Eating Feng Shui

Because people often associate wealth with the food with which we succor ourselves, i often get approached by clients who are so paranoid about every design aspect of their dining rooms to the point where reason is abandoned, and their perspective of feng shui becomes more superstitious than scientific.

If you’re planning your dining room, and before you work yourself — and your poor architect or interior designer — into a frenzy, it’s important to remember that while it is an important place in that the family gathers there for meals and togetherness, the dining room is actually not very important in the Chinese metaphysical classics. In fact, it is ranked below the main door, the kitchen, master bedroom, and living room in the hierarchy of important places in the house, and that’s because residents don’t tend to spend much time in the dining room, certainly not enough to benefit or be harmed by the Qi in that area in
any way.

House Gua Table
Use this chart to assist in the planning of directions in the dining room

Bearing that in mind, you should also remember that if you’ve been told that colour and décor can affect the Qi of the room that it’s simply hogwash, and not true! These things are irrelevant in classical Feng Shui. You may choose to have the Chinese character ‘wealth’ inscribed on an artifact because it looks nice, but if you think it possesses the magical powers to bring you wealth, then you are sadly wrong (can you imagine how many millionaires there would be if that were true?) Similarly, other props like mirrors should be considered as nothing more than decorative items to enhance the aesthetic value of the room. In classical Feng Shui it’s the placement and alignment of key features like pathways, walkways, halls, rooms and working areas that matter, not mirrors, nor the colour of your walls, and certainly not Chinese characters.

So now that you know what won’t affect your dining room Qi, it’s time to find out what will. The living room should be located in a spacious and unobstructed area of the house. As long as good Qi is gathered there, you will not need the ‘assistance’ of ‘props’ to bring you good luck. In this respect, the fu wei (伏位) or yan nian (延年) sectors are generally considered to be suitable areas for a dining room to be sited if you follow the bazhai or eight mansions school of thought. Because fu wei Qi and yan nian Qi are considered to be calming, it’s beneficial for family gatherings and mealtimes.

At the end of the day, true Feng Shui isn’t a superstitious cultural practice. Remember, comfort is key. If you feel good about the way you have designed your living room, and if you’ve adhered to the basic principles I’ve outlined, then the furniture, paintings or mirrors you put in it won’t be more than items to enhance the aesthetic — and not the Feng Shui — value of the room.

Joey Yap’s Profile

Joey Yap is the founder of the Mastery Academy of Chinese Metaphysics, a global organisation devoted to the teaching of Feng Shui, BaZi, Mian Xiang and other Chinese Metaphysics subjects. He is also the Chief Consultant of Yap Global Consulting, an international consulting firm specialising in Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology services and audits. He is also the bestselling author of over 30 books on Feng Shui, Chinese Astrology, Face Reading and Yi Jing, many of which have topped the Malaysian and Singaporean MPH bookstores’ bestseller lists.

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