Imperial Mausoleum Feng Shui (Kan Yu)
Imperial tomb siting is the most documented branch of Kan Yu, because it was state business: the Board of Astronomy recorded procedure, taboos and cases. This English overview explains the framework; the detailed Chinese study with the full step lists and Ming-Qing case files is linked below.
Why imperial tombs are the best-documented case
Because mausoleum siting was an affair of state, it produced records: procedure manuals, memorials to the throne, and survey notes. That makes it one of the few areas of Kan Yu where the historical method can be described without relying on later folklore.
Tracing the dragon and finding the acupoint
Two of the best-known procedures are "tracing the dragon" (following the ridge line or vein of rising ground to where its force gathers) and "locating the acupoint" (choosing the exact spot where that gathering settles). The surrounding ridges, water flow and orientation are then read against the chosen point.
Water matters more than most people expect
In tomb siting, water is read for how it arrives, how it leaves, and whether the exit is guarded. Fast water directly against the site, a water exit with no closure, and a bright hall that curves away were all recorded as disqualifying conditions rather than minor defects.
The soil test and the Tai Ji halo
The "golden well" soil test examined colour, texture and moisture at the proposed depth, on the theory that viable ground is fine, dense and softly coloured. The Tai Ji halo refers to the subtle colour or sheen said to appear at the true centre — a claim to be read as tradition, not as geology.
Taboos used by the Board of Astronomy
The Qing Board of Astronomy worked with a set of disqualifying terrain taboos. The Chinese study lists these in full; the pattern behind them is consistent — isolate the site from wind and fast water, avoid unstable or exhausted ground, and avoid forms that read as violent or collapsed.
What survives and what does not
The lasting value is observational: shelter, drainage, slope stability, orientation and approach are real environmental factors that were recorded centuries before modern site survey. What does not survive scrutiny is any claim that a tomb location determines the fortunes of descendants.
Glossary
| Chinese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 堪舆 | Kan Yu | The classical name for what is now usually called Feng Shui: reading land, water and orientation. |
| 寻龙 | Xun Long | "Tracing the dragon": following the ridge line to where terrain force gathers. |
| 点穴 | Dian Xue | "Locating the acupoint": fixing the exact point where the gathered force settles. |
| 察砂 | Cha Sha | Reading the surrounding ridges and hills that shelter the chosen point. |
| 观水 | Guan Shui | Reading how water arrives, flows and exits, and whether the exit is closed off. |
| 明堂 | Ming Tang | The bright hall: the open area in front of the site that gathers and holds. |
| 水口 | Shui Kou | The water mouth: where water leaves the site, ideally narrow and guarded. |
| 金井 | Jin Jing | The "golden well": the test pit dug to inspect soil at the proposed depth. |
| 太极晕 | Tai Ji Yun | The subtle discolouration or sheen said to mark the true centre of a site. |
| 十不葬 | Shi Bu Zang | "Ten cases where burial is not advised": a set of disqualifying terrain conditions. |
| 钦天监 | Qin Tian Jian | The imperial Board of Astronomy, responsible for astronomy, calendrics and site selection. |
| 帝陵 | Di Ling | Imperial mausoleum: the tomb complex of an emperor. |
Frequently asked questions
Is tomb Feng Shui the same as home Feng Shui?
They share a vocabulary but not a procedure. Tomb siting reads terrain at landscape scale over long horizons — ridge lines, water exits, soil. Home practice usually deals with an existing structure: orientation, layout, light and airflow. Methods written for one do not transfer cleanly to the other.
Does a tomb location affect descendants?
This is the traditional claim, and there is no evidence for it. What can be said is that the siting procedure encoded real environmental observation — drainage, shelter, slope stability — which mattered for the durability of the site itself.
What is the "ten cases where burial is not advised"?
A set of disqualifying terrain conditions recorded in connection with imperial site selection, covering unstable ground, exposed ridges, fast water against the site and similar defects. The complete list is given in the Chinese study linked below.
Can I apply these rules to choosing a house today?
Only at the level of the underlying observation: check drainage, shelter from prevailing wind, slope stability, and how water moves across the site. Those are legitimate site-survey concerns. The ritual and cosmological layers are not transferable.
Is this site offering tomb-siting services?
No. This is a reference page about a historical practice. Nothing here substitutes for a qualified surveyor, geotechnical engineer, or the legal requirements that apply to any real burial site.