How to Choose a Burial Site

In 2018, I accompanied a feng shui master named Mr. Chen to a mountainside in Fujian Province. A family had hired him to select a burial site for their recently deceased patriarch. Mr. Chen spent three days on that mountain — walking ridgelines, testing soil, taking compass readings, observing water flow patterns after rain. He rejected eleven potential sites before approving one.

The family paid him 50,000 RMB (about $7,000 USD) for those three days. They considered it a bargain. In their view, the feng shui of their father's grave would influence the family's fortune for the next three to five generations. Getting it right was worth more than getting it cheap.

This article walks through the process Mr. Chen used — the same process that feng shui masters have followed, with variations, for over two thousand years.

Step 1: Find the Dragon Vein (寻龙 Xún Lóng)

Everything in burial feng shui starts with the 龙脉 (Lóng Mài) — the dragon vein. This is a line of elevated terrain — a mountain range, a ridge, a series of hills — that carries earth energy (地气 Dì Qì) from its source to its destination.

The metaphor is literal: the Chinese see mountain ranges as dragons moving through the landscape. The peaks are the dragon's spine. The ridges extending from the main range are its limbs. The point where a ridge terminates and the energy settles is the dragon's head — and that's where you want to place a tomb.

Not every ridge is a dragon vein. The characteristics of a true dragon vein:

| Feature | Good Dragon Vein | Poor Dragon Vein | |---|---|---| | Shape | Undulating, with peaks and valleys | Flat, monotonous, or jagged | | Vegetation | Lush, varied, healthy | Sparse, dead, or uniform | | Soil | Rich, dark, moist | Rocky, sandy, or waterlogged | | Direction | Winds and curves naturally | Straight and rigid | | Termination | Ends in a gentle mound or knoll | Drops off sharply or fades away |

The Chinese term for the undulating quality is 起伏有致 (Qǐ Fú Yǒu Zhì) — "rising and falling with purpose." A dragon vein that rises and falls is alive; one that's flat is dead. A dead dragon vein carries no useful energy.

Mr. Chen spent the first day simply walking the mountain's ridgelines, tracing the dragon veins from their origin (the main peak) to their termination points. He identified three viable veins and rejected the rest.

Step 2: Locate the Acupoint (点穴 Diǎn Xué)

Once you've found a good dragon vein, you need to find the exact spot where the energy concentrates. This is called the 穴 (Xué) — literally "acupoint," the same word used in acupuncture. Just as the human body has specific points where qi concentrates, the landscape has points where earth energy gathers.

The xue is typically found where the dragon vein terminates — where the ridge flattens into a gentle mound or knoll. But finding the exact spot requires careful observation:

The "lips" (唇 Chún): Below the xue point, there should be a slight protrusion of land, like a lower lip. This indicates that energy has gathered and is being held in place.

The "cheeks" (腮 Sāi): On either side of the xue, small ridges or mounds should curve inward, like cheeks framing a face. These contain the energy and prevent it from dispersing sideways.

The "forehead" (额 É): Above the xue, the terrain should rise gently, providing backing and protection. This is the immediate 靠山 (Kào Shān) — the support mountain.

Mr. Chen used a technique called 倒杖法 (Dào Zhàng Fǎ) — the "inverted staff method" — to pinpoint the xue. He placed a wooden staff at the top of the mound and let it fall naturally. The direction and angle of the fall, combined with the terrain's contours, indicated where the energy center was. He did this multiple times from different positions, triangulating the exact point.

This might sound like divination, but there's a logic to it. The staff falls along the path of least resistance, which corresponds to the natural energy flow of the terrain. It's a physical tool for reading landscape geometry.

Step 3: Examine the Four Celestial Animals (审四兽 Shěn Sì Shòu)

With the xue identified, the next step is evaluating the surrounding landscape using the Four Celestial Animals framework:

Black Tortoise (玄武 Xuán Wǔ) — Behind: The mountain or hill directly behind the xue. It should be tall enough to provide protection but not so steep that it feels oppressive. The ideal tortoise mountain has a rounded top (suggesting stored energy) rather than a pointed peak (which disperses energy upward).

Azure Dragon (青龙 Qīng Lóng) — Left: Standing at the xue facing outward, the terrain on your left should be slightly higher and longer than the right side. The dragon represents yang energy and should be the dominant "arm" of the embrace. In classical texts: 龙要高于虎 (Lóng yào gāo yú hǔ) — "the dragon should be higher than the tiger."

White Tiger (白虎 Bái Hǔ) — Right: The terrain on your right should be lower and shorter than the dragon side, curving gently inward. The tiger represents yin energy and should be submissive to the dragon. A tiger that's higher than the dragon is called 白虎抬头 (Bái Hǔ Tái Tóu) — "white tiger raises its head" — and is considered very inauspicious, associated with violence and legal troubles for descendants.

Red Phoenix (朱雀 Zhū Què) — Front: The view from the xue should open to a wide, gently sloping area — the ming tang (明堂). In the distance, there should be a small hill or mountain called the 案山 (Àn Shān) — "table mountain" — at roughly desk height relative to the xue. Further away, a taller mountain called the 朝山 (Cháo Shān) — "greeting mountain" — should be visible.

The relationship between these elements:

        [Tortoise Mountain - behind]
              |
    [Dragon]  ●  [Tiger]
    (left)   xue  (right)
              |
        [Ming Tang - open space]
              |
        [Table Mountain - near]
              |
        [Greeting Mountain - far]

Mr. Chen rejected his first two dragon vein candidates because one had a tiger higher than the dragon, and the other lacked a proper table mountain in front.

Step 4: Read the Water (观水 Guān Shuǐ)

Water is the second most important factor after the dragon vein. The classical principle: 山管人丁水管财 (Shān guǎn rén dīng, shuǐ guǎn cái) — "Mountains govern descendants; water governs wealth."

The ideal water configuration for a burial site:

• Water should be visible from the xue but not too close (at least 30-50 meters away)
• It should flow in a gentle curve, ideally wrapping around the front of the site like a belt — this is called 玉带环腰 (Yù Dài Huán Yāo) — "jade belt around the waist"
• The water should flow from left to right (when facing outward from the xue) or from right to left, but never straight toward or straight away from the site
• The point where water exits the view should be narrow and partially hidden — this is called 水口 (Shuǐ Kǒu) — "water mouth" — and a tight water mouth means wealth is retained rather than flowing away
• The water should be clean and flowing, not stagnant or polluted

Mr. Chen spent considerable time observing a small stream near the third candidate site. He visited after a rainstorm to see how water flowed across the terrain. The stream curved gently in front of the xue and exited through a narrow gap between two small hills — a textbook water mouth. This was the deciding factor in his approval.

Step 5: Test the Soil (验土 Yàn Tǔ)

This step is often overlooked in popular feng shui writing, but it's critical in practice. The soil at the xue point reveals the quality of earth energy:

| Soil Quality | Indication | Feng Shui Assessment | |---|---|---| | Rich, dark, moist | Strong earth energy | ✅ Excellent | | Reddish-brown, firm | Fire-earth energy, warm | ✅ Good | | Yellow-brown, cohesive | Stable earth energy | ✅ Good | | Sandy, loose | Energy doesn't hold | ❌ Poor | | Rocky, hard | Energy blocked | ❌ Poor | | Waterlogged, muddy | Excessive yin, decay | ❌ Very poor | | White or ashy | Depleted energy | ❌ Very poor |

The traditional soil test involves digging a small hole (about 30cm deep) at the xue point, filling it with water, and checking the next day. If the water has been absorbed but the soil is still moist, the energy is good. If the water sits on top (clay, poor drainage), the energy is stagnant. If the water disappears completely and the soil is dry (sandy), the energy doesn't hold.

Mr. Chen also smelled the soil. Good burial soil should smell earthy and alive — like a forest floor after rain. Soil that smells sour, metallic, or rotten indicates problems.

Step 6: Take Compass Readings (格龙立向 Gé Lóng Lì Xiàng)

With the site approved, the feng shui master uses a 罗盘 (Luó Pán) — the Chinese feng shui compass — to determine the precise orientation of the grave. This is called 立向 (Lì Xiàng) — "establishing the facing direction."

The luopan reading determines:

• The exact degree of the grave's facing direction (to within 1-2 degrees)
• The relationship between the incoming dragon vein direction and the facing direction
• Whether the facing direction is compatible with the deceased's birth data
• Whether the facing direction avoids annual and monthly feng shui afflictions

The facing direction must harmonize with the incoming dragon vein. If the dragon comes from the northeast and the grave faces south, the angle between them must fall within acceptable parameters defined by the 三合 (Sān Hé) or 三元 (Sān Yuán) compass schools.

Getting this wrong by even a few degrees can, according to practitioners, reverse the intended effects — turning a prosperity-generating site into a misfortune-generating one. This is why feng shui masters use the luopan rather than a regular compass, and why they take multiple readings from different positions to ensure accuracy.

Step 7: Select the Date (择日 Zé Rì)

The burial date and time are selected using the Chinese almanac (通书 Tōng Shū) and the deceased's birth data. Certain days are favorable for burial; others are strictly avoided.

Key considerations:

• The day should not clash with the deceased's birth year animal
• The day should not clash with the facing direction of the grave
• The day should avoid the monthly feng shui afflictions (月煞 Yuè Shā)
• The hour of burial matters — morning hours (yang) are generally preferred over afternoon (yin)

In practice, the date selection often creates scheduling conflicts with family members who need to travel for the funeral. Mr. Chen provided three acceptable dates within a two-week window, giving the family flexibility.

What Modern Cemetery Buyers Should Know

Most people today don't have the luxury of selecting a mountainside burial site. They're choosing plots in commercial cemeteries. Here's how to apply these principles in a modern context:

1. Visit the cemetery and observe the overall landscape. Does it have mountain backing? Is there water nearby? Does the terrain embrace the cemetery or leave it exposed?

2. Within the cemetery, choose a plot that's not at the lowest point (water accumulates, excessive yin) or the highest point (too exposed, energy disperses).

3. Avoid plots at the end of long, straight paths — this creates a road-rush effect similar to a T-junction in residential feng shui.

4. Check what's behind the headstone. A wall, a hill, or dense vegetation provides backing. An open field or a road behind the headstone means no support.

5. Observe the drainage. After rain, does water flow away from the plot or pool around it? Good drainage indicates good energy flow.

6. Consider the facing direction. South-facing plots are generally preferred, but the best direction depends on the deceased's birth data and the specific landscape.

These aren't superstitions. They're a systematic way of evaluating landscape quality that happens to align with what makes a burial site feel dignified, peaceful, and well-maintained.

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Burial site selection (选地 Xuǎn Dì) in Chinese feng shui follows the same fundamental principles as residential feng shui — mountain backing, water in front, embracing terrain — but with higher stakes and greater precision. The effects are believed to last for generations.