Traveling Trunk

As one of the great inventions of ancient China, the compass (“pointing-south needle” 指南针) (19) has greatly influenced both Chinese and global civilizations.

A normal compass has markings for 4, or sometimes 8, directions: north 北, south 南, east 東, and west 西 (19). The luó pán, or fēng shuǐ compass, has markings for 24 directions. These markings are interpreted by fēng shuǐ experts to determine the advantageous placement of a new structure, position of room decor, or orientation of furniture.

Fēng shuǐ is an ancient Chinese technique of using the laws of heaven and earth to situate a building to promote a positive flow of energy, or qi (pronounced “chi”) (20). The surface of the luó pán has concentric rings (like a target) of Chinese characters. Fēng shuǐ experts use these characters and the two red intersecting threads to determine the layout of a room. Although used throughout China, fēng shuǐ compasses are more commonly used in the southern part of China (21).