Recognized across all major schools of this tradition. The most widely-agreed-upon class of doctrinal concern.

• Proportional backing (玄武得力).Strong, well-formed support stands behind your home. Classical Feng Shui calls this Black Tortoise firmly anchored (玄武得力), also known as firm mountain backing (靠山穩固) — a hill, ridge, or higher landform close behind the house, proportional in scale, anchoring the sitting direction without overwhelming it. What this means for your home: the back of the house is firmly held. In classical thinking, this is the most important physical condition a residence can have, like a chair with a high, solid back rather than a stool. It is the most prized form-school feature in the entire Feng Shui tradition. What this means for the people inside: a sense of support in career and decision-making, fewer “out of nowhere” disruptions, and more comfortable rest. Practitioners traditionally treat this as a premium condition for long-term residence — historically, the foundation of imperial palaces and great clan estates.
• Qi gathers before your door.Bright Hall over water (明堂临水) — water in front provides a substantial receiving space where qi can gather. This is a premium classical configuration.

Recognized across all major schools of this tradition. The most widely-agreed-upon class of doctrinal concern.

• Water supports the front.Water sits in front of your home in a configuration classical practice especially prizes. Feng Shui calls this embracing water (環抱水) or gathering water (聚水) — a stream, lake, or shoreline within close range whose presence in the front bearing is read as qi-collecting rather than qi-passing. What this means for your home: the front of the house faces an open, qi-receiving zone with water as the central feature. Air movement, light, and visual reach are unobstructed in front; the water itself acts as a natural reservoir for qi rather than a channel carrying it away. What this means for the people inside: this is classically associated with steady accumulation — finances, health, and household goodwill built gradually over years, rather than swinging dramatically. It is one of the most prized residential conditions in the entire Feng Shui tradition, a foundation for long-term family stability and intergenerational wealth.
• Sheltered terrain (地利).Contained hillside (山坡有护) — your home sits on protected hillside terrain rather than on an exposed crest.
• Five Elements deficit — boost via feeding element (五行).Your home is short on one element. Its Water (水) is almost entirely absent — the qualities tied to that element are weak here. What this means for your home: qi in the Water (水) flavor is under-expressed. The home lacks the qualities tied to that element — for instance, low Wood means weak growth and expansion qi (木氣); low Water means weak career and wisdom qi (水氣). What this means for the people inside: this is not catastrophic on its own, but compensating for it helps the home feel more balanced. It is especially useful for any household member whose personal element matches the missing one.
• Bed sees the door without facing it.Your bed sits on the north wall with the bedroom door on the perpendicular east wall — placed so you can see who enters without lying in the door's direct line. This is the sound arrangement: it keeps the entrance in view while avoiding 門衝 (door-clash) — the qi that drives straight at a bed set directly facing its door. It supports steadier sleep and a settled, easy mind.

Endorsed by most active schools, with minor interpretive variation between lineages.

• Waterfront + regular lot + calm front.Bayfront composite (得水合局) — waterfront site, regular lot shape, and the absence of sha qi at the front add up to a classically clean Form-school configuration (合局). The whole pattern is more than the sum of its parts: receiving space, energy retention, and a calm entry are all aligned.
• Kitchen well placed (厨房得位).Kitchen in a rear zone (厨房得位) — the kitchen is tucked into the back of the home, away from the entry path. This is the classical preference: Fire-element qi is contained.
• Bedroom away from entry chaos.Bedroom in a rear zone (卧室得位) — the primary bedroom is sheltered at the back of the home, away from the entry path. This is the classical preference for restful sleep.
• Bath tucked to a flank.Bathroom well placed (厕所得位) — the bathroom is tucked into a side zone, away from the home's center (太極) and away from the entry path. This is the classical least-bad bathroom placement.

School-specific readings

Findings endorsed only by specific schools within the tradition. Default-for-scoring schools contribute to the composite number; informational schools surface findings without weighting them.

School-specific readings

Findings endorsed only by specific schools within the tradition. Default-for-scoring schools contribute to the composite number; informational schools surface findings without weighting them.

School-specific readings

Findings endorsed only by specific schools within the tradition. Default-for-scoring schools contribute to the composite number; informational schools surface findings without weighting them.

School-specific readings

Findings endorsed only by specific schools within the tradition. Default-for-scoring schools contribute to the composite number; informational schools surface findings without weighting them.

Folk-phonetic and numerological additions outside the classical core. Counted in the composite score; opt-in by tradition.

• Classical auspicious digit (發 / 久 / 順 / 生 / 一).Auspicious house number (六六大順) — your address 888 reduces to 6, the smooth-flow digit. 六 ("six") is associated with 順 ("smooth"), a classical sign of unobstructed progress.
• Repeated-8 cultural auspice.Triple-or-more 8 pattern (發發發) — your address 888 contains three or more consecutive 8s. The 發 ("prosper") homophone repeats with each 8; classical 諧音 considers this one of the strongest literal wealth patterns in residential numerology.

Recognized across all major schools of this tradition. The most widely-agreed-upon class of doctrinal concern.

• Pronounced, proportional backing.Strong, well-formed backing stands behind your home — a hill, ridge, or higher landform close behind, proportional in scale, anchoring the sitting direction without overshadowing it. This is a solid Black Tortoise (현무 후중 · 玄武厚重), and it is the first thing I look for in a site: the difference between a chair with a high, solid back and a stool. The armchair form (안락의자형 · 安樂椅子形) begins here. With the back held this way, the people inside tend to feel supported in their decisions, meet fewer disruptions from behind, and rest more easily.
• Front opens to water.The front of your home opens toward water. Korean Pungsu calls this facing-water (Imsu · 임수 · 臨水) — a stream, river, lake, or even a wide-open low-lying field that visually “reads” as water in a Pungsu site assessment. What this means for your home: the front of the house faces an open, qi-receiving zone. Air movement, light, and visual reach are unobstructed in front, which classical practice associates with the home's ability to gather what comes in: opportunities, resources, and news. What this means for the people inside: paired with rear backing (배산), this is the second half of the canonical Baesan-Imsu (배산임수 · 背山臨水) configuration — the Korean ideal that practitioners from Doseon-guksa (도선국사) through Muhak-daesa (무학대사) treated as the gold-standard residential layout. It suggests steady inflow, balanced exposure, and a foundation for long-term family stability.
• Classical Korean ideal siting.배산임수 조화 (背山臨水 調和) — rear backing and front-water reception work together. This is classical Korean ideal siting; the small synergy bonus recognizes the harmony beyond what 배산 and 임수 already contribute individually.

Recognized across all major schools of this tradition. The most widely-agreed-upon class of doctrinal concern.

• Rear unanchored.The Black Tortoise (Hyeonmu · 현무 · 玄武) guardian is absent at your home's back. Korean Pungsu calls this absent Black Tortoise (Hyeonmu bujae · 현무 부재 · 玄武不在) — land that falls away or opens behind the home, leaving the sitting direction unanchored. What this means for your home: the back of the house has no real anchor; the most important of the four guardians is missing. Wind, weather, and qi all leak off the rear rather than being held against the home. What this means for the people inside: classical Korean practice treats this as a serious foundation concern, associated with feeling unbacked in major decisions, vulnerability to unexpected disruptions, and restless sleep. To compensate, plant a row of tall pine or arborvitae along the back property line, build a solid fence, or install a tall solid headboard against the back wall of the master bedroom.
• Front gathers qi without scattering.명당 임수 (明堂臨水) — front water provides substantial 명당 receiving space. This is a premium 형국론 configuration.
• Specific 주산 identified.주산 의지 (主山依支) — a specific dominant mountain stands close behind the home in tight backing relationship. This is a classical Korean 형국 anchor.
• Hillside terrain with proper backing.Sheltered hillside (안온지 安穩地) — your home sits on a protected hillside band rather than an exposed ridge. Classical Korean 풍수 distinguishes the safe 안온지 (an'onji) from the wind-vulnerable 능선 (neungseon); this site holds the protected position.
• Five Elements deficit — boost via feeding element (오행).Your home is short on one element. In the Five Elements (Ohaeng / 오행 / 五行) reading, its Water (수 · 水) is almost entirely absent. What this means for your home: qi in the Water (수 · 水) flavor is under-expressed. The home lacks the qualities tied to that element: for instance, low Wood means weaker growth and expansion energy; low Water means weaker career and wisdom flow. What this means for the people inside: this is not a critical defect, but reinforcing the deficient element improves the home’s overall balance. It is especially helpful for family members whose Bonmyeonggung (본명궁 / personal birth-mansion) corresponds to that element.

Recognized across all major schools of this tradition. The most widely-agreed-upon class of doctrinal concern.

• Bed sees the door without facing it.The bed sits on the north wall with the bedroom door on the perpendicular east wall — set so you can see who enters without lying in the door's line. This is a steady placement, the kind Korean practice favors: the door stays in view, but it does not strike the bed head-on — it avoids 문충 (門衝), the qi that drives straight at a bed directly in line with the door. It supports easier rest and a settled feeling in the room.
• Wind scatters from missing Four Guardians (사신사 / 四神砂 결핍).Wind-shelter deficient (Jangpung bujok · 장풍 부족 · 藏風不足): this is an exposed-ridge site. Open on all sides, it allows harsh wind to disperse qi. The first half of Jangpung-Deuksu (장풍득수 · 藏風得水) is not satisfied.

Endorsed by most active schools, with minor interpretive variation between lineages.

• NE or SW placement concern.귀문 방위 (鬼門方位) — a kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom sits in the northeast (귀문 gwimun) or southwest (이귀문 igwimun) direction from the home's center. Korean classical practice treats these as taboo placements for the three most sensitive rooms.

School-specific readings

Findings endorsed only by specific schools within the tradition. Default-for-scoring schools contribute to the composite number; informational schools surface findings without weighting them.

School-specific readings

Findings endorsed only by specific schools within the tradition. Default-for-scoring schools contribute to the composite number; informational schools surface findings without weighting them.

Recognized across all major schools of this tradition. The most widely-agreed-upon class of doctrinal concern.

• Tortoise firmly anchored.Strong, well-formed support stands behind your home — a hill, tree-line, or higher landform close enough to feel like backing. This is the Black Tortoise firmly backed (Huyền Vũ vững chắc · 玄武有靠): the rear is held, like a chair with a high, solid back rather than a stool. With the back of the house this steady, a family is not easily shaken — decisions hold, the unexpected lands more softly, and everyone under the roof rests more easily.
• Black Tortoise without form.Open space lies behind your home: flat, empty, and without a landform anchor. Vietnamese phong thủy calls this Huyền Vũ không hư (玄武空虛 / 'Black Tortoise empty and void'), distinct from the more severe Huyền Vũ khuyết, where the land actively falls away. Here, the back is flat-open rather than dropping. What this means for your home: the foundational form-school guardian, the Black Tortoise behind, has no anchor. Tả Ao + 葬書 emphasize 玄武宜垂頭 ('the Tortoise should bow its head'): the rear wants formed landform — hill, ridge, tree-line, or even built mass — rather than bare open air. Without it, qi at the rear does not gather; it disperses. What this means for the people inside: this is a quieter version of being “unbacked” than active drainage, but it still matters. Career momentum, household decisions, and the sense of foundation all draw on rear anchoring. Remedy (hóa giải): plant a row of tall evergreens, such as pine, cypress, or bamboo, along the back property line; install a tall solid fence; or place a tall solid headboard against the back wall of the master bedroom for personal-scale anchoring.

Recognized across all major schools of this tradition. The most widely-agreed-upon class of doctrinal concern.

• Qi gathers ahead.Water sits in front of your home, forming the receiving zone. Classical Vietnamese phong thủy calls this Minh Đường lâm thủy (明堂臨水 / 'Bright Hall facing water'): the second-strongest form-school configuration for the front of a residence. What this means for your home: water in front acts as a natural gatherer of qi. The home faces a substantial open receiving area, and the water itself anchors the energy there rather than letting it pass. What this means for the people inside: this is classically associated with stable accumulation: finances that build over time, opportunities that arrive steadily, and household goodwill that compounds. It is a premium configuration prized by Vietnamese masters from Cao Biền onward.
• Water received in front.Water sits squarely in the prized front position of your home. Classical Vietnamese phong thủy calls this Đắc thủy chính cách (得水正格 / 'standard water-gaining formation'): water within close range and in the front-facing bearing of the house, the canonical premium configuration. What this means for your home: the front receiving zone is anchored by water, the most prized natural feature for that position. Qi gathered at the front has water to settle into rather than a landscape that simply passes by. What this means for the people inside: this is classically associated with steady accumulation across decades: finances, health, and household goodwill. It is one of the configurations Vietnamese masters from Cao Biền onward have prized for ancestral seats and great clan estates.
• Water gathers and holds.Standing water sits near your home, holding qi in place. Classical Vietnamese phong thủy calls this Tụ Thủy (聚水 / gathered water): a lake, pond, or still body of water within close range of the house. What this means for your home: still water acts as a natural reservoir for qi. Unlike a flowing river that carries energy past, a pond or lake near the home accumulates and stabilizes the qi field around the site. What this means for the people inside: this is classically associated with steady wealth and emotional groundedness: the kind of slow accumulation that supports long-term family stability rather than quick, volatile gains. It is a traditional blessing in Vietnamese site-form analysis.

Recognized across all major schools of this tradition. The most widely-agreed-upon class of doctrinal concern.

• Active earth-vein.Your home sits on a moderate hillside slope, terrain that classical Vietnamese practice associates with active “dragon vein” qi flow. Phong thủy calls this Long mạch sinh động (龍脈生動 / 'dragon-vein alive'): neither too flat, where there is little qi current, nor too steep, where qi rushes past. What this means for your home: the home sits on terrain classical practitioners read as “living earth.” The qi current beneath the property is active enough to support the residence rather than passing it by. What this means for the people inside: this gives the home steady underlying support, something classical Vietnamese site analysis prizes. Note: this is a heuristic reading from terrain data; true Long mạch verification requires multi-point ridge analysis on-site.
• Sheltered terrain.Your home sits on a protected hillside: on a slope rather than at the exposed crest. Classical Vietnamese phong thủy calls this Sườn núi có che (山坡有護 / 'sheltered hillside'), a particularly favorable form-school context. What this means for your home: the hillside provides natural backing without placing the home in the wind-swept exposure of a hilltop. Combined with rear landform support, this is the classic protected-slope configuration. What this means for the people inside: this supports a steady, naturally anchored quality of life — the kind of protected siting Vietnamese masters historically prized for ancestral homes.
• Ngũ Hành deficit — boost via feeding element.Ngũ Hành (五行) distribution analysis — its Water (Thủy · 水) is almost entirely absent. In Vietnamese phong thủy, a deficient element means qi is underexpressed: the home lacks the qualities tied to that element (e.g., low Mộc / Wood = weak growth and expansion energy; low Thủy / Water = weak career and wisdom flow). This is not catastrophic, but reinforcing the missing element makes the home feel more balanced and especially helps family members whose Mệnh quái (本命卦) matches the deficient element.
• Bed sees the door without facing it.The bed sits on the north wall with the bedroom door on the perpendicular east wall — placed so the sleeper can see the door without lying in its direct path. This is the steady arrangement: it keeps the entrance in view while avoiding môn xung (門衝) — the rush of qi at a bed placed directly facing the door. It supports calmer sleep and a settled sense of safety for the family.

Recognized across all major schools of this tradition. The most widely-agreed-upon class of doctrinal concern.

• Open minh đường — Chu Tước hành sự.Front Vermilion Bird (Tiền Chu Tước · 前朱雀) wide open — the space in front of the home is open, with water or a distant vista. This is the ideal Bright Hall (Minh Đường · 明堂) configuration in Bát Trạch Minh Cảnh: Chu Tước rules the south / front and symbolizes literary fortune (văn vận) and public recognition. An open foreground lets the qi field circulate, drawing in wealth (tài lộc) and opportunity.

School-specific readings

Findings endorsed only by specific schools within the tradition. Default-for-scoring schools contribute to the composite number; informational schools surface findings without weighting them.

School-specific readings

Findings endorsed only by specific schools within the tradition. Default-for-scoring schools contribute to the composite number; informational schools surface findings without weighting them.

School-specific readings

Findings endorsed only by specific schools within the tradition. Default-for-scoring schools contribute to the composite number; informational schools surface findings without weighting them.

School-specific readings

Findings endorsed only by specific schools within the tradition. Default-for-scoring schools contribute to the composite number; informational schools surface findings without weighting them.