The Village Personally Sited and Designed by Feng Shui Patriarch Yang Yunsong: Liukeng, the Foremost Village of the Ages

In the Tang Dynasty, a dust-covered old man slowly emerged from the mountains, dressed in plain clothes and carrying a heavy pack, walking along a rugged mountain path.

The old man's face was lined with the marks of years, his gait somewhat unsteady, yet his eyes were firm and strong, as if telling the story of his unyielding life.

On both sides of the path stretched rolling mountain ranges; verdant green trees and layered peaks were woven into a beautiful scroll.

A gust of wind-blown dust struck his face. The old man narrowed his eyes and, though his steps faltered, pressed on. He was perhaps a little tired, but he did not stop.

Far off, a few crude thatched huts were faintly visible, nestled among the surrounding forests and streams. Dragging his weary body, the old man made his way step by step toward the dwelling.

He finally arrived and saw a young man there, so the old man went over and asked the young man for a bowl of water.

Seeing this, the young man hurried inside, brought out water, and respectfully offered it to the old man.

As he drank, the old man asked the young man: "What is your name? Why have you come to such a remote place?"

The young man replied: "My name is Dong He. I have brought my clan here to reclaim farmland and settle down for generations. I saw you coming down the mountain, elder — there are many wild beasts in these hills and it is extremely dangerous. You must be careful."

The old man asked: "Why did you choose this place?"

Dong He answered: "This place is called Bailong Pond. I had heard that someone once attained enlightenment and ascended here, with purple qi circling for days without dispersing — so I came out of curiosity. I did not expect to find the feng shui here so excellent: the land in between is fertile and can be used as farmland."

The old man set down his bowl, gazed deeply at Dong He, and said with a faint smile: "Though this place is good, from a feng shui perspective, it is not suitable for founding a village or settlement for breeding and survival."

Hearing this, Dong He smiled and said: "The dragon vein here comes from Hegong Ridge behind — sinuous and lively. In front of the mountain, a watercourse meets; the dragon and water cross. What could be wrong with it?"

Hearing this, the old man nodded and said: "What you say has some logic, but it is not entirely correct. The feng shui here is not bad, but you have overlooked a crucial factor."

Dong He asked in puzzlement: "What factor?"

The old man replied: "The mountain you now rely on is only the female dragon; it lacks the cooperation of a male dragon. As the saying goes, solitary yin does not grow, solitary yang does not arise. Wherever vital qi is present, it must be at the place where yin and yang converge. Presumably, where the ancient immortal ascended must also be there — and that is exactly where I am headed on this journey."

Dong He was startled upon hearing this. Such lofty discourse on feng shui he had only vaguely heard elders in the clan mention: feng shui has a secret formula of male and female, a heavenly-secret method — but only the national master Yang Yunsong knows it.

Hearing the old man speak, something stirred in his heart. He bowed with clasped fists and asked the old man: "May I ask whether you are National Master Yang?"

The old man shook his head and said: "Only an empty name."

Dong He was overjoyed and even more respectful. He knew this was a heaven-sent opportunity.

Afterward, he followed Master Yang across the broad fields, until they came to a place embraced by mountains, with river water encircling its waist.

Master Yang pointed to the distant mountain range, then to the ground beneath their feet: "Here."

Dong He followed Master Yang's gaze into the distance. The far-off mountain range rose and fell in waves — two dragon spirits, one robust and forceful, the other gentle and waterlike.

At their feet lay an island of land amid the waters, with clear hills and pure streams. But unlike Bailong Pond, the terrain here was more open and the soil more fertile.

Yet Dong He furrowed his brow and asked Master Yang: "Here the river surrounds us. Though the embrace is beautiful, it carries the force of a flood dragon stirring wind and waves. Central Jiangxi already suffers frequent floods; come the rainy season, fields and houses will surely be submerged. How can one settle here?"

Master Yang stroked his beard and laughed heartily: "What difficulty is there? One need only lay out the Seven-Star Ponds, arranging living water to subdue the dragon's body here. Naturally, wind and waves will not rise, and there will be no floods."

Hearing this, Dong He pondered it carefully and suddenly felt Master Yang's words were brilliant. If the river rose, the water would flow into the ponds on its own. Properly arranged, even after a thousand years there need be no fear of flooding. The ponds and lakes would store water both for daily village needs and for irrigating the fields — killing many birds with one stone.

So he immediately decided to lead his clan to settle here, and warmly invited Master Yang to stay on and provide further guidance.

Master Yang had already been surveying the surrounding area. But this place was wilderness, with many wild beasts, making things inconvenient. With Dong He's invitation, he stayed — and stayed for two years. During that time he found several more feng shui treasure sites for Dong He, one of them at Bailong Pond.

According to the Dong clan genealogy, Master Yang left behind a poem:

The Dong family kept me for two whole years, and treated me with perfect sincerity.
Again I set down a site at Bailong Pond — a record left here in song.
Kan and Gui surge into Qian and Qian-gan; with Bing as the facing, settling between the Tiger and Snake.
Tiger, Horse, and Rabbit mountains rise high at the peaks — estates and fields of ten thousand qing.
Xun water flows down into the Bing palace, then turns and returns east.
Two years after the burial, official honor arrives; village scholars gain great profit.
Secretaries, magistrates, and assistant officials — each generation reaches the court.
Five hundred official appointments to come, sheltered by the Guanguo mountains.
When five men share the same Jia examination name, office and rank gradually flourish.
Clad in purple, crimson, and green alike, as water comes from Yin and Jia.
In later years, still able to ward off plague — yet reversal strikes within the household.
Within five hundred years it will yet decline, as water flows greatly through Xin-Xu.
If one sees water flowing through Geng, Liukeng will again be well.

Afterword

In the second year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, Dong He's grandson Dong Wenguang passed the metropolitan examination. He devoted the entire family fortune to founding "Guilin Academy," and the Dong clan rose mightily. Later came the splendid feat of five men from the Dong family — fathers and brothers alike — all passing the jinshi examination in one generation. Talent emerged generation after generation; the brilliance was supreme.

As the poem said, about five hundred years later, Liukeng Village was indeed attacked during the Yuan Dynasty by an armed force led by Xia Pu of the local county. The village was destroyed in an instant. It was only after Zhu Yuanzhang pacified Jiangxi that the Dong surname gradually returned to their old Liukeng Village, and they soon prospered once more.

During the Ming Dynasty, Liukeng Village again renovated its ponds and alleyways. Because river transport brought handsome profits, the whole village embarked on the path of making money through commerce and then spending it to purchase official ranks. Most of the Ming and Qing era buildings still standing in Liukeng Village today bear official titles that were largely bought through donation; remarkably, the village almost stopped producing men of letters.