Cash coins in feng shui

The usage of cash coins in the Chinese religious practice of feng shui is commonplace influencing many superstitions involving them. Believers in feng shui believe in a primal life force called qi (or chi) and apply their beliefs to the design of residential houses, as well as to commercial and public buildings, sometimes incorporating cash coins into the flow of this supposed qi.
Cash coins are category of ancient Chinese coinage which are typically round in shape and have a square central hole, these coins were used as the main currency of imperial China between 221 BC and 1912 AD. In feng shui cash coins are believed to be able to attract wealth and prosperity and to ward off "evil spirits" (煞氣, shà qì). However, placing them an outward facing position is believed to cause misfortune and placing them at the wrong places supposedly attracts "evil spirits" and poverty. For this reason special care is usually taken by feng shui practitioners when handling cash coins. While classic Chinese coins can come in a huge variety, particular categories of them enjoy more celebrity status than others, this is because Feng shui practitioners believe that some cash coin inscriptions are more auspicious than others, for example the Qianlong Tongbao (乾隆通寶) is commonly seen as an auspicious inscription because it was produced in a period of military and economic ascendancy in Chinese history, while the Xuanhe Tongbao (宣和通寶) is seen as inauspicious because it was produced during a more tumultuous era.
Feng shui practitioners typically place cash coins that are strung together somewhere in their house or in a cash register to supposedly attract wealth, alternatively they may carry them around as an accessory or place them in their wallet for good luck. A common way cash coins are used in feng shui is as a set of 5 coins known as the "Five Emperor Coins" (see below), these are often used as counters to hanging beams or exposed pillars. When used for such purposes, the 5 coins are often tied together with a red string (as red is seen as an auspicious colour) so as to charge them with yang energy. When combined with Taoist beliefs cash coins could be strung in the shape of a sword to scare away evil spirits.
Because of their common association with feng shui, cash coins are commonly referred to as feng shui coins in English.
The application of cash coins in feng shui should not be confused with the use of cash coin and cash coin-like amulets as "lucky charms" outside of feng shui, their usage in traditional Chinese medicine, or their usage in traditional Chinese fortune telling.
The cash coin became the main standard currency of China in 221 BC with the Ban Liang (半兩) and would be produced until 1912 AD there with the Minguo Tongbao (民國通寶). Cash coins are characterised by their round outer shape and a square center hole (Chinese: 方穿; pinyin: fāng chuān; Jyutping: fong1 cyun1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hong-chhoan). The hole in the centre of the coins allowed them to be strung together.
Originally cast during the Warring States period, these coins continued to be used for the entirety of Imperial China. The last Chinese cash coins were cast in the first year of the Republic of China. Generally most cash coins were made from copper or bronze alloys, with iron, lead, and zinc coins occasionally used less often throughout Chinese history. Rare silver and gold cash coins were also produced. During most of their production, cash coins were cast, but during the late Qing dynasty, machine-struck cash coins began to be made. As the cash coins produced over Chinese history were similar, thousand year old cash coins produced during the Northern Song dynasty continued to circulate as valid currency well into the early twentieth century.
Over the years, cash coins have had many different inscriptions, and the Wu Zhu (五銖) inscription, which first appeared under the Han dynasty, became the most commonly used inscription and was often used by succeeding dynasties for 700 years until the introduction of the Kaiyuan Tongbao (開元通寳) during the Tang dynasty. This was also the first time regular script was used as all earlier cash coins exclusively used seal script. During the Song dynasty a large number of different inscriptions was used, and several different styles of Chinese calligraphy were used, even on coins with the same inscriptions produced during the same period. These cash coins are known as matched coins (對錢). This was originally pioneered by the Southern Tang. During the Yuan dynasty, largely deprecated copper coinage was abandoned in favour of paper money. This trend continued under the Ming dynasty. Cash coins only contained the era names of the emperor during the Ming dynasty. Due to a naming taboo the term "Yuanbao" (元寶) was phased out from cash coin inscriptions as the founder of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang had the word "Yuan" (元) in his name. The trend of exclusively using the era names on currencies continued during the Qing dynasty, and all cash coins issued during this period were written in regular script.
Outside of China, Chinese cash coins have inspired the design of the Japanese mon, Korean mun, Ryukyuan mon, and Vietnamese văn currencies and the last series of cash coins produced in the world were the French Indochinese Bảo Đại Thông Bảo (保大通寶) during the 1940s.
Chinese people in the past believed that "similar things come together" and in this principle they believed that objects and events of the same nature will gather together: flowers go with flowers, grass goes with grass, gold goes with gold, like-minded people gather together, Etc. Therefore, they believed that hanging coins in the house will attract more money to their household or their village.
Feng shui masters (traditional Chinese: 風水師; simplified Chinese: 风水师; pinyin: Fēngshuǐ shī) recommend the use of old Chinese cash coins to enhance the feng shui of a house (for the usage of old Chinese charms in the house, see "Chinese house charms"). In feng shui certain cash coins are thought to be able to provide protection and promote good fortune. Generally speaking, Feng shui masters always have a large number of Chinese copper-alloy cash coins on hand. This is because cash coins, as well as jade, are the basic tools used to adjust the yin and yang forces of a house. The reasons why cash coins have an important role in feng shui are numerous and concerns the very nature of Chinese cash coins as they have always been a potent instrument in feng shui.
The reasons why Chinese cash coins have an important place in feng shui include:
Cash coins when used for feng shui purposes can be combined with other feng shui items to enhance their usage. For example, if they are added to a Pixiu, it can strengthen the wealth effect of the Pixiu statuette, and if you add it to Qilin, it can also increase the power of eliminating evil spirits of the Qilin statuette. Other examples include gourds, where they supposedly strengthen its healing functions and countering evil spirits (sha qì), mystic knots for protection, and crystals for wealth.
While feng shui coins are typically made from copper alloys, they can also be made from stone, jade, other metals, Etc.
Some cash coins considered to be suitable and others unsuitable for feng shui to provide protection from evil and the promotion of good fortune, on this Chinese Feng shui masters note that the supposed "effectiveness" of a cash coin is dependent on the coin's alloy and quality, how many people have previously used it, and the time period when the cash coin was produced.
Factors typically considered by Feng shui masters include:
In feng shui, the term Five Emperor Coins (traditional Chinese: 五帝錢 / 五帝幣; simplified Chinese: 五帝钱 / 五帝币; pinyin: Wǔdì qián / Wǔdì bì; Vietnamese: Tiền ngũ đế / Tiền năm vua), also sometimes called "Five Emperor Money Coins" in English, refers to a set of cash coins that were produced during the early and High Qing eras when the Qing dynasty was at its height both militarily and economically. This set includes authentic cash coins produced during the reigns of the Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing Emperors. As this period was when China's national power was the strongest, the authority of the emperor dominated, and Chinese society enjoyed stability the Five Emperor Coins are seen as having the essence of "heaven, earth, and people" (天、地、人). In this context it is sometimes referred to as "genius, genius, talent" (天才，地才，人才). Five Emperor Coins are also used with Tai Sui practices.
The five emperors reigned from 1644 to 1824, which happened to be a cycle in feng shui (as a cycle occurs every 180 years). The Shunzhi reign period belongs to northern water (北方水), Kangxi belongs to eastern wood (東方木), Yongzheng belongs to central earth (中央土), Qianlong belongs to western metal (西方金), and Jiaqing belongs to southern fire (南方火), which is exactly the symbol of the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
Feng shui masters typically advise people to select cash coins for feng shui purposes that are approximately the same size and thickness as each other. During the 60-year-long reign of the Qianlong Emperor a large quantity of Qianlong Tongbao cash coins were produced in varying sizes and qualities, this means that when selecting cash coins with this inscription special attention has to be given.
The Five Emperor Coins consist of:
Alternative set of Five Emperor Coins:
In feng shui before being used Five Emperor Coins, like other feng shui items, have to be consecrated by a Feng shui master for them to have a feng shui effect. Consecration of Five Emperor Coins usually takes place from 7:00 to 9:00 in the morning "when the dragon raises its head", after consecration, the Five Emperor Coins should not be touched by outsiders. If the cash coins are dirty, they are either replaced or wiped with a little salt water, after drying, they are usually placed in the ground the next morning. If the consecrated Five Emperor Coins need to be replaced they are usually wrapped in red cloth and put at the temple incense candle recycling place or at crossroads to supposedly let its aura dissipate.
To attract wealth, Five Emperor Coins cash coins are usually placed placed in the area of the house where wealth is kept or generated such as the living room, work room (for those who work from home), altars, vaults or a safe, Etc. where they are usually strung together in a particular order. Sometimes they are also placed inside of a car.
Cash coins can also be worn for feng shui purposes as their square central holes conveniently allows them to be strung to a red cord, ribbon or a piece of clothing or to be worn as a necklace. Cash coins are typically strung while using it in this manner using red cords due to red being considered an auspicious colour in Chinese culture. According to the teaching of feng shui wearing cash coins can provide "personal protection from ghosts and other evils". Alternative, cash coins do not necessarily have to be worn on the body of the person but could be placed in any number of accessoires for their supposed "effect" in feng shui as they could be placed in a purse, handbag or hung on the shoulder strap of a handbag. Placing a set of Five Emperor Coins inside of a wallet is believed to attract wealth.
According to Feng shui masters, cash coin necklaces should be worn in a slip knot, which is known in Mandarin as a Huójié (活結), because slip knots can easily be released by only pulling on one cord meaning that a cash coin is able to automatically" fall off as they believe that in the presence of a nearby powerful evil force should "suddenly fall" meaning that the necklace functions as a "very good warning system" that can warn its wearer to leave immediately if such a fall occurs.
According feng shui cash coins placed at inside of the home can ward off evil spirits, this is because it is believed that evil spirits typically attempt to enter a house through gates, doors, and windows and Feng shui masters claim that by placing feng shui coins close to where it is believed evil spirits will enter they will be unable to rush inside. Furthermore, in feng shui cash coins fulfill the purpose of promoting harmony in the household, and attracting both wealth and good fortune. Placing cash coins in an area associated with money such as a vault or a cash register is believed to attract more wealth (see also: Vault protector coin).
When new houses are constructed five sets of Qing dynasty Five Emperor Coins are sometimes placed at specific locations to attract both wealth and prosperity. These sets of Five Emperor Coins are placed at the four corners and the centre of the house in a specific sequence and because the interior area is usually relatively large, it is believed that Five Emperor Coins cannot be used in the interior because their supposed power is not enough for such a large area. All five sets of Five Emperor Coins are placed facing the gate, with five Shunzhi Tongbao in the left corner, five Kangxi Tongbao in the right corner, five Yongzheng Tongbao are placed in the centre, five Qianlong Tongbao are placed in the rear left corner, and five Jiaqing Tongbao in the rear right corner.
Traditionally, "protection" was usually achieved by burying feng shui coins under the threshold of the house, but as many modern people live in apartment buildings "burying" cash coins has become less convenient it has now become more commonplace to hide them under a doormat or to hang the cash coins on a door handle. When using Five Emperor Coins these are usually chronologically arranged. Sometimes cash coins are also placed underneath rugs or floor mats to strengthen the presence of "earth" energy when the level below is empty space such as a vehicle parking lot.
When placed on the right side of an entrance gate, Five Emperor Coins hung from a yellow cord are believed to help prevent female family members from being too argumentative or quarrelsome. In Chinese culture, the colour yellow is associated with the legendary Yellow Emperor and in feng shui yellow is perceived a potent symbol of both imperial rule and general authority.
When placed at the gate of the house, in feng shui Five Emperor Coins are to be placed chronologically from right-to-left. At the same time, it is required that the feet of the ancient coins face inward and the obverse of the coin face upwards. In feng shui it is believed that if the foot of the characters is turned outward that it would cause depression to the inhabitants of the household.
Placing two copper-alloy cash coins under a pillow is believed to ensure harmony in a marriage.
In traditional Chinese homes the ridgepole is the main cross beam located at the top of the house which provides major support for the roof, typically these ridgepoles are painted red because it is seen as an auspicious colour in Chinese culture and a Bagua charm (a type of cash coin amulet), sometimes including the yin and yang symbol, is usually hung from the ridgepole. This is typically done by drilling two holes at the top and bottom of the amulet. Alongside the cash coin amulet ted paper and cloth banners are hung from the ridgepole during its hoisting. These banners have such auspicious sayings as Fú xīng gāo zhào (福星高照, "Let the five good fortunes shine brightly"), Jiāng tài gōng zài cǐ (姜太公在此, "The Protector Jiang Taigong is here"), Fènghuáng zài cǐ (鳳凰在此, "The male and female phoenix are both here"), and Zǐ wēi gāo zhào (紫微高照, "Let the purple polar star shine brightly"). Besides being attached to the ridgepole during the construction of a house, an Eight Trigram cash coin amulet is frequently placed on a main gate or door, these may have inscriptions on them to ward off demons such as Zhǎn zhì xié guǐ (斬治邪鬼, "behead and punish the demons").
It is also customary in feng shui during the 5th day of the 5th month (Duanwu) to hang a five poisons charm on a door or gate as a form of protection. This is done because a host of dangerous pests such as snakes, scorpions, spiders, and others tend to become more common during the summer. The leaves of a Acorus calamus plant, which resemble a sword, are sometimes hung on the same location for the same intended effect.
To ensure and promote "good fortune" for the family Chinese people traditionally nailed cash coin amulets with auspicious inscriptions, such as Changming Fugui (長命富貴, "Longevity, wealth, and honour") and Fushou Tongtian (福壽同天, "good fortune and longevity on the same day") on a gate or wall. Sometimes these good luck amulets feature obverse sides that have inscriptions identical to cash coins, such as Qianlong Tongbao (乾隆通寳), but may be significantly larger in size, for example a Qianlong Tongbao charm being 38 millimeters in diameter and having a weight of 10.6 grams.
One of the most popular "good luck" motifs found in old Chinese houses consists of five bats (五蝠) surrounding the Chinese character for "longevity" (壽). A specific type of cash coin amulet, known as an open-work charm, with this design is known as a Wufu Pengshou (五福捧壽, "five fortunes surround longevity") and is commonly hung on a door or gate to wish for blessings and a long life.
In feng shui, coin-swords are often hung to frighten away demons and evil spirits. Coin-swords are a type of Chinese numismatic charm that are primarily used in southern China. The supposed powers of coin-swords do not come from the associated wealth symbolism that usually comes with cash coins. But with the design form of the cash coins used to make the sword, as well as the dynastic origins of the cash coins that carry the Emperor's reign era title. As such, in feng shui the supposed power of the coin-swords will depend heavily on which Chinese emperor's inscription is written down on the cash coins.
They are frequently hung above the bed, on residential walls, on the front and the outside of the bridal bed-curtain, or above the windows of a building. It is believed that evil spirits would not dare molest the residents of the house where the coin-sword hangs because the sword resembles that wielded by the Taoist immortal Zhong Kui, who in Chinese mythology is famous for being a slayer of evil demons. Most Chinese coin-swords consist of Qianlong Tongbao (乾隆通寳) cash coins. Coin-swords made from Qing dynasty cash coins with the inscription Kangxi Tongbao (康熙通寶) are considered to be the most effective.
About the time of a woman's confinement after her marriage, a coin-sword is sometimes taken to be hung inside of the bridal bed-curtain, usually in a position that is parallel to the horizon.
In feng shui certain cash coins are seen as being inauspicious and are discouraged by Feng shui masters because, according to them, rather than acting as a deterrent to evil they might attract it.
Factors typically seen as indicating an inauspicious cash coins by Feng shui masters include:
As the Five Emperor Coins are seen as auspicious because the economy of the Qing dynasty was in its ascendancy during the reigns of the 5 emperors mentioned in the inscriptions and China enjoyed a period a military strength, Qing dynasty period cash coins produced during times when the empire was gradually falling into serious dynastic decline are seen as inauspicious for feng shui purposes. Despite this a number of dealers selling feng shui coins have been promoting "Six Emperor Coins" (六帝錢, 六帝钱) and "Ten Emperor Coins" (十帝錢, 十帝钱) which include cash coins produced during the reign of the Daoguang Emperor and later when the Qing dynasty was entering its century of humiliation. For this reason, Feng shui masters advise against using "Six Emperor Coins" and "Ten Emperor Coins" coin sets.
In feng shui, cash coins are believed to not just attract wealth, good fortune, and harmony when placed in the house but may also attract evil spirits (sha qì) if they are placed in certain positions or at certain places.
Due to the cultural influence of feng shui in the Greater China region ancient Chinese coinages have been adopted into the logo design of many companies in the region, which is often referred to as the "symbolic feng shui coin logo design". Logos that are based on the various concepts and forms that are found in feng shui are the most preferred visual representation used by financial institutions such as banks in the Greater China region, with ancient Chinese coins being used in particular.
For this reason, cash coins in feng shui have developed into distinctive and unique style of logo design language in the region.