“Mountains Encircle and Waters Embrace, Thus There’s Energy”

Sheng Hui

I am a nostalgic person， having an almost obsessive love for old houses.

In a city， an old house is like an elder in a family. As the saying goes， “Having an elder in the family is like possessing a treasure.” Old houses， like elders， are invaluable treasures; they are timestamps and solidified history， storing past times and embodying a citys character — they are the citys “roots and soul，” irreplaceable resources.

The old houses scattered like pearls in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area always enchant me. Whenever I have time， I roam villages and lanes like a peddler， exploring ancient places and seeking old houses that captivate me， as well as stories that have faded with time.

I enjoy the tranquility and spontaneity of “reaching the end of waters and watching clouds rise” and the beauty and surprises of unexpected encounters. I always find ancient villages with histories rich and profound， nestled among old banyans and lotuses， dense woods and bamboo， and small bridges over streaming waters. Hidden between mountains and waters， they are dignified， serene， and rustic， like classical beauties， utterly captivating and enchanting.

In these ancient villages， thick canopies shade the land， with winding alleyways that are profoundly secluded. Lining the alleys are many old-style courtyards， their worn gates like wind-flipped pages of old books. Stepping inside， one encounters memories of bygone days and distant stories. Walking on long cobblestone paths， touching timeworn door knockers， its as if entering a labyrinth of time， feeling the echoes of history， and experiencing solitude beyond time.

People often say that architecture carries culture， and culture is the soul of architecture. I deeply realize what fascinates me is not cold bricks or decaying courtyards but the profound Chinese traditional culture they embody. These ancient buildings personify Chinese philosophy and aesthetics.

Walking in these villages， I cant help but marvel at the harmony between architecture and nature and between humans and nature. As the saying goes， “Heaven is with me， and so is Earth.” Architecture has life， and only those in harmony with Heaven， Earth， and humans can be called living architecture. I cant help but sigh， realizing that the wisdom of habitat， which modern people are seeking， had been so ingeniously applied by our ancestors.

Chinese residences not only have aesthetic significance but also carry layers of cultural meaning.

Firstly， they represent the Chinese cosmic view， signifying a philosophy of harmony between heaven and humans. Just as Zhuangzi said， “Heaven and Earth exist with me; all things are one with me.” This is the very soul of Chinese dwellings.

Secondly， they represent Chinese ethics. As it goes， “Joy represents the harmony of Heaven and Earth; ritual represents their order.” The History of the Later Han — Biography of Wang Fu states that settlements have the spiritual function of moral integration. Renowned Chinese architectural scholar Mr. Liu Zhiping once pointed out that since the Han Dynasty， all Chinese architecture has paid great attention to overall order and rituals. In Chinese culture， ethics are never abstract; they are order. For example， in a village， the ancestral hall serves as the spiritual landmark for the clan， holding supreme significance. Within a household， the shrine placed high in the main hall represents the spiritual core of that family， where ancestors watch over and bless their descendants from above.

Moreover， these residences have distinct regional characteristics. Over the centuries， the people of the Greater Bay Area have adapted to their environment， making their dwellings more suited to the local geographical features. For instance， houses in the Central Plains region are described as “four waters returning to the hall，” which means “the best resources should not flow to outsiders.” However， in the Greater Bay Area， where typhoons are frequent and rainfall is abundant， if one blindly “copies，” the courtyards could become water reservoirs， necessitating water diversion outside the house. Of course， the water eventually flows into the moon pond in front of the village， reflecting the deeply-rooted clan cultural values of the Greater Bay Area people.

As mentioned in the Records of Emperor Yuan in the Book of Han： “Cherishing ones native soil and reluctance to move is the nature of the common people; kin stick together， as is human desire.” Migration is a defining trait of the Greater Bay Area people. The majority of the early inhabitants of the Greater Bay Area migrated from the Central Plains， deeply influenced by its culture and valuing the idea of cherishing their native soil， taking great care in selecting where to settle. The continuation of a family lineage is like an endless relay race. The choice of village location should concern not only comfort but also the clans prosperity. It is a plan for the long term.

People of the Greater Bay Area have always valued Feng Shui， and within Feng Shui， the most essential element is Qi. Based on the effects of Qi on inhabitants， ancient Feng Shui classified Qi into “l(fā)ife-giving Qi” and “harmful Qi.” Any Qi beneficial to the inhabitants mind and body is termed “l(fā)ife-giving Qi，” while factors in the living environment causing adverse effects are termed “harmful Qi.” Where does this Qi come from？ Most importantly， from mountains and water. As the saying goes， “Where mountains surround， and waters embrace， theres Qi， and with Qi， everything falls into place.” Mountains represent Yang （active principle）， and water signifies Yin （passive principle）. When Yin and Yang are balanced， everything thrives; When human relationships are harmonious， everything prospers.

Ancient Chinese believed that all things embrace Yin and support Yang. Therefore， village layouts often favor locations facing south， backed by mountains and facing water， termed “supported from behind， illuminated from the front.” Mountains shelter from cold northern winds， while facing the water allows enjoyment of the southern summer breezes.

In Taoist cultivation， “Qi （氣）” is often written as “Qi （炁）.” Although “Qi （氣）” and “Qi （炁）” are related， the latter emphasizes the aura or energy field associated with cosmological theories. In nature， the Qi flow formed by “mountains surrounding and waters embracing” is known as the greater circulation. In comparison， the circulation of Qi and blood within humans is termed the lesser circulation. If a person feels comfortable and at ease within the greater circulation， it indicates that their internal lesser circulation aligns harmoniously with the external greater circulation， benefitting from its supportive influence. Conversely， if one feels discomfort within a specific greater circulation， its likely due to a misalignment between the internal and external circulations.

When discussing Feng Shui architecture， I find that the most representative example is Licha Village in Huilong Town， Zhaoqing Gao. This village resembles a maze; one could easily get lost without a guide. The history of Licha Village dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty. Back then， to avoid flooding， villagers built houses on the hillside. Perhaps due to frequent floods， villagers also sought Feng Shui to protect their village. From a high vantage point， Lichas ancient village forms a Bagua （Eight Trigrams） shape， intricately designed with hidden patterns related to Luo Shu and the River Chart. The houses in the village are built along the mountains contour and by the water， arranged in the patterns of Qian， Kun， Zhen， Xun， Kan， Li， Gen， and Dui Trigrams. They are circularly distributed， layer upon layer， with the outermost circle consisting of about 90 houses. All doorways face inward， back outward， turning the entire village into a virtually impregnable fortress. Houses are arranged in a slightly curved pattern， decreasing in number towards the center or the highest point， where a platform stands named “Hongyun Platform.” It is said that theres a village custom： circle the Hongyun Platform clockwise three times with sincerity， set off celebratory fireworks， and blessings of health， wealth， and desires will be upon you. The village houses two surnames. Using the center as a dividing line， the east side houses the Su clan， and the west side houses the Cai clan. The village features several quaint and elegant gateways， each named after Confucian ideals： Li Xingren， Li Roushun， Li Yuxiu， Fang Suide， Li Renhe， Li Dongjiang， Li Suiyuan， Li Renhua， Li Juhe， Li Chunhe， and Li Shangren， colloquially known as “Ten Streets and One Square.”

This book， illustrated with essays， traces the roots of Lingnan culture in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It delves into architecture， clans， ancestral halls， overseas Chinese， scenery， customs， and cuisine. It deeply explores the essence of the Greater Bay Area， seeking the birthmarks of Lingnan culture.

Nostalgia of the Greater Bay Area

Sheng Hui

Flower City Publishing House

September 2022

88.00 （CNY）

Sheng Hui

Sheng Hui is a first-class author， vice chairman of Foshan Writers Association， and deputy dean of Art Institute of Foshan. He has won the “Peoples Literature” New Century Essay Award， was nominated for the Chinese Literature Media Award for Most Promising Newcomer， and was selected as a 2017 Guangdong Special Support Plan Young Cultural Talent.