The Culture of Fengshui in Korea: An Exploration of East Asian Geomancy

by Hong-Key Yoon

Overview

The term Fengshui, which literally means 'wind and water,' is the ancient Chinese art of selecting an auspicious site to provide the most harmonious relationship between human and earth. The term is generally translated as "geomancy," and has had a deep and extensive impact on Korean, Chinese, and other East Asian cultures. Hong-key Yoon's book explores the nature of geomantic principles and the culture of practicing them in Korean cultural contexts.

Yoon first examines the nature and historical background of geomancy, geomantic principles for auspicious sites (houses, graves, and cities) and provides an interpretation of geomantic principles as practiced in Korea. Yoon looks at geomancy's influence on cartography, religion and philosophy, and urban development in both Korea and China. Finally, Yoon debates the role of geomancy in the iconographical warfare between Japanese colonialism and Korean nationalism as it affected the cultural landscape of Kyongbok Palace in Seoul.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739113486
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	11/13/2006
Series:	AsiaWorld
Pages:	350
Product dimensions:	6.36(w) x 9.41(h) x 0.93(d)

About the Author

Hong-key Yoon is associate professor in the School of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface
Part 2 Part I: The Nature And Historical Background Of Geomancy
Chapter 3 Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 4 Chapter 2: The Origin and Evolution of Geomancy in Korea
Chapter 5 Chapter 3: The Introduction and Development of Geomancy in Korea
Part 6 Part II: Geomantic Principles Into Practice
Chapter 7 Chapter 4: Yin-Yang Theory and Geomancy
Chapter 8 Chapter 5: The Geomantic Principles for and Auspicious Site
Chapter 9 Chapter 6: The Principles of House Geomancy
Chapter 10 Chapter 7: Grave Geomancy Landscape
Chapter 11 Chapter 8: An Interpretation of Geomantic Principles
Chapter 12 Chapter 9: The Cartography of Geomancy
Part 13 Part III: Geomancy And Religion
Chapter 14 Chapter 10: Geomancy's Interaction with Buddhism
Chapter 15 Chapter 11: Confucian Ethos and Geomancy
Part 16 Part IV: Geomancy And Settlement
Chapter 17 Chapter 12: The Use of Geomantic Ideas in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Cities
Chapter 18 Chapter 13: Seoul: A New Dynasty's Search for an Auspicious Site
Chapter 19 Chapter 14: The Social Construction of Kaesong
Part 20 Part V: Geomancy and Iconography
Chapter 21 Chapter 15: Iconographic Warfare and the Geomantic Landscape of Seoul
Chapter 22 Chapter 16: Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

The Culture of Fengshui in Korea explores in fine detail the cultural, geographical, superstitious, religious, and scientific aspects of fengshui. To argue that it is an excellent and comprehensive study would be an understatement.

The Review of Korean Studies

Yoon’s book is important because it reminds academic geographers of the undiminished educating power – the power to make the invisible visible and the mundane significant – hat the cultural-historical perspective of the Berkeley School of geography offers.
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Geographical Review

A 'Berkeley School' tour de force in the mainstream erudite traditions of cultural geographers Sauer and Glacken, the sociologist Eberhard, and the anthropologist Kroeber. Yoon systematically and successfully explores the treacherously sublime multifaceted tip of the fengshui iceberg in Korea with a requisite geographical background and training unprecedented in the massive fengshui literature. He clearly articulates his discoveries in English, making accessible to a broad academic audience the essentials of the complex fengshui cosmography and its applications, from macro-scale to micro-scale.

David J. Nemeth

This book is a volume of great interest for New Zealand and international, western readerships.

The New Zealand Geographical Society

This book provides valuable resources and should be helpful for other researchers in understanding the cultural development of Feng Shui in Korea. It should also encourage more research in this area.

Journal of Scientific Exploration

Yoon’s work puts fengshui culture in Korea into focus in the most outstanding way.. . .It is a very comprehensive work, dealing with all relevant aspects of fengshui in Korean culture, including parallels to fengshui applications in China and Japan, the origin and evolution of fengshui, its interaction with established religion and its various principles and practices.. . .The Culture of Fengshui in Korea deserves the best of recommendations as a very timely and scholarly work.

Journal of Korean Religions

A 'Berkeley School' tour de force in the mainstream erudite traditions of cultural geographers Sauer and Glacken, the sociologist Eberhard, and the anthropologist Kroeber. Yoon systematically and successfully explores the treacherously sublime multifaceted tip of the fengshui iceberg in Korea with a requisite geographical background and training unprecedented in the massive fengshui literature. He clearly articulates his discoveries in English, making accessible to a broad academic audience the essentials of the complex fengshui cosmography and its applications, from macro-scale to micro-scale.--David J. Nemeth, University of Toledo

This book provides valuable resources and should be helpful for other researchers in understanding the cultural development of Feng Shui in Korea. It should also encourage more research in this area.--Journal of Scientific Exploration

This book is a volume of great interest for New Zealand and international, western readerships.--The New Zealand Geographical Society

From the Publisher

Yoon’s work puts fengshui culture in Korea into focus in the most outstanding way.. . .It is a very comprehensive work, dealing with all relevant aspects of fengshui in Korean culture, including parallels to fengshui applications in China and Japan, the origin and evolution of fengshui, its interaction with established religion and its various principles and practices.. . .The Culture of Fengshui in Korea deserves the best of recommendations as a very timely and scholarly work.

Journal of Korean Studies