Compass

The luopan is a Chinese divination tool used in traditional fengshui practice. The device is used to identify auspicious and inauspicious directions related to the movement of qi through space and the characteristics of an individual person, site, and time.

The earliest historical accounts demonstrating the luopan’s use indicate that the tool was created during the Han Dynasty (206BCE-220CE). The first versions did not have a traditional compass in the center, they instead had a spoon-shaped lodestone called a si nan (司南). Unlike Western compasses, the luopan is South facing, and when orienting the compass South is placed at the top.

The luopan consists of three core components: the base, the heaven dial, and the compass. Each of these components hold additional symbolic and practical functions. The compass is placed at the center of the luopan. Two perpendicular red strings are drawn taut across the entire luopan. This allows users to more easily read the information on the dial relative to the compasses position.

In Chinese cosmology the earth is often represented as a square, and the heavens are represented as a circle. This is reflected in the square and circular plates of the luopan. Each of the four sides of the square would correspond with the four cardinal directions which corresponded to Yin, while the heavens and sky were round and corresponded to Yang. This symbolic representation is frequently seen across Chinese architecture, art, and philosophy.

The dial consists of a series of rings containing additional layers of information used in the divining process. Some of these rings are only used in specific circumstances. For example, certain layers are used when orienting a burial site, while others are used when designing the layout of a home or kitchen. The key components organized throughout the rings include the 8 trigrams, the 24 mountains, the 28 constellations, the earthly branches, and the heaven stems.

Most luopan organize the 8 trigrams according to the Later Heaven Sequence. The Later Heaven Sequence organizes the trigrams to reflect the dynamic changes and movement of all things in the universe. This particular luopan instead follows the Early Heaven Sequence. The Early Heaven Sequence instead organizes the trigrams based on the foundations of the universe as they were observed when this sequence was created, between 2850-2200 BCE. The use of this sequence implies that this compass was likely used in Plum Blossom Fengshui Divination.