Picture stepping into a traditional Chinese courtyard where every beam and courtyard gate seems to hum with unseen energies. That subtle hum comes from the same worldview that gave rise to Shenism—the worship of spirits—and Feng Shui, the art of harmonizing human dwellings with the surrounding spirit-infused landscape.

At its core, Shenism invites a constant dialogue with a vast spirit world: mountain gods, water sprites, ancestors and household deities all hold sway over fortune and misfortune. Feng Shui, meanwhile, provides the practical toolkit for keeping those spirits happy. By orienting doors, windows and hearths according to the flow of qi (vital energy), Feng Shui masters ensure that land-spirits and household deities receive proper respect and energy circulation.

Historically, Chinese villagers would perform both soil-worship rituals (tudigong ceremonies) tied to Shenism and geomantic surveys for new wells or fields. These ceremonies often blended seamlessly: a feng shui compass reading to pinpoint the ideal spot for an ancestral altar, followed by incense offerings to the local earth god. Even today, developers in mega-cities like Shanghai consult feng shui experts when designing skyscrapers—because pleasing the land-spirits still feels as important as adhering to modern building codes.

Recent trends illustrate this enduring partnership. During the pandemic, many homeowners in Taipei turned to online feng shui consultations, hoping to boost health-related qi and shield family ancestral tablets from negative energies. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, architects discreetly incorporated sunken gardens and water features in athletes’ villages—nods to both feng shui principles and the age-old Shenist belief that water spirits deserve their due.

At the end of the day, Feng Shui can be seen as the “how-to” manual for living harmoniously within the Shenist cosmos. One palpably tunes one’s surroundings to the ebbs and flows of spirit forces, making sure that divine guests—whether ancestors or mountain gods—feel right at home.