Qi - Core Concept of Chinese Culture

The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics -- from its beginning to its closing moments -- can be interpreted as a grand exhibition of the course of Chinese history and culture. One of the programs within the ceremony involved a cast of thousands demonstrating Tai Ji (Tai Chi), which is shaped by the one of the core concepts of Chinese culture – namely, the concept of “Qi”.

What is Qi? Put simply, Qi can be translated as "breath" - the very breath of life itself. Chinese ancients believed that heaven, earth and humans each possess (exists in) their respective energy fields. They also believed that a complete or optimal level of human lived experience can only be attained when the energy fields of humans and those of heaven and earth are in communication and equilibrium. In philosophy, this state is referred to as “heaven and humans as one.”

While it may sound somewhat mysterious, Qi can be “sensed.” Practitioners of qi gong (the study and practice regulating one’s breathing) can sense the energy fields within their own bodies. Not only can we sense Qi within our bodies, we sense it within our mindful perceptions in many cultural expressions such as calligraphy, art, and architecture.

Contemplating classical Chinese architecture may help us develop a finer understanding of the concept of Qi. In this article, we introduce readers to a two hundred year old Chinese historical site as a way to gain more experience with the concept of Qi. This site is close to Bostonians: it is the Yin Yu Tang House within the PeabodyEssexMuseum in Salem, Massachusetts, an hour from the city.

The Yin Yu Tang house is a typical commoner’s dwelling built in China’s Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911), and is emblematic of Hui architectural style. Hui style refers to that which was developed in ancient Huizhou area construction, and is one of the major classical Chinese architectural schools. Huizhou, itself, refers to contemporary southern AnhuiProvince in China.

Classical Chinese construction is guided by Chinese geomancy studies/thought or Feng Shui, which has at its core the purpose of consolidating nature’s (both of heaven and earth) Qi. Ancients believed that this consolidation is best accomplished in an environment wherein mountains and waterways form an enclosure, providing the most opportunity for equilibrium among the energy fields of heaven, earth, and human beings. This concept of an “enclosed condition” for preserving or containing Qi was adapted by ancient architects in their construction practices, giving rise to the foundational Chinese architectural style of using walls and walkways to create an enclosed living space. In the Huizhou area of southern China, the small open courtyard enclosed on four sides by the residential structure is known as the “sky well,” which is explained below.

Yin Yu Tang is a “sky well” residential structure; in other words, it is a residential structure built around a small courtyard, the sky well. While its layout is in an enclosed style, it must be understood that “enclosure” here is not to be taken to mean that life within the structure would be stifling or “deadening.” Instead, it is the sky well that provides inhabitants full contact with Qi, in this case, the energy fields of nature outside of the residence, and achieves the philosophical concept mentioned earlier of “heaven and humans as one.” Below we briefly analyze a few aspects of the Yin Yu Tang structure to deepen our understanding of Qi.

1. Main Door/Portal of the Residence or Yard Door

The main portal of the Ying Yu Tang house is situated in its southeast corner. In accordance with the classic Chinese text, Yi Jing, also named the Book of Changes, the southeast position is called the position of Xun in Eight Trigrams (the eight basic positions representing eight natural phenomena in Yi Jing). The Xun position represents the wind in eight natural phenomena. With the main portal situated in this corner, wind will conduct positive energy (Qi) into the residence, bringing blessings to its inhabitants. In the long course of history, building residences with main doors located in the southeast corner evolved into a widely accepted tradition and practice, and can be attributed to the intersection of the fields of Chinese philosophy and architecture.

2. Sky Well

The sky well is Hui architecture’s most important feature because it represents the Qi that exists in the residence. The sky well can be thought of as a courtyard, but unlike the common conception of courtyards as large open spaces, the courtyard of the Hui residence is very small in area, dictated by the fiercely hot climate of the area. Thus, the area within the residence that is exposed to the outer elements – namely the opening provided by the courtyard – is designed to be small and comparable in size to that of the opening of a well. Hence the name.

According to Feng Sshui concepts, water is the source of wealth. Huizhou was an area populated by merchants, and in accordance with their principles of conserving wealth, their residences were designed with roofs that conducted the flow of rainwater from all surfaces into the courtyard (the sky well), symbolic of an inflow of wealth from the outside to the inside, represented by the saying “May water from all directions return to the center of the home dwelling.”

The sky well is the only internal part of the house directly exposed to the exterior. In this way, it connects the home to the earth and heavens outside the built structure. It provides both sunlight and rain water, and is the only open area in which inhabitants conducted their daily activities, thus representing the important interconnection of the Qi of heaven, of earth, and that of humans, line with Feng Shui principles.

3. Body of the Residence

The body of a residence in classical Chinese construction is supported by a framework of wooden beams. In creating the façade of the residence, Hui architects concentrated on using beams with large surface areas and exquisitely carved wooden doors and windows, evoking a feeling of spaciousness and liveliness. Again, the Qi of both heaven and that of earth could mingle within a human living space. In some constructions, the main hall or room of the residence would be open to the sky well, maximizing the contact of all energy fields. This is evident in the Yin Yu Tang house.

In traditional Chinese philosophy, natural phenomena can be represented by five phases or elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth). In this context, “wood” represents “vital” energy (Sheng Qi). Wood was surely the preferred construction material of classical Chinese residences, symbolizing ancients’ hopes that their families would be blessed with multiple future generations.