Hexagram 1 is named 乾 (qián), "Force". Other variations include "the creative", "strong action", "the key", and "god". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven, and its outer (upper) trigram is identical.
Hexagram 2 is named 坤 (kūn), "Field". Other variations include "the receptive", "acquiescence", and "the flow". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth, and its outer (upper) trigram is identical.
Hexagram 3 is named 屯 (zhūn), "Sprouting". Other variations include "difficulty at the beginning", "gathering support", and "hoarding". The meaning of "屯" is collect, store up, stingy, and stationing troops. Its inner (lower) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water.
Hexagram 4 is named 蒙 (méng), "Enveloping". Other variations include "youthful folly", "the young shoot", and "discovering". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain.
Hexagram 5 is named 需 (xū), "Attending". Other variations include "waiting", "moistened", and "arriving". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water.
Hexagram 6 is named 訟 (sòng), arguing, dispute, litigation, conflict and "lawsuit". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven.
Hexagram 7 is named 師 (shī), "Leading". Other variations include "the army" and "the troops". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth.
Hexagram 8 is named 比 (bǐ), "Grouping". Other variations include "holding together" and "alliance". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water.
Hexagram 9 is named 小畜 (xiǎo xù), "Small Accumulating", "domestication" "the taming power of the small", "small harvest", "minor restraint" and "small livestock". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind.
Hexagram 10 is named 履 (lǚ), "Treading". Other variations include "treading (conduct)" and "continuing". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven.
Hexagram 11 is named 泰 (tài), "Pervading", “smooth going", "peace" and "greatness". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth.
Hexagram 12 is named 否 (pǐ), "Obstruction". Other variations include "standstill (stagnation)" and "selfish persons". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven.
Hexagram 13 is named 同人 (tóng rén), "Concording People". Other variations include "fellowship with men" and "gathering men". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven.
Hexagram 14 is named 大有 (dà yǒu), "Great Possessing". Other variations include "possession in great measure" and "the great possession". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire.
Hexagram 15 is named 謙 (qiān), "Humbling". Other variations include "modesty". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth.
Hexagram 16 is named 豫 (yù), "Providing-For". Other variations include "enthusiasm" and "excess". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder.
Hexagram 17 is named 隨 (suí), "Following", "Pursue", "Hunter". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp.
Hexagram 18 is named 蠱 (gǔ), "Correcting". Other variations include "work on what has been spoiled (decay)", "decaying" and "branch".[1] Its inner (lower) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain. Gu is the name of a venom-based poison traditionally used in Chinese witchcraft.
Hexagram 19 is named 臨 (lín), "Nearing". Other variations include "approach" and "the forest". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth.
Hexagram 20 is named 觀 (guān), "Viewing". Other variations include "contemplation (view)" and "looking up". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind.
Hexagram 21 is named 噬嗑 (shì kè), "Gnawing Bite". Other variations include "biting through" and "biting and chewing". It may refer to teeth working together to bring coherence.[2] Its inner (lower) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire.[3]
Hexagram 22 is named 賁 (bì), "Adorning", "bright", "grace", "lush", and "luxuriance". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain.[4]
Hexagram 23 is named 剝 (bō), "Stripping". Other variations include "splitting apart", "flaying", "scalp", and "peel". This may allude to removal of something.[5] Its inner (lower) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain.
Hexagram 24 is named 復 (fù), "Returning". Other variations include "return (the turning point)". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth.
Hexagram 25 is named 無妄 (wú wàng), "Without Embroiling". Other variations include "innocence (the unexpected)" and "pestilence". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven.
Hexagram 26 is named 大畜 (dà xù), "Great Accumulating". Other variations include "the taming power of the great", "great storage", and "potential energy". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain.
Hexagram 27 is named 頤 (yí), "Swallowing". Other variations include "the corners of the mouth (providing nourishment)", "jaws" and "comfort/security". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain.
Hexagram 28 is named 大過 (dà guò), "Great Exceeding". Other variations include "preponderance of the great", "great surpassing" and "critical mass". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp.
Hexagram 29 is named 坎 (kǎn), "Gorge". Other variations include "the abyss" (in the oceanographic sense) and "repeated entrapment". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water, and its outer (upper) trigram is identical.
Hexagram 30 is named 離 (lí), "Radiance". Other variations include "the clinging, fire" and "the net". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire, and its outer (upper) trigram is identical. The origin of the character has its roots in symbols of long-tailed birds such as the peacock or the legendary phoenix.
Hexagram 31 is named 咸 (xián), "Conjoining". Other variations include "influence (wooing)", "feelings", "being affected", and "reciprocity". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp.
Hexagram 32 is named 恆 (héng), "Persevering". Other variations include "duration" and "constancy". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder.
Hexagram 33 is named 遯 (dùn), "Retiring". Other variations include "retreat" and "yielding". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven.
Hexagram 34 is named 大壯 (dà zhuàng), "Great Invigorating". Other variations include "the power of the great" and "great maturity". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder.
Hexagram 35 is named 晉 (jìn), "Prospering". Other variations include "progress" and "aquas". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire.
Hexagram 36 is named 明夷 (míng yí), "Darkening of the Light". Other variations include "brilliance injured" and "intelligence hidden". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth.
Hexagram 37 is named 家人 (jiā rén), "Dwelling People". Other variations include "the family (the clan)" and "family members". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind.
Hexagram 38 is named 睽 (kuí), "Polarising". Other variations include "opposition" and "perversion". The symbol 睽 also means separated, estranged, and stare. Its inner (lower) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire.
Hexagram 39 is named 蹇 (jiǎn), "Limping". Other variations include "obstruction" and "afoot". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water.
Hexagram 40 is named 解 (xiè), "Taking-Apart". Other variations include "deliverance" and "untangled". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder.
Hexagram 41 is named 損 (sǔn), "Diminishing", "lose", "reduction", "remove", "damage", "decrease". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain.
Hexagram 42 is named 益 (yì), "Augmenting". Other variations include: increase, beneficial, useful. Its inner (lower) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind.
Hexagram 43 is named 夬 (guài), "Displacement". Other variations include "resoluteness", "parting", and "break-through". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp.
Hexagram 44 is named 姤 (gòu), "Coupling". Other variations include "coming to meet" and "meeting". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☰ (乾 qián) force = (天) heaven.
Hexagram 45 is named 萃 (cuì), "Clustering", "gathering together (massing)" and "finished". Other meanings of the symbol: gather, assemble, collect, dense, thick, and collection. It may mean that it's good to get help or advice; for progress it's necessary to persevere. The group needs to be sustained. Its inner (lower) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp.
Hexagram 46 is named 升 (shēng), "Ascending". Other variations include "pushing upward". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth.
Hexagram 47 is named 困 (kùn), "Confining". Other variations include "oppression (exhaustion)" and "entangled". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp.
Hexagram 48 is named 井 (jǐng), "Welling". Other variations include "the well". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water.
Hexagram 49 is named 革 (gé), "Skinning". Other variations include "revolution (molting)" and "the bridle". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp.
Hexagram 50 is named 鼎 (dǐng), "Holding". Other variations include "the cauldron". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire.
Hexagram 51 is named 震 (zhèn), "Shake","the arousing (shock, thunder)"; "thunder, excite, thrill, convulse, and tremor". The advice is to maintain one's concentration ("one did not lose the sacrificial wine in the ladle"). Its inner (lower) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder, and its outer (upper) trigram is identical.
Hexagram 52 is named 艮 (gèn), "Bound". Other variations include "keeping still, mountain" and "stilling". The symbol also means, "blunt, tough, and chewy like hard leather". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain, and its outer (upper) trigram is identical.
Hexagram 53 is named 漸 (jiàn), "Infiltrating". Other variations include "development (gradual progress)" and "advancement". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind.
Hexagram 54 is named 歸妹 (guī mèi), "Converting the Maiden". Other variations include "the marrying maiden" and "returning maiden". Marrying younger sister. Not being in a position to make things happen one's own way. Trying to anyway will only bring trouble. Its inner (lower) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder.
Hexagram 55 is named 豐 (fēng), "Abounding". Other variations include "abundance" and "fullness". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder.
Hexagram 56 is named 旅 (lǚ), "Sojourning". Other variations include "the wanderer" and "traveling". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire.
Hexagram 57 is named 巽 (xùn), "Ground". Other variations include "the gentle (the penetrating, wind)" and "calculations". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind, and its outer (upper) trigram is identical.
Hexagram 58 is named 兌 (duì), "Open", "exchange" "the joyous, lake" and "usurpation". The symbol "兌" means exchange, add, against, and convert.[6] Its inner (lower) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp, and its outer (upper) trigram is identical.
Hexagram 59 is named 渙 (huàn), "Dispersing". Other variations include "dispersion (dissolution)" and "dispersal". The symbol means dissipate, dissolve, vanish. Its inner (lower) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind.
Hexagram 60 is named 節 (jié), "Articulating". Other variations include "limitation" and "moderation". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water.
Hexagram 61 is named 中孚 (zhōng fú), "Center Returning", "inner trust", "inner truth" and "central return". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☱ (兌 duì) open = (澤) swamp, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☴ (巽 xùn) ground = (風) wind.
Hexagram 62 is named 小過 (xiǎo guò). Often called "Small Exceeding", "preponderance of the small" and "small surpassing", but literal translation of 小過 is: small mistake, slightly too much. Its inner (lower) trigram is ☶ (艮 gèn) bound = (山) mountain, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder.
Hexagram 63 is named 既濟 (jì jì), "Already Fording". Other variations include "after completion" and "already completed" or "already done". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water.
Hexagram 64 is named 未濟 (wèi jì), "Not Yet Fording". Other variations include "before completion" and "not yet completed". Its inner (lower) trigram is ☵ (坎 kǎn) gorge = (水) water, and its outer (upper) trigram is ☲ (離 lí) radiance = (火) fire.
The Forbidden City is the imperial palace complex in the center of the Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming and Qing dynasty Emperors, and the center of political power in China for over 500 years from 1420 to 1924. The palace is now administered by the Palace Museum. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. The Forbidden City is arguably the most famous palace in all of Chinese history, and is the largest preserved royal palace complex still standing in the world.
Yin and yang, also yinyang or yin-yang, is a concept that originated in Chinese philosophy, describing an opposite but interconnected, self-perpetuating cycle. Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary and at the same time opposing forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts and the parts are important for cohesion of the whole.
The flag of South Vietnam was first introduced on 2 June 1948, later served as the national flag of the State of Vietnam and the Republic of Vietnam from 5 June 1948 to 30 April 1975. The design consists of a yellow background with three red horizontal stripes through the middle. It is used to represent the "Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag" by Overseas Vietnamese.
The Luoshu (pinyin), Lo Shu (Wade-Giles), or Nine Halls Diagram is an ancient Chinese diagram and named for the Luo River near Luoyang, Henan. The Luoshu appears in myths concerning the invention of writing by Cangjie and other culture heroes. It is a unique normal magic square of order three. It is usually paired with the River Map or Hetu—named in reference to the Yellow River—and used with the River Map in various contexts involving Chinese geomancy, numerology, philosophy, and early natural science.
The bagua (Chinese: 八卦; pinyin: bāguà; lit. 'eight trigrams') is a set of symbols from China intended to illustrate the nature of reality as being composed of mutually opposing forces reinforcing one another. Bagua is a group of trigrams—composed of three lines, each either "broken" or "unbroken", which represent yin and yang, respectively. Each line having two possible states allows for a total of 23 = 8 trigrams, whose early enumeration and characterization in China has had an effect on the history of Chinese philosophy and cosmology.
The symbol ≡ is used in science and mathematics with several different meanings. It may refer to the following:
The Xiuzhen tu is a Daoist diagram of the human body illustrating the preventative Chinese medical principles called Neidan'internal alchemy', incorporating Chinese astrology, and cosmology.
The Guangdong Fleet was the smallest of China's four regional fleets during the second half of the nineteenth century. The fleet played virtually no part in the Sino-French War, but several of its ships saw action in the Sino-Japanese War (1894–5).
Gu or jincan was a venom-based poison associated with cultures of south China, particularly Nanyue. The traditional preparation of gu poison involved sealing several venomous creatures inside a closed container, where they devoured one another and allegedly concentrated their toxins into a single survivor, whose body would be fed upon by larvae until consumed. The last surviving larva held the complex poison. Gu was used in black magic practices such as manipulating sexual partners, creating malignant diseases, and causing death. According to Chinese folklore, a gu spirit could transform into various animals, typically a worm, caterpillar, snake, frog, dog, or pig.
The Tian family's Yin Yang Style of the martial art baguazhang originated in the area around the Ermei and Qingzhen Mountains of Sichuan province in China.
The China Millennium Monument is a monumental complex centered around a structure that evokes both a monumental Chinese altar and a sundial. Associated with Jiang Zemin, it was championed from 1994 by CCP official Zhu Xiangyuan. It was completed in 1999 ahead of the Millennium celebrations, for which it was the principal Chinese venue. Since 2006, it has housed the Beijing World Art Museum.
The I Ching or Yijing, usually translated Book of Changes or Classic of Changes, is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. The I Ching was originally a divination manual in the Western Zhou period (1000–750 BC). Over the course of the Warring States and early imperial periods (500–200 BC), it transformed into a cosmological text with a series of philosophical commentaries known as the Ten Wings. After becoming part of the Chinese Five Classics in the 2nd century BC, the I Ching was the basis for divination practice for centuries across the Far East and was the subject of scholarly commentary. Between the 18th and 20th centuries, it took on an influential role in Western understanding of East Asian philosophical thought.
Wen Wang Gua is a method of interpreting the results of I Ching divination that was first described in writing by Jing Fang in Han dynasty China. It is based on correlating trigrams to the Celestial Stems and Earthly Branches of the Chinese calendar, and then using the stem and branch elements to interpret the lines of the trigrams and hexagrams of the I Ching. The method is popular in South East Asia. It is known by various names: refers to the fact that it interprets the meaning of six symbols; the Najia method, indicates its logic of elemental values derived from the Chinese calendar; Wu Xing Yi ; or Wen Wang Ke.
Bugang is a Daoist ritual dance or walk, based upon the Yubu "Steps of Yu" tradition, in which a Taoist priest paces through a supernatural pattern, such as stars in the Big Dipper or numbers in the Loshu magic square. Texts from the Shangqing School revelations contain the earliest descriptions of bugang, frequently with the practitioner pacing among constellations, especially the Big Dipper's stars. When religious Daoism began during the Six Dynasties period, the expression bugang tadou 步罡踏斗 "pacing the guideline and treading on the Dipper" became popular.
Hangzhou or Hang Prefecture (589–1129) was a zhou (prefecture) in imperial China located in modern northern Zhejiang, China, around modern Hangzhou. The prefecture was called Yuhang Commandery from 607 to 621 and from 742 to 758. Hang Prefecture was the capital of the Wuyue kingdom (907–978), inside which it was known as Xi Prefecture, and during its last years of the kingdom, as Qiantang Prefecture.
Baguadao or Eight Trigram Teaching (八卦教) is a network of Chinese folk religious sects, one of the most extended in northern China. The tradition dates back to the late 17th century Ming dynasty, and was heavily persecuted during the following Qing dynasty when affiliated sects organised an uprising in 1813, led by Lin Qing. Affiliated sects appeared under various names, but during the latter half of the 18th century they adopted Bagua Jiao as their common designation.
Vietnamese numismatic charms, also known as Vietnamese amulets, Vietnamese talismans, or simply Vietnamese charms, refer to a family of cash coin-like and other numismatic inspired types of charms that like the Japanese and Korean variants are derived from Chinese numismatic charms, but have evolved around the customs of the Vietnamese culture although most of these charms resemble Vietnamese cash coins and the amulet coins of China. These "coins" were used at temples, as tokens within the imperial palace, and as everyday charms with supposed magical power such as having the ability to curse evil spirits and bogies. Some of these charms contained the inscriptions of real circulating cash coins but with added imagery.
A "Fengshui woodland," "Fungshui woodland," or "Fengshui Forest," known in Chinese as 風水林 is a grove, forest, or woodland protected by the residents of villages, towns, or, in some cases, religious communities associated with Daoist or Buddhist monasteries or temples. Also known as Chinese geomantic woodlands, they are most often found near lineage villages. The trees and other plants in the woodland can either be natural or planted. Many of the trees in fengshui woodlands are the results of natural succession, and they comprise some of the most mature forest stands in China, often resembling old growth forests. Fengshui forests also contain trees planted by village ancestors, because people consider the fengshuilin an essential part of a geographical environment largely shaped by humans. These strategically protected and cultivated forests were part of the landscape design repertoire of wet rice farmers as they adapted to the humid subtropical ecosystems of southern China. Fengshui and fengshui groves were also utilized to meet the specific conditions affecting houses, tombs, temples, and entire villages. Fengshui woodlands are widely located in East Asia, while a few can be found in Chinese settlements outside of Asia.
The Xingming guizhi is a comprehensive Ming dynasty (1368-1644) text on neidan self-cultivation techniques, which syncretistically quotes sources from the Three teachings of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, and is richly illustrated with over fifty illustrations that later texts widely copied. The classic Xingming guizhi has been republished for over four centuries, from its first woodblock edition in 1615 to digital versions in the present.
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