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It is generally supposed that since the Cultural Revolution in China, 'superstitious' practices have been eradicated. This is far from the case; however, it must be conceded that in the People's Republic of China, Feng Shui consultants are rare. Practitioners from Hong Kong, nevertheless, make regular tours of China, earning their expenses by advising on the orientation and furnishing of houses, shops and factories; and from their astrological knowledge, declaring auspicious times for weddings and funerals.

In 1986, while staying in a new hotel in Kuei-lin (the capital of the Kuang-hsi province where the Form school of Feng Shui originated), I was in formed by the proud manager that the hotel had been carefully designed and sited in complete accordance with Feng Shui principles. A bend in the river in front of the hotel created a 'dragon pool' which would ensure the h0tel's prosperity, although it also collected the detritus and garbage which the river brought with it. The entrance doors were sited correctly, too, but against obvious meteorological arguments, since they faced the prevailing winds from the mountains. And even though the hotel was completed, the official opening was to be delayed until the most auspicious hour on the most auspicious day.

Trying to find out more about the extent of the practice of Feng Shui today, I had been searching without success through the shops and bazaars of Canton, looking for a Feng Shui compass. Then, quite by chance, I stumbled across a tiny village general store which to my astonishment had several crudely made examples for sale. These were obviously intended for the domestic market, for though they were manufactured in Fo Shan, they grandly claimed to be from a factory called 'Hong Kong', thereby attempting to assure prospective purchasers of their authenticity.


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