the consideration of homes and other buildings ( Yang House feng shui ). The "form" in Form branch refers to

1104-401: Is to balance yin and yang in the body, the goal of feng shui has been described as aligning a city, site, building, or object with yin-yang force fields. Eight diagrams known as bagua loom large in feng shui, and both predate their mentions in the I Ching . The Lo (River) Chart was developed first, and is sometimes associated with Later Heaven arrangement of the bagua . This and

1173-465: Is to take advantage of vital qi by appropriate siting of graves and structures. Polarity is expressed in feng shui as yin and yang theory. That is, it is of two parts: one creating an exertion and one receiving the exertion. The development of this theory and its corollary, five phase theory (five element theory) , have also been linked with astronomical observations of sunspot . The Five Elements or Forces ( wu xing ) – which, according to

1242-678: The Yellow River Chart ( Hetu , sometimes associated with the Earlier Heaven bagua ) are linked to astronomical events of the sixth millennium BC, and with the Turtle Calendar from the time of Yao. The Turtle Calendar of Yao (found in the Yaodian section of the Shangshu or Book of Documents ) dates to 2300 BC, plus or minus 250 years. In Yaodian , the cardinal directions are determined by

1311-451: The Dairi , the emperor's residence, and offices for various administrative agencies. The Nara period covers 75 years from 710 to 784 AD. Emperor Shōmu moved the capital to other places such as Kuni-kyo and Shigaraki-kyo in the period between 740 and 745 AD. The imperial buildings and government offices were drastically transformed around this period. In the later Nara period, the audience hall

1380-525: The Ming ). The astronomical history of feng shui is evident in the development of instruments and techniques. According to the Zhouli , the original feng shui instrument may have been a gnomon . Chinese used circumpolar stars to determine the north–south axis of settlements. This technique explains why Shang palaces at Xiaotun lie 10° east of due north. In some of the cases, as Paul Wheatley observed, they bisected

1449-662: The Suzaku Gate ( 朱雀門 , Suzakumon ) . The name "Suzaku" derives from the Chinese name for the legendary bird which acted as a southern guardian. The palace was surrounded by great earthen walls and had twelve gates, with the Suzaku Gate as the largest gate and the main entrance. The southern open spaces was part of the main avenue, and the Nijo Oji ( 二条大路 , Nijō-Ōji ) , the second great street, approximately 37 metres (121 ft) wide

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1518-658: The White Lotus Rebellion and Taiping Revolt , but feng shui's decentralization made it difficult to suppress in popular and elite circles. Under China's Century of Humiliation , feng shui began to receive implicit government encouragement as a method of colonial resistance. Through the militarization of the countryside, the local gentry used feng shui to justify and promote popular attacks against missionaries and colonial infrastructure. This allowed local elites and government officials to bypass foreign extraterritoriality and maintain local sovereignty. This, in addition to

1587-604: The Agency for Cultural Affairs in 1952, archaeological efforts headed by the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, such as excavations are continuing since 1959. The Suzaku Gate and East Palace Garden have been restored and opened to the public in 1998. The Takenaka Corporation was mainly responsible for the reconstruction. Heijō Palace was the main event site of Heijo Relocation 1300 Year Festival ( 平城遷都1300年祭 , Narasento 1300-nen-sai ) in 2010, and

1656-564: The Chinese countryside. Feng shui experts remained highly sought after, in spite of numerous campaigns to suppress the practice. It was only after China's Reform and Opening-Up that feng shui would see a complete resurgence. As economic liberalization promoted social competition and individualism, feng shui was able to find new footing due to its focus on individualism and amoral justification of social differences. Feng shui views good and bad fortune as tangible elements that can be managed through predictable and consistent rules. This involves

1725-419: The Chinese, are metal, earth, fire, water, and wood – are first mentioned in Chinese literature in a chapter of the classic Book of History . They play a very important part in Chinese thought: ‘elements’ meaning generally not so much the actual substances as the forces essential to human life. Earth is a buffer, or an equilibrium achieved when the polarities cancel each other. While the goal of Chinese medicine

1794-598: The First Great Hall ( 第一次大極殿 , First Daigokuden ) was restored for the occasion. In commemorative events of the 1300th anniversary, a variety of seasonal events were held throughout Nara Prefecture. The main entrance to the capital through the Suzaku Avenue was the Rajō Gate ( 羅城門 , Rajōmon ) . The main avenue was approximately 75 metres (246 ft) wide and extended north for 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) up to

1863-536: The Puyang tomb, at Hongshan ceremonial centers and at the late Longshan settlement at Lutaigang, suggests that gaitian cosmography (heaven-round, earth-square) existed in Chinese society long before it appeared in the Zhoubi Suanjing . Cosmography that bears a resemblance to modern feng shui devices and formulas appears on a piece of jade unearthed at Hanshan and dated around 3000 BC. Archaeologist Li Xueqin links

1932-510: The angle between the directions of the rising and setting sun to find north. This technique provided the more precise alignments of the Shang walls at Yanshi and Zhengzhou . Rituals for using a feng shui instrument required a diviner to examine current sky phenomena to set the device and adjust their position in relation to the device. The oldest examples of instruments used for feng shui are liuren astrolabes, also known as shi . These consist of

2001-470: The ceiling. The paintings were executed by the renowned painter Atsushi Uemura based on designs from the Nara period. In the middle of the audience hall was the emperor's throne, called Takamikura ( 高御座 ) . This was an important item that symbolised the imperial office, and at state events such as the enthronement and New Year's Day ceremonies the emperor proceeded to the audience hall and took his seat on

2070-493: The centre of politics shifted to the eastern sector of the precinct. The Mibu Gate served in effect as the main gate to the palace. The area immediately to the south of the Second street is known to have been used for state offices and detached residences located outside the palace grounds, and was thus a district rivaling the palace itself in importance. The daidairi was a walled rectangular area extending from north to south between

2139-608: The contemporary Chinese world, feng shui was used to choose the orientation of buildings, dwellings, and spiritually significant structures such as tombs . One scholar writes that in contemporary Western societies, however, "feng shui tends to be reduced to interior design for health and wealth. It has become increasingly visible through 'feng shui consultants' and corporate architects who charge large sums of money for their analysis, advice and design." Feng shui has been identified as both non-scientific and pseudoscientific by scientists and philosophers, and it has been described as

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2208-441: The cultural aspects of feng shui, made the practice a powerful expression of demarcation between foreign and Chinese identities. Following the rise of Communist China, religion and traditional cosmology were suppressed more than ever, in the name of ideological purity. Decentralized heterodoxies, like feng shui, were best adapted to survive this period. As a result, feng shui became one of the only alternative forms of thought within

2277-520: The design and patterns were created by referring to materials such as the treasure of the Shōsōin repository. This area, stretching northward from the centrally located Great Hall of State, is believed to have been the site of the Office of Foods. This office stocked foods other than the rice that was paid as tax, and was in charge of providing meals for state banquets and rituals held in the palace. Surrounding

2346-597: The design to the liuren astrolabe , zhinan zhen and luopan . Beginning with palatial structures at Erlitou , all capital cities of China followed rules of feng shui for their design and layout. During the Zhou era, the Kaogong ji ( Chinese : 考工記 ; "Manual of Crafts") codified these rules. The carpenter's manual Lu ban jing ( 魯班經 ; "Lu ban's manuscript") codified rules for builders. Graves and tombs also followed rules of feng shui from Puyang to Mawangdui and beyond. From

2415-684: The development of their land and resources. This served to prevent the Tragedy of the Commons . When conflict did erupt during development, feng shui experts played an important role in balancing interests and enforcing orderly development. Different branches of feng shui were developed and embraced in response to differing local geographies. In southern China , this often resulted in villages located on high hills safe from flooding and erosion, with pooling streams that allow for easy irrigation and drainage, fields downstream fertilized by sewage, and graves located on

2484-551: The earliest records, the structures of the graves and dwellings seem to have followed the same rules. Some of the foundations of feng shui go back more than 3,500 years before the invention of the magnetic compass. It originated in Chinese astronomy . Some current techniques can be traced to Neolithic China, while others were added later (most notably the Han dynasty , the Tang , the Song , and

2553-530: The first and second major east–west avenues and from west to east between the north–south avenues. The three main structures within the Greater Palace were the Official Compound ( 朝堂院 , Chōdō-in ) and the Inner Palace ( 内裏 , Dairi ) . The Chōdō-in was a rectangular walled enclosure situated directly to the north of the Suzaku Gate in the centre of the southern wall of the Greater Palace. It

2622-632: The free shuttle bus runs between Yamato-Saidaiji Station, JR Nara Station and Heijō Palace every 10 or 15 minutes. [REDACTED] Media related to Heijō Palace at Wikimedia Commons 34°41′28″N 135°47′44″E  /  34.69111°N 135.79556°E  / 34.69111; 135.79556 Feng shui Model humanity: Main philosophical traditions: Ritual traditions: Devotional traditions: Salvation churches and sects : Confucian churches and sects: Feng shui ( / ˈ f ʌ ŋ ˌ ʃ uː i / or / ˌ f ʌ ŋ ˈ ʃ w eɪ / ), sometimes called Chinese geomancy ,

2691-461: The highest hills far from water and on otherwise unvaluable farmland. To this degree, feng shui could help communities manage their spaces to match their physical, environmental, and aesthetic needs. A core aspect of feng shui has been its understanding of polarity. As opposed to western dualism , in which concepts are completely oppositional and irreconcilable, Chinese polarity sees opposing concepts as constantly changing and inseparable. The result

2760-483: The hiring of feng shui experts, disputes between villagers can be peaceably resolved without losing face. In addition, these impersonal cosmic rules help regulate local jealousies over wealth and prestige. As early as the Tang dynasty , the Chinese state recognized the disruptive power popular expressions of feng shui had over government authority. At the community level, feng shui could play an important role in community mobilization and political protest. By elevating

2829-465: The imperial domicile section. It was surrounded by a roofed walkway, divided lengthwise by an earthen wall. The Office of the Court Ladies was also located here. Inside the imperial domicile was a stone-paved area containing a large well, of which remains were found in 1973. The well was lined with a solid cedar tube carved from a log 1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in) in diameter. The water from this well

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2898-402: The living and the dead to achieve shū fú . The primary underlying value was material success for the living. According to Stuart Vyse , feng shui is "a very popular superstition." The PRC government has also labeled it as superstitious. Feng shui is classified as a pseudoscience since it exhibits a number of classic pseudoscientific aspects such as making claims about the functioning of

2967-438: The management of qi, an imagined form of cosmic "energy." In situating the local environment to maximize good qi , one can optimize their own good fortune. Feng shui holds that one's external environment can affect one's internal state. A goal of the practice is to achieve a "perfect spot", a location and an axis in time that can help one achieve a state of shū fú ( 舒服 ) or harmony with the universe. Traditional feng shui

3036-535: The marker-stars of the mega-constellations known as the Four Celestial Animals: The diagrams are also linked with the sifang (four directions) method of divination used during the Shang dynasty. The sifang is much older, however. It was used at Niuheliang, and figured large in Hongshan culture 's astronomy. And it is this area of China that is linked to Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) who allegedly invented

3105-457: The new capital was officially established, but the completion of the palace had to wait further. The new capital city's name was written Heijō ( 平城 ) but also pronounced Nara at the time. The city, and the palace grounds, was based largely on Chang'an (present-day Xi'an ), the capital of China during the Tang dynasty , which was contemporary to the time when Nara was capital. Chang'an was in turn, like many ancient east Asian cities, based on

3174-532: The northern end, on an extended line from Suzaku Street, the main thoroughfare running north–south straight through the centre of the city. The street ended at the Suzaku Gate , and the rest of the palace buildings were then placed beyond to the north of this gate. The primary buildings of the palace compound were the Daigoku-den , where governmental affairs were conducted, the Chōdō-in where formal ceremonies were held,

3243-409: The palace structures were either moved there or suffered several fires and other disasters and disappeared. The site was converted to agricultural use and almost no trace of it remained, however the location was still known. Excavations started in the 1970s and large-scale reconstruction based on contemporary literary sources and excavations starting in the 2000s. The excavated remains of the palace and

3312-456: The person of the emperor. The original role of the palace was to manifest the centralised government model adopted by Japan from China in the 7th century—the Daijō-kan and its subsidiary Eight Ministries. The palace was designed to provide an appropriate setting for the emperor's residence, the conduct of state affairs, and associated ceremonial functions. After the capital was moved to Heian,

3381-494: The platforms of the latter audience hall and the eastern state halls had remained by the Meiji era, which led to the discovery of the site by Sekino Tadashi, a researcher of architecture history. Tanada Kajuro, a local gardener, worked on a public movement for protection of the site. The area on the north side of the latter audience hall is the site of the imperial domicile. The emperor and empress lived, worked, and received visitors in

3450-573: The reconstruction, locations of the pillars were inferred through reference to the building's remains at Kuni-kyō , to where it had been relocated. For the upper part of the building, research was conducted on the main hall of Hōryū-ji , the eastern pagoda of Yakushi-ji , and other buildings that survived from the Nara period. The depiction of the Heian Palace audience hall depicted in the Nenchu gyoji emaki (Illustrated scroll of annual events and ceremonies)

3519-424: The shape of the environment, such as mountains, rivers, plateaus, buildings, and general surroundings. It considers the five celestial animals (vermillion phoenix, azure dragon, white tiger, black turtle, and the yellow snake), the yin-yang concept and the traditional five elements ( Wu Xing : wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). The Form branch analyzes the shape of the land and flow of the wind and water to find

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3588-466: The site of the East Palace. Within the area measuring 100 by 80 metres (330 by 260 ft). Several buildings were located around a curvilinear pond. In the vicinity of the site, Empress Shōtoku had the "Jewelled Hall of the East Palace" constructed, in which banquets were held. The excavations revealed that the garden was originally built in the Chinese style of the early Nara period, and modified in

3657-521: The south-pointing spoon (see compass ). Traditional feng shui is an ancient system based upon the observation of heavenly time and earthly space. Literature, as well as archaeological evidence, provide some idea of the origins and nature of feng shui techniques. Aside from books, there is also a strong oral history. In many cases, masters have passed on their techniques only to selected students or relatives. Modern practitioners of feng shui draw from several branches in their own practices. The Form Branch

3726-537: The surrounding area were established as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 along with a number of other buildings in the area such as the " Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara ." One year after Empress Genmei 's succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne in Keiun 4 (707 AD), a rescript was issued deciding on the move from Fujiwara-kyo near Asuka towards the northern edge of the Nara basin. In Wadō 3 (710 AD),

3795-583: The throne. Nobles lined up in the inner court south of the hall and paid their respect. With no records of the construction or design of the Takamikura of the Nara period, the details are unknown. The reconstructed model of the Takamikura was made after experts consulted various literature and historical materials, and based on the throne in the Kyoto Imperial Palace which dates to the Taishō era . Details of

3864-523: The title Daidairi . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daidairi&oldid=924379809 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Articles containing Japanese-language text Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Heij%C5%8D Palace The palace consisted of

3933-548: The traditional branches, and focus mainly on the use of the bagua . The Eight Life Aspirations style of feng shui is a simple system which coordinates each of the eight cardinal directions with a specific life aspiration or station such as family, wealth, fame, etc., which come from the Bagua government of the eight aspirations . Life Aspirations is not otherwise a geomantic system. San Yuan Method , 三元派 (Pinyin: sān yuán pài) San He Method , 三合派 (environmental analysis using

4002-618: The universe. In 4000 BC, the doors of dwellings in Banpo were aligned with the asterism Yingshi just after the winter solstice —this sited the homes for solar gain . During the Zhou era, Yingshi was known as Ding and it was used to indicate the appropriate time to build a capital city, according to the Shijing . The late Yangshao site at Dadiwan (c. 3500–3000 BC) includes a palace-like building (F901) at its center. The building faces south and borders

4071-459: The world which are not amenable to testing with the scientific method . It has been identified as both non-scientific and pseudoscientific by scientists and philosophers, and has been described as a paradigmatic example of pseudoscience. Qi ( 气 , pronounced "chee") is a movable positive or negative life force which plays an essential role in feng shui. The Book of Burial says that burial takes advantage of "vital qi ". The goal of feng shui

4140-633: Was a major thoroughfare running east–west along the southern side of the palace precinct. Around 35 metres in width, it was second only to Suzaku Avenue in size. The Suzaku Gate, which was the main gate, together with the Mibu Gate to its east and the Wakainukai Gate to its west, all opened onto this avenue. In the latter half of the Nara period, the Great Hall of State and the Halls of State compound that comprised

4209-569: Was also consulted. The reconstruction was started in 2001 and completed in 2010. For the reconstruction, Japanese cypress wood was used. The building's pillars and beams were painted in vermilion , the walls in white, the roof with ceramic tiles. The upper part of the interior of the hall was painted with symbols of the Chinese zodiac such as the Tiger , the Horse and the Ox alongside the walls, and floral pattern on

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4278-415: Was based on Chinese models and followed Chinese architectural styles, and archaeological evidence from earlier capitals shows that this building complex was present in earlier palaces and had a remarkably stable design from the 7th century onwards. The Great Hall of State ( 大極殿 , Daigokuden ) was the most important state building in the palace. It was facing south at the northern end of the compound. It

4347-409: Was erected in the eastern part, at the south side of the imperial domicile. This is called the latter audience hall. A number of buildings in the imperial domicile and the government offices were replaced and renovated several times. This was probably not due to the repair of the old buildings but due to another reason. When the capital was moved to Heian-kyō (now called Kyoto ), Nara's Imperial Palace

4416-412: Was extending in the east–west direction in front of the gate. The gate measured 10 by 25 by 22 metres (33 ft × 82 ft × 72 ft). Built on a platform, the gate was probably a two-storied structure, conspicuously larger than the other gates of the palace. The open space to the front was used for ceremonies such as New Year celebrations. It was reconstructed in 1998. The Second Street

4485-590: Was probably for the exclusive use of the emperor and empress. The site was reburied and the wall was reconstructed with new materials as an outdoor exhibit. In this section to the east of the imperial domicile, is what is thought to have been the Office of the Imperial Household ( 宮内省 , Kunai-shō ) . It was surrounded by an earthen wall, 90 metres in length to the north and south and 50 metres wide from east to west. Six buildings stood in this compound. The main one

4554-463: Was roofed with tiles, the others with cypress bark. The building were reconstructed in accordance with the findings of the archaeological excavations, following the Nara period construction techniques. Archaeological excavations uncovered remains of a large garden in the southeast corner of the palace in 1967. This was named "East Palace Garden" (Tōin Teien) because the neighbouring area is considered to be

4623-457: Was simply abandoned. Over the ensuing centuries, the ravages of time and the elements slowly destroyed the buildings, until by the beginning of the Kamakura period in the late 12th century there was practically nothing left above ground. However, those sections that lay underground were preserved, and re-discovered by modern archaeologists. While the site was designated a Special Historical Site by

4692-407: Was the largest building, measuring 20 by 44 by 27 metres (66 ft × 144 ft × 89 ft) 44 metres in width and 20 metres in depth, with a height of 27 metres. The hall was thought to have been a two-storey Chinese-style structure with a hipped and gabled roof, and an open front façade having no doors. No data directly indicating the audience hall's true appearance have survived. For

4761-550: Was used for feng shui since its invention. Traditional feng shui instrumentation consists of the Luopan or the earlier south-pointing spoon ( 指南針 zhinan zhen )—though a conventional compass could suffice if one understood the differences. Not to be confused with the South-pointing chariot which was used for navigation. A feng shui ruler (a later invention) may also be employed. After the Song dynasty, divination began to decline as

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