1. Ensure abundant sunlight permeates the courtyard, shunning the shroud of trees. As the verse goes: “Within the gate, behold the trees within trees; there lies a household soaked in sorrow. Trees abound in the courtyard, yet wife and children never meet. Without the sun’s vigor, how can it be a dwelling of yang?”
2. Deep pits within the courtyard shall harm offspring and prosperity. A large pit behind the residence foretells misfortune and stagnation. “Pits symbolize yin, harming wealth in the front and offspring in the rear.”
3. Two trees on either side of the main entrance are forbidden. Beware the shedding bark tree (such as the Paulownia tree). Such a home faces yearly disasters and monthly financial losses. “Beside the gate, if two trees grow, two individuals will cohabit, that’s for sure.”
4. Small auxiliary rooms must not be constructed below the windows of the main building, creating what is known as the “teardrop room.” It harms the occupants, especially if built on the right side, bringing calamity in the third month.
5. A solitary room in the courtyard, detached and unconnected, known as the “stopping corpse room,” assures the demise of the master within three years or the death of a middle-aged man.
6. Opening a door in the mountain wall of a small room within brings escalating misfortune, afflicting the entire household, leading to the death of wives, children, and the spread of sorrow. This opens the mouth of the white tiger, ensuring swift disaster.
7. There must be a side room in the courtyard, known as the “pocket room.” Without it, wealth scatters, children become unmanageable, and uncontrollable offspring multiply.
8. Small rooms connecting the ends of the main building, known as the “winged rooms,” are inauspicious. The verse says: “Constructing winged rooms ensures losses of sons and grandsons.”
9. A small room must not be built behind the main building, called the “hidden arrow room.” If it exists, the home lacks a capable head.
10. A kitchen must not be built against the outer wall of the main building, known as the “hanging corpse room.” This leads to death and coffins appearing at the front door.
11. Commoners should avoid constructing a gatehouse taller than the main building, as such an act will lead to the perpetual worries of future generations.
12. Massive wooden stakes must not be erected within the courtyard; this creates a headache for neighbors in all directions.
13. High voltage poles must not stand in the southwest corner of the courtyard, named the “matricide pillar.” This results in calamities for women; if in the southeast corner, it benefits children’s education.
14. Fish ponds must not be built within the courtyard, lest financial loss within a year and fatal diseases within three to five years afflict the household. This is known as “water breaking the heavens and hearts.”
15. Excavating square ponds within fifty meters outside the courtyard brings perpetual hardship. “A pond before the door brings generations of toil. One pond, one burial, but this mustn’t be shared.”
16. High buildings in the southwest corner outside the courtyard, within ten to forty meters, are ill-fated, leading to coffins remaining close to home.
17. Tall buildings on either side of the courtyard, within ten to twenty meters, known as “sandwiched houses,” harbor hidden dangers, causing deaths within three years and locking future generations in chains.
18. The main building must not be lower than neighboring buildings on either side; this is known as “double oppressor.” Such a configuration leads to wealth dissipation and owner’s lament, with illness striking the household within two years and harm befalling its members within five years.
19. The main building must not be higher than neighboring buildings on either side (excluding multi-story buildings), known as the “coffin lid house.” This harms husbands, suppresses masters, lacks household heads, damages wives and children, and invites calamities.
20. Courtyard walls must not be excessively tall, with heights not surpassing the eaves of auxiliary rooms. If walls exceed auxiliary room eaves, the household might face prison sentences, poverty, blocked official careers, and unachieved success, labeled as “overhead courtyard.”
21. Windows must not be installed in courtyard walls, termed “draining windows,” which lead to financial ruin and calamities involving children or grandchildren. Railing-type windows, however, are acceptable.
22. Stones and construction materials must not be haphazardly piled within the courtyard. Prolonged accumulation invites yin energy, causing financial losses, livestock deaths, women’s miscarriages, and increased diseases after three years.
23. Small rooms must not be built on top of flat-roofed or multi-story houses; this is known as “corner rooms.” For officials, it leads to dismissal; for commoners, it causes financial losses.
24. No graves shall lie to the south of the house within 5-40 meters, except when separated by a river. Without a river, it brings misfortune, with young members dying. A single grave is the “teardrop,” multiple graves create the “yin oppressing yang,” harming children and young girls.
25. Houses with graves in the northwest or northeast are inauspicious, harming occupants. “Yin oppresses yang, leading to the loss of offspring. Yang oppresses yin, leading to severed descendants.”
26. Ancient wells must not be present to the north or south of the house within 20-40 meters. Northern wells cause accidents like car crashes, while southern wells lead to bachelors in the household.
27. Ancient wells within the courtyard lead to injuries or disabilities among residents.
28. Changes in ownership or names are indicated when two alleys flank the house.
29. Conflict between the main door and the stove brings perpetual misfortune.
30. Avoid placing sacred plaques in the house, leading to unrest and noise. Echoes arise within the rooms, terrifying children and making them weep.
31. Deities should not be placed in the main reception hall, as unexpected events will occur.
32. Do not place ancestral tablets in newlywed rooms; this creates an inauspicious clash, causing headaches and marital discord.
33. Under-bed storage must be organized; otherwise, prolonged disarray leads to miscarriages and illnesses among women.
34. Do not place mirrors at the head of the bed; they cause recurring headaches that are difficult to cure.
35. Long-term storage of elders’ ashes within the house leads to stagnation in wealth, ghostly events, and poor luck for descendants.
36. Do not lend your house to others for building; this leads to the downfall of the family fortune.
37. Avoid hanging outdated portraits of famous figures within the house.
38. Do not randomly display celebrity photos in the reception room, affecting the marital prospects of children.
39. Avoid placing craft items resembling evil tigers or various birds and beasts. Stone and iron items cause children to fall ill persistently.
40. Limit the hanging of oil paintings indoors; prolonged exposure causes chronic headaches.
41. Keep TVs and computers at least 3 meters away from the bed to prevent vivid dreams and dizziness.
42. Do not align the bed, kitchen, and toilet in a straight line; it causes career obstacles, lawsuits, and disputes.
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. Avoid storing ancient weapons like daggers and swords; they bring bad luck and hinder progress.
44. Refrain from wearing the clothes left by deceased elders; it causes career obstacles.
45. The floor level inside the house should not be lower than that of the courtyard. If it is, the owner suffers from chest pain and financial loss.
46. The floor level of the courtyard should not exceed that of the main building by more than 10-20 cm. If higher, it leads to liver diseases and disobedient sons in the long run.
47. Newlyweds should avoid returning to the bride’s home to give birth.
48. Do not create a garden in the courtyard; it leads to indulgence in alcohol and lust, causing legal troubles and divorce.
49. Do not build large small rooms or pigsties in the southwest corner of the courtyard; they cause malignant sores and poison.
50. The layout of auxiliary rooms must not follow the pattern of 1-2-3, meaning the main building with three rooms, one auxiliary room to the east, and two to the west. Such uniformity is rare.
