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Lindsay Feng

In Hong Kong, where tradition and modernity intersect, the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui remains an important part of life for many.
Thierry Chow, a feng shui designer and the daughter of Hong Kong feng shui master Chow Hon-ming, blends principles of the age-old art with modern design to enhance workspaces.
“The common things between feng shui and design are that feng shui talks a lot about nature, the environment, and people,” she says, noting the two disciplines share an emphasis on balance.
“It’s all about finding balance within yourself and your environment. It’s almost like Chinese medicine, but not for your body; it’s for your body externally,” she says.

Feng shui is about maintaining balance between the five elements according to Chinese philosophy: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. This balance of energy is symbolised by the yin and the yang, which also represent the dualistic nature of all things.
“Everything in our world can be positive and negative. So everything in our life can have positives and negatives. It’s never just one – that is not the law of feng shui,” Chow says.
This principle extends to workspaces, and Chow harnesses it to help organisations achieve harmony.
We look at which direction would have the best energy for work, which area would have the best energy for love
Thierry Chow
Each of the five Chinese elements is believed to correspond to particular colours, which Chow integrates into offices to promote productivity.
Workspaces are traditionally very impersonal, and Chow says introducing colour can inject fun and vitality to enhance creativity and focus.
“I think when people grow up, we become adults, and then we don’t have as much fun with colours any more. So I suggest more colourful items in your space to make it more fun,” she says.
“When you look at colours and a lot of things in our environment, when we do interior design, why aren’t we more aware of the colours we’re using, or even how we do the layout or how we design our houses through patterns, materials, and colours?”

Chow recommends incorporating plants, water features and other natural materials associated with the Chinese five elements into workspaces to make them more vibrant.
“If you’re feeling like your space is a little bit dead, like there’s no life in it, make sure you bring all that in,” she says.
Lighting is another critical aspect of feng shui. For offices, Chow recommends a balance between warm and cool lighting to create a comfortable and energising atmosphere.
“Yellow lighting represents the sun, and white lighting represents the moon. If you want to feel warmer and happier, you should add a bit more warmer lighting,” she says.
It’s really just about going in and then working with what they already have
Thierry Chow, on incorporating feng shui into existing spaces
Feng shui emphasises the layout and positioning of items to maximise the flow of positive energy.
Chow recommends the nine flying stars method, a traditional feng shui practice that identifies the best areas for various activities, such as work and rest, based on directional energy.
“We look at which direction would have the best energy for work, which area would have the best energy for love, and I would tell you to either sleep there or work there,” she says.
Feng shui is taken very seriously in Hong Kong; some companies pay considerable sums of money for feng shui practitioners to help them create environments that promote the well-being and productivity of their employees.
Chow, who has worked with a range of clients including private members club Soho House Hong Kong, says her work is rooted in both philosophy and practicality, and that feng shui can be integrated into different styles and existing designs.

“It’s really just about going in and then working with what they already have,” she says, to ensure feng shui enhances rather than disrupts a space’s aesthetic.
“It obviously does have its philosophy, and it does have a guide that it provides. But it is all very practical,” she says.
Although colours, lighting, materials and positioning all play a part, getting the feng shui right in an office – so it is beneficial to everyone who works there – also requires a deep understanding of energy and space.
Chow emphasises the importance of understanding the unique energy of each space and tailoring feng shui practices to fit the specific needs of different companies and their workspaces; there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
“Everybody’s house is unique because of their habits and what’s currently happening to them. Their space can turn out to be very different, even in terms of energy,” she says.


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Chinese culture

A feng shui master’s guide to making your office more productive, and why ‘balance’ is key

Hong Kong feng shui master Thierry Chow designs productive workspaces. She talks to the post about using lighting and colours to achieve balanced energy, and why every space needs a different approach. Photo: Xiaomei Chen


Chow was inspired to become a feng shui designer by her father, feng shui master Chow Hon-ming. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Chow says introducing colourful objects to a workspace can promote creativity and positivity. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

One of numerous buildings in Hong Kong that features a hole in its centre in line with feng shui principles. Hong Kong takes the ancient Chinese practice seriously. Photo: Jelly Tse

Would you live in a ‘haunted’ Hong Kong flat, where someone died an unnatural death?

A view of the supposedly haunted Dragon Lodge on The Peak in Hong Kong. The stigma attached to living in a place where an unnatural death occurred makes it hard to rent or sell them, although deep discounts can work. Photo: Martin Chan

Joseph Ng Goon-lau, who buys and sells dozens of properties linked to unnatural deaths, in one of his flats in Mong Kok. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Inside one of Ng’s “hongza” flats in Mong Kok. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Flower bouquets and fruits placed outside the crime scene of the murder case of model, socialite, and influencer Abby Choi Tin-fung, in Lung Mei Village, Tai Po. Photo: Elson Li

This picture, taken in 2016, shows the building in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, in which Rurik Jutting murdered two women in a rented flat. Photo: Anthony Wallace

Viral TikTok videos from Singaporean architect bring feng shui to a whole new audience

Singaporean architect Cliff Tan in a still from one of his Instagram videos. Photo: Instagram/dearmodern

Singaporean architect Cliff Tan in a still from one of his Instagram videos. Tan has earned millions of followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube with his quirky viral videos that feature feng shui tips. Photo: Instagram/dearmodern

The “before” of a Hong Kong flat (the “after” is below) with seemingly no other possible layout. Photo: Cliff Tan

The “after” of the flat. “We changed it completely and made the space so much more spacious and natural,” Tan says. Photo: Cliff Tan

Tan founded his own practice, Design Modern, in 2016. Photo: Cliff Tan 

Tan’s clients come from all over the world. Photo: Cliff Tan

Lucky phone numbers and wedding dates to dining don’ts, Chinese numerology superstitions

Law Ting-pong, chairman of Laws Fashion Knitters, and Miss Hong Kong Pauline Yeung Po-ling holding up two licence plates numbered 8 for which Law paid HK$5 mllion at auction in February 1988. Photo: SCMP 

A Chinese luo pan compass used in feng shui. Some numbers are seen as lucky in Chinese culture, while others are believed to be unlucky. We look at five areas to maximise good fortune, including phone numbers and dates for special occasions. Photo: Shutterstock

Floor numbers are taken seriously in Chinese culture, with the fourth floor being “missed out” in many buildings because 4 sounds similar to the word for death in Cantonese and Mandarin. Photo: Shutterstock

A car registration plate auction in Hong Kong. Plates with auspicious number combinations have historically been sold for a pretty penny in the city. Photo: Robert Ng

A stall selling SIM cards attached to different phone numbers in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. The combinations of digits phone numbers contain are believed to determine whether they are lucky or unlucky. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Ordering seven dishes at a restaurant is seen as unlucky in Chinese culture; ordering an even number is seen as better. Photo: Shutterstock

A wedding party gathered in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. Choosing a wedding date can be tricky for Chinese couples as the bride and groom must take into account their birthdays and those of their parents. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

5 tips to avoid ghosts in your hotel, from knocking before entering to covering mirrors

We offer a few ways to avoid disturbing the spirits when you are travelling, even if your hotel is haunted like the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles is said to be. Photo: Reuters

A still from security camera footage showing Elisa Lam Ho-yi entering a lift in the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles, where she died in unexplained circumstances in 2013. Photo: YouTube

Firefighters found Lam’s body inside a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel (also called the Hotel Cecil). Photo: Reuters

The inside of the Grand Hyatt Taipei hotel, which is said to be haunted. Photo: Shutterstock

The exterior of the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Inside, disembodied children’s voices have been reported in its corridors. Photo: Facebook/Grand Hyatt Taipei

The lobby of the Bangkok Palace Hotel, which also has a reputation for being haunted. Photo: Facebook/Bangkok Palace Hotel

5 films about Chinese superstitions, from hopping vampires to ghosts to curses

A still from The Eye (2002), one of five films we look at whose narratives draw on Chinese superstition and the supernatural. 

Lifestyle

Arts & Culture

Interiors & Living

Chinese superstitions

Chinese pregnancy food superstitions and traditions, from eating dog heads to no coffee

Eating a white-haired dog’s head was said to ensure an easy birth in Chinese lore. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese people have many traditions and superstitions about what to eat and not eat during pregnancy, some based on traditional Chinese medicine. Photo: Shutterstock

One superstition in Hangzhou was that women should use a small rice bowl for their evening meal to “prevent the fetal head from being too large”. Photo: Shutterstock

Fried crab at Hee Kee Crab General in Causeway Bay. Some believe that ingredients such as snake, prawn and crab should be avoided. Photo Paul Yeung

Women are told to avoid inky ingredients like black sesame to prevent giving birth to a baby with a darker complexion. Photo: Shutterstock

Yuki Maryrose Leung with her husband, Spencer, and son Liam. Leung did not follow a lot of the advice circulating among the Chinese community when it came to what not to eat. Photo: Anna Maria Studio

Patricia Chan, also known as Aunty Pat, is a confinement nurse trained in Hong Kong. Photo: Patricia Chan

Post-partum recovery teas consist of ingredients such as goji berries, red dates and Chinese herbs. Photo: Shutterstock

Post-partum women are encouraged to eat more heating foods to bring their bodies back into equilibrium and bathe with ginger water. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese funeral customs to pay respects to the dead, from what to wear to why age is key

A red wooden coffin at a Chinese funeral. Photo: Shutterstock

A Chinese funeral in Thailand. In Chinese communities around the world, there are many superstitions surrounding death and the mourning process. We look at some that ensure respect is shown and bad luck is avoided. Photo: Shutterstock

In Chinese culture, mirrors are traditionally removed from a person’s home after they die, to prevent their soul from searching in vain for its reflection. Photo: Shutterstock

Paper money and other items made out of joss paper are burned at Taoist funerals to aid the deceased in the afterlife. Photo: Shutterstock

Paper servants, to be burnt as offerings during a Taoist funeral, in Hung Hom, Hong Kong. Photo: Antony Dickson

Hong Kong’s ‘Ghost King’ on chasing spirits, his radio gigs and being a supernatural dud

Radio show host and ghost hunter Edmond Poon talks to the Post about collecting spooky stories. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Poon is the host of long-running online paranormal programme Twilight Online. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Poon on the set of his ViuTV show Talker: One Beside You. Photo: Edmond Poon

Poon uses a ghost-hunting app while seeking spirits. Photo: Edmond Poon

Poon sees himself first and foremost as a programme host. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

How to talk to the dead explained by a Chinese spirit medium in Hong Kong

Chinese spirit medium Lawrence Leung. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Chinese spirit medium Lawrence Leung says he learned to contact the dead after practising Luk Yam Taoism - one of two branches of Taoism in Hong Kong that mainly deal with spirits and ghosts. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Lawrence Leung says ghosts in Southeast Asia are stronger than those in Hong Kong. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Leung says it is harder for ghosts and spirits to bother people who have done a lot of good deeds and have good intentions. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Leung says he once saw the ghost of an obese woman sitting on a bed in a Nyonya house in Malaysia with both her arms around the necks of two weaker ghosts. Illustration: Henry Wong

5 Hong Kong film set superstitions, from rites to lucky red envelopes for death scenes

Andy Lau Tak-wah in a scene from the film Fat Choi Spirit. Actors in a death scene are given red envelopes contaning money to dispel bad luck. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

The cutting open of a roasted pig is considered part and parcel of starting a new TV production. Photo: Sam Tsang

Death scene performers get lai see, or red envelopes, to dispel bad juju after filming. Photo: Shutterstock 

When filming in nature and at abandoned sites, a film crew will invite a shaman to perform rites to ask nearby spirits to kindly not to disrupt their process. Photo: Shutterstock

What is villain hitting? Voodoo-like Chinese practice is not as sinister as it sounds

A practitioner performs a villain-hitting ritual in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Fortune-tellers break down the practice and explain its history. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Tong Pik-ha, also known as Master Tong, is a feng shui master. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Andrew Kwan is a feng shui master. Photo: Andrew Kwan

A practitioner performs a villain hitting ceremony for a client in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

Villain hitting in Causeway Bay. There are three groups of people – pregnant women, children and the elderly – that cannot be the target of villain hitting. Photo: Jonathan Wong

A practitioner performs villain hitting in Causeway Bay. The practice is mostly seen in Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

Dreams about snakes or wedding dresses? An expert breaks down Chinese dream interpretation

Monita, a Hong Kong-based dream interpretation specialist, breaks down Chinese dream interpretation and its relevance today. Photo: Instagram/_hungpage_

The meaning of one’s dreams have been a source of intrigue since ancient times in China and everywhere. Photo: Shutterstock

Monita is a dream interpretation specialist in Hong Kong. Photo: @_hungpage_

Dream therapy can be a source of healing for clients, helping them understand their traumas and suppressed emotions. Photo: @_hungpage_

Monita advises that dream interpretation, like tarot card reading, should at most give warnings, but not predict someone’s fortune. Photo: @_hungpage_

Hong Kong feng shui designer Thierry Chow shares how she use colours, plants, other natural materials and layout to make happy workplaces


Thierry Chow, a Hong Kong feng shui designer of workplaces, shares how she uses colours, lighting, layout and plants in harmony to make a productive space, and why there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.


Architecture and design

Hong Kong interior design

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