“The Dragon and the Cen/pede” Feng Shui of Melbourne’s Chinatown
A Guided Feng Shui Walk of Melbourne’s Chinatown by Howard Choy for the AFSC Chinese New Year Gala Dinner
Melbourne 05 February 2014
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“The Water Dragon”
“The Cen/pede”
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Melbourne’s Chinatown began in the early 1850s as a cheap and convenient staging point for the Chinese gold diggers en route to the Victorian goldfields. Merchants, provision stores and clan benevolent sociePes quickly joined lodging houses to become a “Chinatown”. The heydays were before the early1900 but when the ImmigraPon RestricPon Act was introduced in 1901, the place began to decline and it almost disappeared by 1940-‐1950 and in 1950-‐1960 some of Melbourne’s major department stores began to buy up the old Chinatown and many of the smaller houses were demolished. With the White Australian Policy dismantled in 1966, local entrepreneurs and poliPcians like Don Dunstan saved Chinatown in the early 1980s, when there was a resurgence of Chinese immigrants and the spirit of nostalgia inspired by the tourist dollars and Chinatown began to be rebuilt as it stands today.
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Melbourne’s Chinatown is liken to a cenPpede because it is made of one long and narrow street (the Li]le Bourke Street running from Spring Street to Swanston Street) with many smaller laneways running into it like the smaller feet of a cenPpede. The head is towards Spring Street because it is higher at this end with a one-‐way traffic going towards Swanston Street; also the Parliament Park formed a Mingtang (Bright Hall) at the facing in this direcPon. The Mingtang has auspicious influence because it collects the qi of the environment for Chinatown, may be that is one of the reasons why Chinatown was saved by poliPcians and local business entrepreneurs.
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In Chinese culture, a cenPpede is considered to be a lucky totem, when one dreams of a cenPpede or being chased by one, it represents auspiciousness is approaching. But when one dreams a cenPpede has died or being cut into pieces, it indicates that there is a break in relaPonships and friend will turn to foes. Unfortunately the lucky cenPpede of Melbourne’s Chinatown is being cut into 3 parts by the “Road Dragon” of the two busy streets of ExhibiPon Street and Russell Street.
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There are 3 disPnct characters within one long and narrow street, with the middle part between ExhibiPon Street and Russell Street having the most Chinatown atmosphere to it. The straight line sha qi, or “arrow chong sha” is very strong and there is no “ju qi” or “assembled qi” throughout the whole street made up of Chinatown. The Cohen Place in the middle secPon could have been made the “heart” of Chinatown but the Paifong (archway) installed there is oversized and wrongly located, with the plaza badly designed as well, so instead of breaking the straight line “chong sha” (rushing-‐at sha) of Li]le Bourke Street, it actually reinforced the sha and leg li]le open space of pleasant character for people to congregate.
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Cohen Place failed to work its magic as a heart for Melbourne’s Chinatown
The newly constructed Tianjin Garden do not contribute much to the improvement of the feng shui of Chinatown, because it is disconnected from the place. It sits outside and the level difference separated by a traffic lane makes it look as though the “cenPpede” cannot quite get hold of its food.
There are 3 main feng shui pi?alls I can see:
1) Straight line “chong sha” reinforced by one way traffic arrangement from high to low gradients. 2) Cut into 3 sec/ons by 2 busy streets.
3) Lack of a vibrant heart.
To improve the feng shui of Melbourne’s Chinatown, these 3 main issues must be addressed.
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My sugges/ons are:
1) Make the middle secPon between ExhibiPon Street and Russell Street into a pedestrian mall, remove the present car parks and improve the design of Cohen Place, I would even go as far as giving it a new name.
2) Reverse the traffic flow direcPon from Swanston Street to Russell Street so the cars and the pedestrian traffic would flow towards the middle part of Chinatown.
2) Relocate the present Paifong to the Spring Street end on the Parliament Park side so it works as a urban marker for
Chinatown at this end and form a proper head for the first “cenPpede”.
By doing so we can “go-‐with” the “benxing” or the “original character” of the qi pa]ern of the place, break up the linear one direcPon flow and create 3 “cenPpedes” instead of one and the middle one has a vibrant heart, being supported on either
sides. The “ripple effect” of the centre will in turn charge up the two “guests” supporPng the “host” in the middle.
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LET’S LEARN SOME NEW TRICKS IN THE NEW YEAR! Master Courses on Xuankong Feixing (Flying Star) and Bazhai Pai (Eight Houses School) Feng Shui with Howard Choy Friday 7th February to Tuesday 11th February 2014
Master Course on Xuankong Feixing, Flying Star Feng Shui This master course will cover the classical methods of Xuankong Feixing Flying Star Feng Shui, and will include advanced methods of analysis, which have not been readily available to Feng Shui practitioners before. Howard will introduce a different method of flying the yearly stars that was passed down from Master Luo Shi-Peng, whose lineage can be traced back to Jiang Da-Hong of the late Ming Dynasty, and is more thorough than the popular Shen’s methods. This method will be available to the Australian students for the first time. If you have a good grasp of the Flying Stars and wish to further your professional development, the information learned in this course will add the finishing touch to your Feng Shui practice. Practitioners and students from different schools are welcome. Topics include: An overview of the four patterns and ten arrangements of Flying Star charts,
and how to recognize them instantly in the Tianxin (The Heaven’s Heart) of a chart.
Strategy and methodology for star chart analysis using the classical methods, including the difficult task of working out the directionality and the construction period of a building.
How to analyze and give judgments to the nine stars with Wuxing (Five Elements) principles
The theory and practice behind the “Jiehua” cures and how they work in practice
Sample case studies from the old masters (e.g. Zhang Zhong-Shan)
Master Luo Shi-Peng’s advanced methods on assessing the influence of the external qi of space and time onto the internal qi field of a natal star chart (e.g. the influence of current Period 8 on a Period 7 or earlier house)
The concept of Naqi (Receiving qi), and Naqi openings San Yuan Xuan Kong Feixing Water Methods The “Reversal” Water Method The “City Door” (Cheng Men) Water Method The “Seven Stars Robbery” Water Method Practical work samples and case studies from the participants Participants can bring their own case studies, including plans, relevant detailed information and photographs, and if time permits, your example may be used as a case study for class discussion. Course Date: Friday 7th February to Sunday 9th February 2014 (18 hours CPD). Master Course on Bazhai Pai, Eight Houses School Feng Shui There are two popular schools of Bazhai Feng Shui – one is advocated by the book “Bazhai Mingjing” or “The Bright Mirror of Eight Houses” written by the Daoist Monk Ruo-Guan in 1791, and the other is written by Zhao Jiu-Feng earlier in 1786 and called “Yang Zhai San Yao” or “The Three Requirements of Yang Dwellings”. This course will cover the “Bright Mirror” system of charting auspicious and inauspicious sectors of a building with the 8 Wandering Qi according to compass directions. This method of Feng Shui has been passed down since the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD). The system is used to correlate the pattern of an individual’s ‘luck’ with that of a building. We will look at the working of this method and examine how to apply solutions that balance the qi patterns of individuals and buildings with real examples. The use of the Bazhai rings of the Luopan will also be taught. Altogether there are at least four methods of Bazhai Pai Feng Shui, and each will be introduced in the course, with the method from the Bazhai Mingjing classic dealt with in detail. By the end of the workshop, Howard will cover the complete theory and practice of this popular method, and discuss the full range of Bazhai methods available. Topics include: Background of Bazhai School of Feng Shui Theories underpinning the Bazhai School of Feng Shui The “Bazhai Ming Jing” – Classic text of the Bazhai School The concept of Location and Directionality Calculating the Zhai Gua for a building Apply solutions that balance the qi patterns of individuals with buildings Determining the auspiciousness of a building
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Bazhai Mingjing Solutions The use of the Bazhai rings on a Luopan compass A brief introduction to the “Yangzhai Sanyao”, the “24 Mountains (Nine-Star)
Bazhai” and the “Flying Star Bazhai” methods Practical work samples and case studies from the participants. Participants may bring case studies, including plans, relevant detailed information and photographs, and if time permits your example may be used as a case study for class discussion. Course Date: Monday 10th February and Tuesday 11th February 2014 (12 hours CPD). About Howard Choy
Howard Choy is a Feng Shui consultant, architect and teacher with more than 30 years of practical experience working at the coalface of Feng Shui. Howard studied Feng Shui under the personal guidance of Master Ren Zhilin in Hong Kong, and he works with tertiary institutions on Feng Shui research in China, Hong Kong and Germany. Howard is the Principal of the European College of Feng Shui (ECOFS) and a director of ECOFS Consulting and ar-qi-tektur, Feng Shui architects and Planners based in Berlin. Howard is a well renowned speaker at international Feng Shui conferences, and a willing teacher who shares his knowledge and experience with his students. Howard’s Australian clients include Murdoch Magazines, Speedo Australia, Star City Casino, Sydney Darling Harbor Authority and the City of Sydney.
Why study with Howard? “Howard’s knowledge is unparalleled. He is perhaps the only teacher of Feng Shui equally at home in practical application and academic research. He is also one of the few who understands the Chinese classics and is able to explain them not just in translated English but in Australian! His sense of humour and passion to answer any question or solve any problem, paired with his uncanny insights make him the most influential local master of his generation. It would be negligent not to take any opportunity to learn from Howard, as those who do, never leave with their skill and art unchanged.” Tyler J Rowe “Howard is an amazing teacher with an abundance of knowledge and skills which he openly shares with the class. Howard’s teaching style is relaxed, varied and enthusiastic, providing practical excursions, clear presentation and invaluable handouts and knowledge. I look forward to doing many, many more classes with Howard.” Jill Lynch Course Venue: Augustine Centre, 2 Minona St Hawthorn, Melbourne Australia Course Fees: Xuankong Feixing, Flying Star: Full price $1200 or Early Bird fee $1080 Bazhai Pai, Eight Houses School: Full price $800 or Early Bird fee $690 A deposit of $100 per course is required to secure your place. To qualify for the Early Bird discount, fees are payable by 1st Dec 2013. Special Discounted Price for attending both courses: Full price $2000 or Early Bird fee $1680 payable by 1st December 2013 Contact for more information: Jane Langof, Feng Shui Concepts Email: [email protected] Telephone: +61 412 002 757
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