TL;DR: The South corresponds to the Ly trigram and belongs to the East group of houses in Bát Trạch. It is considered compatible with people in the East group of destinies (cung phi Khảm, Chấn, Tốn, Ly) and unfavorable for the West group. Some methods based on the five elements may give different conclusions for certain ages because they rely on nạp âm and do not distinguish between men and women. You can look up your cung phi in the house direction tool, and remember to enter your lunar year.
Who does the South direction suit?
According to Bát Trạch (the Eight Mansions school of feng shui), the South is the Ly palace, belonging to the Đông tứ trạch (East Four Houses) group. For people in the Đông tứ mệnh (East Four Destinies) group, this is one of the four favourable directions; for people with Tây tứ mệnh (West Four Destinies), it is an unfavourable direction. The specific du niên (fortune grade) for each case is shown in the table below.
Table of the eight cung phi (life gua) with the South direction (applies to birth years from 1950 to 2009, calculated using the site's core formula):
| Cung phi | Group | South is | Good or bad | Male birth years | Female birth years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khảm (1) | Đông tứ mệnh | Diên Niên | good | 1954, 1963, 1972, 1981, 1990, 1999, 2008 | 1950, 1959, 1968, 1977, 1986, 1995, 2004 |
| Khôn (2) | Tây tứ mệnh | Lục Sát | bad | 1950, 1953, 1959, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1977, 1980, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2007 | 1951, 1960, 1969, 1978, 1987, 1996, 2005 |
| Chấn (3) | Đông tứ mệnh | Sinh Khí | good | 1952, 1961, 1970, 1979, 1988, 1997, 2006 | 1952, 1961, 1970, 1979, 1988, 1997, 2006 |
| Tốn (4) | Đông tứ mệnh | Thiên Y | good | 1951, 1960, 1969, 1978, 1987, 1996, 2005 | 1953, 1962, 1971, 1980, 1989, 1998, 2007 |
| Càn (6) | Tây tứ mệnh | Tuyệt Mệnh | bad | 1958, 1967, 1976, 1985, 1994, 2003 | 1955, 1964, 1973, 1982, 1991, 2000, 2009 |
| Đoài (7) | Tây tứ mệnh | Ngũ Quỷ | bad | 1957, 1966, 1975, 1984, 1993, 2002 | 1956, 1965, 1974, 1983, 1992, 2001 |
| Cấn (8) | Tây tứ mệnh | Họa Hại | bad | 1956, 1965, 1974, 1983, 1992, 2001 | 1954, 1957, 1963, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1981, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2002, 2008 |
| Ly (9) | Đông tứ mệnh | Phục Vị | good | 1955, 1964, 1973, 1982, 1991, 2000, 2009 | 1958, 1967, 1976, 1985, 1994, 2003 |
Why do the five elements method and the Bát Trạch method give two different conclusions?
The two methods measure two different things. Bát Trạch relies on the cung phi, calculated from birth year and gender; the five elements method relies on the nạp âm (sound element) of the birth year's stem and branch and does not distinguish between men and women. So for the same person and the same South direction, the two methods can reach opposite conclusions.
Examples of divergence where the five elements say favourable but Bát Trạch says unfavourable:
- Female born 1972 (Nhâm Tý, Tang Đố Mộc, Wood element): cung phi Cấn (8), Tây tứ mệnh; the South is Họa Hại (bad), while in the five elements comparison Wood and Fire are mutually generating.
- Female born 1973 (Quý Sửu, Tang Đố Mộc, Wood element): cung phi Càn (6), Tây tứ mệnh; the South is Tuyệt Mệnh (bad), while in the five elements comparison Wood and Fire are mutually generating.
- Male born 1976 (Bính Thìn, Sa Trung Thổ, Earth element): cung phi Càn (6), Tây tứ mệnh; the South is Tuyệt Mệnh (bad), while in the five elements comparison Earth and Fire are mutually generating.
- Male born 1977 (Đinh Tỵ, Sa Trung Thổ, Earth element): cung phi Khôn (2), Tây tứ mệnh; the South is Lục Sát (bad), while in the five elements comparison Earth and Fire are mutually generating.
Examples of divergence where the five elements say clashing but Bát Trạch says favourable:
- Male born 1970 (Canh Tuất, Thoa Xuyến Kim, Metal element): cung phi Chấn (3), Đông tứ mệnh; the South is Sinh Khí (good), while in the five elements comparison Metal and Fire are mutually clashing.
- Female born 1971 (Tân Hợi, Thoa Xuyến Kim, Metal element): cung phi Tốn (4), Đông tứ mệnh; the South is Thiên Y (good), while in the five elements comparison Metal and Fire are mutually clashing.
- Male born 1982 (Nhâm Tuất, Đại Hải Thủy, Water element): cung phi Ly (9), Đông tứ mệnh; the South is Phục Vị (good), while in the five elements comparison Water and Fire are mutually clashing.
- Female born 1985 (Ất Sửu, Hải Trung Kim, Metal element): cung phi Ly (9), Đông tứ mệnh; the South is Phục Vị (good), while in the five elements comparison Metal and Fire are mutually clashing.
For the same birth year, men and women usually have different cung phi, so Bát Trạch can give a husband and wife born in the same year two different conclusions about the same direction. The nạp âm five elements comparison does not distinguish between men and women. When the two methods disagree, the site's tool follows Bát Trạch; this article does not judge which one is correct.
How do you calculate the cung phi correctly?
The cung phi is calculated from the lunar birth year and gender. Add the last two digits of the birth year and reduce to a single digit. For men born before 2000, subtract that number from 10; from 2000 onward, subtract from 9. For women born before 2000, add 5 to that number; from 2000 onward, add 6. Reduce the result to a single digit again. There is no separate trigram for cung phi 5: men are assigned to Khôn (2), women to Cấn (8).
Two important notes:
- The year used is the lunar year. People born in January or February of the solar calendar before Tết take the previous year.
- Đông tứ mệnh comprises Khảm (1), Chấn (3), Tốn (4), Ly (9). Tây tứ mệnh comprises Khôn (2), Càn (6), Đoài (7), Cấn (8).
You can look up your own eight directions in the tool at /tien-ich/xem-nha-dat, remembering to enter your lunar year.
What is the difference between the sitting and facing of a South-facing house?
A South-facing house sits to the North, that is, its sitting palace is Khảm. The book Bát Trạch Minh Kính names the dwelling according to the sitting side, so this house is a Khảm trạch, belonging to Đông tứ trạch. With this direction, the sitting and the facing fall in the same group, so naming it by sitting or by facing yields the same group.
However, this is where the books differ: Bát Trạch Minh Kính names the dwelling according to the sitting side, while the common approach and the site's tool consider the house's facing (the door's direction) against the eight du niên of the cung phi. With the four directions East, West, Southeast and Northwest, these two approaches give two opposite groups; with North, South, Northeast and Southwest they coincide.
What is the principle of an auspicious sitting and an auspicious facing?
For a South-facing house, the back of the house is necessarily on the North side; that is not a choice. The claim that North is a bad direction for the householder is wrong for Đông tứ mệnh, because North is a good direction for all four cung phi in that group. The principle of "inauspicious sitting, auspicious facing" that Bát Trạch books often mention refers to the kitchen (the stove placed in an unfavourable position with the stove mouth turned toward a favourable direction), not to the house.
How should a South-facing house be arranged?
Determining the house's direction is only the first step. To make the most of the benefits the South direction brings and to soften its drawbacks, the householder needs to pay attention to how the living space is arranged. The section below keeps the general arrangement suggestions; wherever the direction's element is taken as the sole basis for declaring something suitable or unsuitable for a particular destiny, that is noted as following the five elements method.
Sofa placement and main areas
- Living room: The sofa should be placed where you can see the main door but not directly in line with it. The sofa should rest against a solid wall to create a sense of security. In a South-facing house, you can place the sofa in the Southwest or South area to enhance positive energy.
- Kitchen: The stove should be positioned so that it does not directly face the main door or the bathroom door. With a South-facing house of the Fire element, a stove, which belongs to Fire, is a harmonious combination under the five elements method; however, avoid placing the stove in poor positions such as near the bathroom or the bedroom.
- Bedroom: The bed should be placed where the sleeper can see the room door but is not directly in line with it. Avoid placing a mirror directly facing the bed, as it can create negative energy and affect sleep.
Suitable colours and materials
Colour plays an important role in balancing the five elements in the living space. With a South-facing house belonging to the Fire element, you should favour colours of the Fire and Earth elements to enhance good energy.
- Colours to use: Red, orange, pink, purple (Fire element) and yellow, earth brown (Earth element) are good choices for the living room, bedroom or workspace.
- Colours to avoid: Black and sea blue (Water element) can weaken the energy of the South direction. White, grey and ash grey (Metal element) should also be used cautiously because Metal clashes with Fire.
- Materials: Favour natural materials such as wood, stone and fired brick for interiors to add warmth and closeness.
Plants and feng shui objects
Plants not only beautify the space but also bring positive energy. With a South-facing house, you can choose plants with round leaves that grow green, such as pothos, money tree and jade plant, to place in the living room. Avoid spiky plants such as cacti, as they can create a feeling of tension and a lack of softness.
In addition, using feng shui objects such as paintings and decorative statues can also help boost the energy of specific palaces in the house. For example, to activate the Fame palace (the South side), you can hang paintings of the sun, a phoenix or symbols of success.
Keep the space airy and tidy
One of the most important principles in feng shui is to keep the living space clean, tidy and airy. Walkways in the house need to be wide enough and not blocked by furniture or tangled wires. A cluttered space is not only visually distracting but also weighs on the spirit, making it hard to relax and affecting the flow of khí (energy).
Remedies for people the South direction does not suit
According to Bát Trạch, people in the other group are advised to place the main door, bedroom and kitchen according to their own four favourable directions, because Bát Trạch books treat the door, the master room and the kitchen as the three main factors of a dwelling (dương trạch tam yếu). If the house's direction cannot be changed, arranging the functional rooms inside can be used as a remedy.
