Feng Shui pronounced fung-SHWAY, is an ancient Chinese practice of aesthetically placing things in a specific way in order to allow positive Qi to flow through the environment. Qi, also referred to as chi or ch�i and pronounced in English as CHEE, is the Chinese word for that active principle within all living things. The literal translation of Qi is air or breath. Feng Shui has been hailed as the Environmental Science of the 21st Century.

Feng Shui has actual "laws" that govern such things as placement and color when arranging items. Because these "laws" are subjective and not objective, many people believe it to be a fad or gimmick that holds no basis in real, scientific practice. However, there were reasons the Chinese came to perform these exercises in design. Placement of buildings in relation to the sun allowed for the building to get warmer or stay cool, depending on need. There are many practical reasons for Feng Shui, in spite of its reputation as a superstitious methodology.

Feng Shui was historically used to orient buildings during construction especially those of great importance such as temples or tombs. A building's purpose could be determined by how it was placed according to the bodies of water or the stars. Practitioners use what they believe to be the laws of Heaven and Earth. Feng Shui's literal translation of "wind-water" refers to Guo Pu's passage from the"Zangshu (Book of Burial)" : "Qi rides the wind and scatters, but is contained when encountering water."