The Feng Shui LuoPan
Joey Yap
July 1999
Legend claims that the compass originated in China over 4000 years ago, reputedly during the time of the Yellow Emperor, circa 2500 BC. According to popular legend, the Luo Pan was presented to the Yellow Emperor by the Goddess of the Nine Heavens to assist him in his heroic battle against the evil wizard's clan.

Over the centuries the Luo Pan has been reformed and refined according to progressive discoveries in landform and directional theories by the respective dynasties' Kan Yu Experts, the ancient Masters of Feng Shui. The Luo Pan have since then became an indispensable tool for the Ancient Chinese Art of Feng Shui.

The Definitive Tool for All Feng Shui Practices

The Luo Pan is a requisite tool in the practice and study of authentic Feng Shui. For many centuries, Feng Shui Masters have researched, experimented, and studied the meanings encrypted in the various types of Luo Pan. Many have found the significance embodied in the writings of the Luo Pan to be fascinating and extremely profound. Every character and every degree engraved on the heaven dial (the round moveable plate of the Luo Pan) are intricately and accurately designed, obscurely displaying the ancient secrets of Feng Shui.

Feng Shui literally means wind and water. Many people know that "Water" represents "Wealth" in Feng Shui. But not many know what the "Wind" represents.

The "Wind" in Feng Shui represents direction. For Feng Shui to be effective, the study of the forces of water and directional influences is of paramount importance. Every direction, even down to a single degree around the Luo Pan, can determine significant and profound effects to the Feng Shui of a particular location.

The 3 types of Luo Pan

Before selecting your Luo Pan you must first determine which system of traditional Feng Shui you advocate. There are many schools and systems of Feng Shui. In general, there are two categories of authentic taditional Chinese Feng Shui:

1. The San Yuan School (Three Cycles System)

Fei Xing (Flying Stars) or Xuan Kong (Time and Space) are systems of the San Yuan School of Feng Shui.

2. The San He School (Three Combinations System)

Ba Zhai (Pa Chai or Eight Mansions), Shui Long (Water Dragons), Shan Long (Mountain Dragons), and Environmental Feng Shui are systems of the San He School of Feng Shui.

The Rings

There are various numbers of rings around the Luo Pan. Depending on which school or which system the Luo Pan is designed for, the Luo Pan can be made up of as few as seven basic rings or as many as thirty-six rings.

The design of every ring embodies a specific theory in the application of Feng Shui. Different Feng Shui systems may have different meanings inferred to a particular level of a Luo Pan. Depending on which system you advocate, the Luo Pan can help the Feng Shui practitioner measure, locate, calculate, and even predict the natural earth energies, both directional and locational, in a particular area.

Today we can find two standardized types of Luo Pan. They are the San Yuan Luo Pan and the San He Luo Pan. It is quite easy to differentiate the two types of Luo Pan.

The San Yuan Luo Pan

The San Yuan Luo Pan can be recognized by the presence of the 64 Hexagrams of the Yi Jing. The San Yuan Luo Pan is also generally called the Jiang Pan (named after the founder of San Yuan Feng Shui, Great Grand Master Jiang Da Hong).

The San He Luo Pan

The San He Luo Pan can be recognized by the presence of 3 distinctive rings of the 24 Mountains. The San He Luo Pan is also commonly known as the Yang Kung Pan (named after the first Grand Master of Feng Shui, Grand Master Yang Yun Song of the Tang Dynasty).

There is also a third standardized type of Luo Pan which is really a combination of San Yuan and San He. It is called the Zhong He Luo Pan and is designed primarily for those who subscribe to both systems of Traditional Feng Shui.

The 6 Essential Components of a Good Luo Pan

1. The Di Pan (Earth Plate, which is the Square piece).
2. The Tian Pan (Heaven Plate, which is the round rotational piece with all the rings).
3. The Tian Chi (Heaven Pool, where the compass exists).
4. Tien Sum Sap Dou (literal translation is 'Heaven Heart 10 Degrees', functional transliteration is 'The Axis Cross', which is the red nylon strings crossing from the center of the top, bottom, left, and right).
5. The Loi Pan Tou (The Ring Maps).
6. Sui Jik Sin (Spirit Level).

The 8 Point Rules for Selecting Your Luo Pan

1. Quality of the Needle

The needle MUST be able to align accurately on TOP of the RED line at the bottom of the Heaven Pool (the round compass piece in the middle). The needle MUST be able to align accurately BELOW the AXIS CROSS (the intercrossing nylon strings). Even a slight deviation of .01mm away from the above lines is unacceptable.

2. Heaven Pool's Red Line

The Double Dots MUST be pointing in the direction of Zi (the Rat, 0º North) while the point of the needle should be pointing to Wu (the Horse, 180º South).

3. Accuracy of Axis Cross (the nylon strings)

The Cross MUST be able to cross the CARNIDAL AXIS directly at 0º, 90º, 180º and 270º of the Heaven Dial. Even a slight deviation is unacceptable because it would render the Luo Pan totally useless.

4. Quality of the Heaven Dial

Every character, trigram, and number MUST be embossed or engraved with great clarity. Every character, trigram, and number MUST be easy to read. Examine the characters, trigrams, and numbers carefully to ensure that they are free of distortion. The bearing property of the dial should be steady and smooth when rotated. The bearing property of the dial should not be too loose or too tight.

5. Squareness of the Earth Base and a Spirit Level

The Luo Pan must be mounted on a Square Base, which functions to visually align the Luo Pan parallel to a wall or door of a house or building during directional measurements. The Luo Pan must also be equipped with a Spirit Level for accuracy of reading.

6. Material Quality

The Luo Pan is generally constructed of poly-electric wood, normal wood, or recycled wood. The difference between these materials is extreme. Poly-electric wood can withstand temperatures of up to 140º C. Recycled wood and normal wood are the cheap renditions found in most Chinese roadside stalls.

7. Measurements and Sizes

Luo Pan MUST come with accurate markings of the EXACT 360º.

Luo Pan come ONLY in the following standardized sizes:

A. 2"8
B. 3"4
C. 4"2
D. 5"2
E. 6"2
F. 7"2
G. 8"6
H. 1' 2"

The standard size of the Luo Pan used by Traditional Feng Shui Masters are the 8"6 types. The smaller ones like the 2"8 - 4"2 are mainly for convenience of use. The smaller the Luo Pan, the easier it is to make mistakes. Thus, it is only when one is very experienced that one should use a small Luo Pan for a professional Feng Shui audit. Beginners may start by using a 5"2 or 6"2, but professional Feng Shui practitioners should always use a 8"6.

8. Beauty

The final point is Beauty. Some Luo Pan are accurate, but appear unattractive, or feel rough and uncomfortable when held. When choosing a Luo Pan, treat it like choosing a beautiful quality garment. The manufacture must be of high quality, but it should also have the right feel (i.e. comfort, texture, and appearance).

The Luo Pan should be attractive enough to be used as a decorative Feng Shui item. Many Feng Shui Masters are avid Luo Pan collectors. It is not unusual for Feng Shui Masters to display their Luo Pan prominently in their home. A sense of pride and a feeling of tranquility should accompany the display of the Luo Pan as a decorative accoutrement.

Some also hold the belief that the Luo Pan is able to ward off evil spirits because it embodies the secret of the Yi Jing, which is the secret of the Feng Shui Ba Gua. This is, however, folklore and Feng Shui symbolism, belief or disbelief dependent upon individual perceptions.

A quality Luo Pan should weigh around 1.3 to 1.5kg. The Heaven Dial (the Round Plate) should be easily turnable with a slightly firm and steady feel. Nowadays, good Luo Pan are scarce to find. Unknowing vendors in the west have been victims of many unscrupulous businessmen in China, selling them cheap and tacky imitations of a real Feng Shui Luo Pan. Be cautious of the Luo Pan that you select for purchase. Ensure it is properly equipped with the 6 Essential Components and that it complies with the 8 Point Rules.

The intent of this article is both to educate and to disclose the truth about the components and composition of a quality Chinese Luo Pan. Like any other quality tools, Luo Pan today come in different brand names. Be sure to select a reliable manufacturer for long-term usage. Higher end manufacturers offer Luo Pan which are more costly, but investment in quality, accuracy, and durability is essential in order to surpass the test of time and weather conditions.

The Luo Pan is to a Feng Shui Practitioner as a stethoscope is to a Doctor or a quality set of tools to a mechanic. Beginners are best recommended to a medium San Yuan Luo Pan that comes in size 5"2 or 6"2. For those serious professionals in the practice of Feng Shui, it is recommended that you locate a good 8"6 Luo Pan made of poly-electric material.

Understanding the Luo Pan is one of the first steps to mastery of Feng Shui.

Joey Yap, © 1999, All Rights Reserved
[Editors Note: Joey Yap is Co-Founder of the Yap Cheng Hai Feng Shui Centre of Excellence and can also be contacted at his Chinese Feng Shui Consultancy website.]