The birth of the "Shapes & Form School" of Feng Shui

The Water Dragon Classic written in  600 AD was one of the earliest documented studies on Feng Shui. This school of Feng Shui is commonly called " Water-Dragon " or " Water " Feng Shui. Water Feng Shui looks at the flow of  water surrounding a plot of land.

Around the period AD840 - 888CE, an  Imperial Feng Shui Master and Chinese Scholar Yang Yun Sung was said to be the first to compile the first Feng Shui manual based on the  features of the land. In his book he described the wonderful hills  and mountains of Gui Lin, which is now a famous popular tourist spot  in China.

The Shapes and Form School of Feng Shui:-

Founder : Yang Yung Sung Place : Kwangsi province, China. Period : Around the period AD840 - 888CE. Also known as : Kanchow method, Kwang Hsi  School, Kiangsi method and Shapes School. Method : By visual survey of the  landscape, the site and the specific location. Principles used : Chi (or Dragon's Breath),  Four Symbolic Animals Theory, Yin and Yang and the Five Elements

In 10th Century AD, Chinese  scholars living in Northern China created the Compass School to `deal  with their own problems' of analyzing flat plains. It was thus  important to find good locations for building palaces, temples,  settlements and homes lead the ancient Chinese to combine the two methods: The Shapes and Form School was first applied to look at the surrounding. The purpose of the exercise was to survey the environment qualities of a location and determine whether it is good or bad. The Chinese Compass (Luopan) was used to read the alignments of the land area:-

The Compass School of Feng Shui:-

Founder : Wang K'e Place : Fukien province, China. Period : Northern Sung period around AD960 - 1126 CE. Also known as : Fukien School, Ancestral Hall method and Min School. Method : Analytical, based on time  element and orientation of direction. Principles used : Heaven and Earth (Tian/Tee) concept, the 12 Chinese Zodica signs, the 28 constellations, Ursa Major - 9 stars, the Great Bear, the Five  Elements, Yin and Yang Theories and the IChing `captured' on a  Chinese compass.

The above are considered the most  correct facts on the founding of the Shapes and Form School and the  Compass School of Feng Shui. The Compass School of Feng Shui  comprises the Eight House Theory and the Flying Star Theory.

In addition, in some less  documented books on Feng Shui you may find a different version as to  the founding of the two schools. We shall not go through all of them. Instead, in the coming Chapters we will focus on the key principles  and practises of the various Feng Shui Schools. This is where we all  can benefit most.