Forbidden Land – FOREWORD

Foreword

The Zijingang Campus of Zhejiang University was the headquarters for undergraduate students. Since the completion of Phase I in 2003, undergraduates had gradually moved in. However, whenever construction began at night, fireworks were always set off first. Why?

According to the construction team, this was called “sweeping,” supposedly to drive away unclean spirits. Before its construction, Zijingang was a large swamp west of Hangzhou. According to the principles of Feng Shui’s Elements, places with abundant water had heavy Yin energy. For safety reasons, the university chose such a location, and therefore, some modifications were necessary.

The Student Activity Center was located on the west side of Qizhen Lake, surrounded by water on all sides, and had relatively low floors, making it extremely Yin. The towering lamppost at the center represented Yang within Yin. The steps in front of the theater lead into the water, representing Yin within Yin. The administrative center on the east side of the lake was the tallest building, representing Yang within Yang, and echoes the Computer Center and the library (Yin within Yang), forming a Bagua ^{(Eight Trigrams)} arrangement. Looking at the East and West teaching areas, the East teaching area, located on the east side, was Yang and had many water features (Qizhen Lake), representing Yin within Yang. The west side was the “playground,” a Yin location, and its open terrain represented Yang within Yin. Zijingang, however, was extremely Yin, so Yang outweighed Yin to suppress Yin energy.

Zijingang Campus was divided into seven campuses named according to the elements: Heaven, Earth, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Soil.

Ziyun: Heaven

Lantian: Earth

Bifeng (Feng): Metal

Cuibai: Wood

Qingxi: Water

Danyang: Fire

Baisha: Soil

Before the university was built, the elements were incomplete, so Ziyun was placed on the east side to harmonize Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, and to draw Yang energy from the east to suppress Yin energy. After the new campus was completed, the elements were in their proper places. Why was the layout of the Danyang dormitory the most unique, unlike the other dormitories, which were connected in the middle? Why was there a garden in the middle?

Because Danyang was located in the center of the dormitory area, hence the name Danyang, to dispel Yin energy. A garden was then built to its west, echoing the inner garden and creating a Yin-Yang balance to suppress ghostly energy.

Looking at the layout of the cafeteria, why dig a pit in the middle of a perfectly good cafeteria?

Actually, the cafeteria and the small hill to the south form a Bagua pattern. The cafeteria was located on the north side, belonging to Yin; the open space in the center was Yang within Yin; the hill, being high and located on the south side, was Yang within Yang; and the bamboo grove to the south, being low and flat, was Yin within Yang. Furthermore, Yang was greater than Yin, thus harmonizing the excessive Yin energy.

Other parts weren’t yet completed, but it was estimated that the western area would have fewer water features after completion. Additionally, there may be more open buildings, even more open than the administrative center in the eastern area. Moreover, the West was a Yin position; hence, the construction of Zijingang Campus proceeded eastward before westward.

During the construction of the western area, the eastern area would bear most of the responsibility for suppressing evil spirits; therefore, the eastern area should be open and bright, avoiding darkness and gloom.

It was said that eight construction workers died during the campus’s construction, and the resentment of many deceased people gathered here, making it very unclean. Danqing Square was originally a cemetery, possessing the Feng Shui principle of water and fire to suppress demons. According to Feng Shui principles, the most Yin areas of a school were in the southwest and northeast. For Zijingang, this translated to the school hospital in the northeast and the Nanhua Garden and Medical School in the southwest.

The school hospital, located at the back gate, experienced high traffic and therefore had abundant Yang energy. The Nanhua Garden and Medical School, however, were the most Yin places at night, especially the Nanhua Garden area near water (water was considered Yin). It was said that unclean things, such as graves, were buried beneath the west campus. Therefore, the mirrors in the west campus toilets were smaller than those in the east campus, as they could reflect things one shouldn’t see. The administration building next to the library, when viewed from above, resembled an eye, with the shape of an eyeball and eyelashes, intended to suppress the negative energy of the entire Zijingang campus.

However, despite the school’s improvements, some careless individuals still…