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| Feng Shui |
| "Feng Shui"?? What does that mean?? Well, it is a type of superstition that mainly Chinese people believe. A common belief is numbers. Many people believe that the number "4" means "death", the number "8" means "to have money" and many more... They believe that since the number "2" means "easy", then the number "24" means "easy to die". That's probably why you do not find a lot of Chinese people living in houses with the number 24 on it. Another type of belief that most Chinese people believe in is something called a "bak gwa". It is a piece of wood in an octagonal shape with a little mirror inside the centre. This mirror is supposed to help protect the people inside the house from all the evil sprits and ancestors. When the evil looks into the mirror, it is supposed to reflect back out. You will find these "bak gwa" on the doors of many of the houses or somewhere in the front. |
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| As you have heard, many people have placed their "bak gwa" in many different places. This household has chosen to place theirs in the front window in front of the chandelier. |
| Some Chinese people are very picky when it comes to buying their house. Many people believe that if your house and furniture are placed in a certain way, then the harmony can flow through smoothly. Simple things like having your stairs in front of your door can cause your dreams, hopes and happiness to fly right out the door. Or if you have your front and back door in a straight line, then your luck or prosperity will enter the house and leave right away. Sometimes, a plant placed in a certain position or a goldfish bowl placed in a certain position is said to bring good luck. |
| Here is a picture of the "bak gwa". As you can see, most of these are red and golden with a green border. In the middle is a mirror that is supposed to reflect all the evil spirits away. |
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