What Is Feng-Shui?

Based on principles of cooperation between humans and nature, feng-shui promotes a form of living in harmony with the landscape that is reputed to enhance the attractiveness of buildings and the well-being of their inhabitants. Ernest J. Eitel, a missionary who worked in China, learned firsthand about this ancient oral tradition and its philosophical roots, which span a range of thought from Taoism and Buddhism to ancient rural magic. In 1873, Eitel published the first book on feng-shui, introducing Westerners to the principled but highly flexible code for arranging living quarters to achieve optimal comfort for mind and body.