Historical Origins (歷史淵源)
The 72 Dragons system did not emerge fully formed. Its roots reach back to the foundational cosmological frameworks of Chinese landform study and were refined across several dynasties before crystallising into the ring now found on the San He Luopan.
Guo Pu and the Zangshu (葬書)
The earliest systematic theory of dragon qi comes from the Zangshu (葬書), the Book of Burial, attributed to the Eastern Jin scholar-mystic Guo Pu (郭璞, 276–324 CE). This is the first Chinese text to define fengshui as a practice and to articulate the principle that drives all dragon study:
Classical Source — The Zangshu
Classical Quote: "氣乘風則散，界水則止；古人聚之使不散，行之使有止，故謂之風水。"
"Qi disperses when riding on wind; it halts when bounded by water. The ancients gathered it so it would not scatter, and directed it so it would stop — this is called Fengshui."
Source: Zangshu (葬書), attributed to Guo Pu (276–324 CE), Eastern Jin Dynasty.
The Zangshu establishes the dragon as a conduit of terrestrial qi. Mountain ridges are the dragon's body; their peaks are its head; rivers flanking the ridges are its veins. The text classifies dragon landforms by how qi moves through them — ascending, descending, coiling, hidden — establishing the morphological language that later masters would systematise into the 72-sector ring.
Yang Junsong and the Tang Dynasty Codification (楊筠松)
The formal codification of the 72 Dragons ring is attributed to Yang Junsong (楊筠松, 834–900 CE), the Tang Dynasty master known as "Yang 救貧" (Yang Who Saves the Poor). Yang Junsong systematised three major innovations for the San He Luopan:
- The Seam Needle (縫針) — the Heaven Plate offset for water exit assessment
- The 72 Dragons ring (穿山七十二龍) — subdividing each of the 24 Mountains into three 5° sectors
- The integration of the 60 Jiazi (六十甲子) cycle into the compass face
His three surviving classical texts — the Qing Nang Ao Yu (青囊奧語), the Tian Yu Jing (天玉經), and the Du Tian Bao Zhao Jing (都天寶照經) — together constitute the theoretical and practical framework underpinning the 72 Dragons orientation method. Because he is credited as the founder of this measurement approach, the San He Luopan is also called the Yang Gong Pan (楊公盤) — Master Yang's Compass.
How the 24 Mountains Subdivide into 72 Dragons
The 24 Mountains (二十四山) divide the 360° compass into sectors of 15° each. The 72 Dragons ring subdivides each of those 15° sectors into three equal parts of 5° each, producing 72 sectors in total (24 × 3 = 72). The total count is reached as follows:
The Arithmetic of 72
- The 60 Jiazi (六十甲子) cycle — all pairings of the 10 Heavenly Stems with the 12 Earthly Branches — provides 60 named dragon positions.
- The remaining 12 positions fall on the pure Earthly Branches and the four inter-cardinal Trigram points (Gen 艮, Xun 巽, Kun 坤, Qian 乾). These 12 are designated 空亡 (Kong Wang — Big Void) positions.
- 60 named + 12 void = 72 total sectors, each exactly 5°.
Dragon Quality Classification (龍的品質分類)
Classical feng shui literature distinguishes dragons not merely by direction or elemental association, but by the quality and vitality of the qi they carry. The definitive classical criterion comes from the Yang Gong tradition:
Principle of True vs. False Dragon
Classical Quote: "遠龍雖平常，入首數節合格者，則是真龍；遠龍雖美，入首數節不美者，則為假龍。 真龍必有穴，假龍必無穴。"
"If the distant dragon appears ordinary but the entry nodes near the acupoint are correct, it is a True Dragon. If the distant dragon appears magnificent but the entry nodes are poor, it is a False Dragon. A True Dragon always has an acupoint; a False Dragon never does."
Source: Dili Bianzhen (地理辨正), Yang Gong tradition commentary.
| Dragon Type | Chinese Name | Visual Indicators | Qi Quality | Site Suitability |
|---|
| True Dragon | 真龍 zhēn lóng | Winding ridge with clear ancestral peak (祖山), successive saddle points (過峽), coherent entry nodes near the acupoint; flanking guardians proportionate; water curving to embrace the site | Strong, coherent, accumulating qi. Nayin element productive to the facing direction. | Highly suitable for both yin house (grave) and yang house (dwelling) siting. |
| Living Dragon | 生龍 shēng lóng | Active, winding ridge with gentle undulation; changes direction multiple times; appears animated; vegetation thriving on slopes | Dynamic, ascending qi with transformative potential. Especially associated with young, growing fortunes. | Suitable. Best for new ventures and career expansion. Slightly less stable than True Dragon long-term. |
| False Dragon | 假龍 jiǎ lóng | Visually impressive at distance but entry nodes near the acupoint are disordered; flanking guardians missing or asymmetric; water departing rather than embracing | Misleading qi — appears strong but dissipates before reaching the site. Cannot consolidate into a true acupoint (穴). | Unsuitable. A common error for inexperienced practitioners. Lacks an acupoint by definition. |
| Killing Dragon | 煞龍 shā lóng | Straight, knife-like ridges pointing directly at the site (冲煞); bare rock; angular, jagged peaks; harsh exposure to prevailing winds | Malefic qi — drains vitality, creates conflict, illness, and misfortune. Nayin element clashes directly with the sitting direction. | Avoid. Classical remedies include strategic water placement, dense planting to deflect sha, or repositioning the sitting direction. |
| Dead Dragon | 死龍 sǐ lóng | Ridge is flat, featureless, and uniform with no undulation; no saddle points or "waist" (腰); barren of vegetation; qi does not gather or pulse | Inert — no qi is generated or carried. Neither malefic nor beneficial; simply absent of energetic value. | Unsuitable. Building or burying here yields stagnation, gradual decline, and descendants who lack initiative. |
The Pearl-Void-Fire Pit Sequence (珠宝–空亡–火坑)
Within the 72 Dragons ring itself, each set of dragons under a parent 24-Mountain direction follows a fixed auspicious-inauspicious sequence. The classical mnemonic from the Yang Gong tradition describes the pattern:
- 珠宝 (Zhūbǎo — Pearl/Treasure): Auspicious dragon; qi is full and precious. Associated with wealth, descendants, and status.
- 空亡 (Kōng wáng — Big Void): The 5° void gap between groups of five. No stem-branch pairing; energy is unstable. Avoid for main doors, graves, or key structural alignments.
- 火坑 (Huǒkēng — Fire Pit): Inauspicious dragon; qi is chaotic or destructive. Aligning with a fire pit dragon invites disputes, illness, and loss.
- 差错 (Chācuò — Error/Deviation): Sub-category of inauspicious dragons where the stem-branch pairing creates elemental conflict; outcomes are unpredictable and generally unfavorable.
Technical Reference Table
This table maps the 72 dragons starting from the North (Kan) direction. (Note: "Void" dragons represent the "Big Void" or dangerous gaps where energy is unstable.)
| Name (Gan-Zhi) | Range (Degrees) | Element | Nayin (Melodic Sound) | Type |
|---|
📜 Classical Sources (经典依据)
The 72 Dragons system is rooted in two inseparable classical texts of the Yang Gong tradition:
Qing Nang Ao Yu 青囊奧語 — Theory
"先看金龍動不動，次察血脈認來龍。"
"First observe whether the Golden Dragon moves or is still; next, trace the blood-veins to recognize the incoming Dragon."
The Qing Nang Ao Yu introduces the theoretical foundations of the 72 Dragons system, the Four Water Frames (四大水局), and the core logic of the Heaven and Earth plate methodology. It establishes why the 5-degree sub-sectors exist and how the Nayin element governs each dragon's quality.
Yu Chi Jing 玉尺經 (Jade Ruler Classic) — Application
The Yu Chi Jing is the companion to the Qing Nang Ao Yu — where Ao Yu establishes the theory, Yu Chi Jing explains the outcomes : what happens when a specific dragon is activated, how the 60 JiaZi divisions relate to the 72 Dragons, and how date selection interacts with dragon quality for maximum auspiciousness.
Practical rule from Yu Chi Jing tradition: When the incoming mountain dragon's Nayin element is productive to the sitting direction's element, wealth accumulates. When it controls the direction element, legal troubles follow.
Relationship to the San He Luopan (羅盤關係)
Ring Position and Compass Architecture
On a standard San He Luopan, the 72 Dragons ring occupies the sixth layer (第六層) of the compass face, counted outward from the central Heaven Pool (天池). Its neighboring rings provide the cross-reference context needed to interpret any given reading:
| Layer | Ring Name | Chinese | Function |
|---|
| Layer 4 (inner) | 24 Mountains — Ground Plate | 二十四山 (地盤) | Primary directional reference; governs sitting and facing |
| Layer 6 | 72 Dragons (Piercing Mountains) | 穿山七十二龍 | Sub-divides each of the 24 Mountains into three 5° sectors; assesses mountain dragon entry and qi quality at the acupoint |
| Layer 7 | 24 Mountains — Man Plate | 二十四山 (人盤) | Governs sha (煞) assessment and flanking guardian hills |
| Layer 8 | 60 Penetrating Earth Dragons | 透地六十龍 | Assesses near-field dragon entry; must align (same 10-day period) with the 72 Dragons reading for validation |
| Layer 9 (outer) | 24 Mountains — Heaven Plate | 二十四山 (天盤) | Governs water exit (水口) direction; offset by 7.5° from Ground Plate |
The 72/60 Dragon Validation Rule
Classical Integration Rule
Classical Quote: "七十二龍定陽，透地六十龍定陰；陰陽交媾，萬物化生。"
"The 72 Dragons define the yang principle (directional orientation); the 60 Penetrating Dragons define the yin principle (sub-surface entry). Through their yin-yang interaction, all things find their generative source."
Source: San He Luopan transmission notes, Yang Gong lineage, as cited in Dili Bianzhen (地理辨正) commentaries.
The classical rule is that the 72 Dragons (distant vein assessment) and the 60 Penetrating Dragons (proximate vein assessment) must fall within the same 10-day Jiazi period to confirm a genuine, coherent dragon-acupoint alignment. If they diverge by more than one period, the practitioner re-examines whether the identified acupoint is correctly located.
Reading the 72 Dragons Ring in the Field
- Establish the center point. Place the Luopan at the proposed acupoint — the specific spot where a structure's main feature (door, grave headstone, or building center) will be located.
- Stabilise the needle. Allow the Heaven Pool magnetic needle to settle. Orient the compass so South (午) aligns with the needle's South-pointing end, locking the Ground Plate to magnetic north.
- Draw the mountain sighting line. Extend the red sighting thread toward the mountain ridge from which the dragon approaches — the incoming mountain direction (來山方向).
- Read Layer 6 (72 Dragons ring). Note which 5° sector the thread intersects. This is the dragon's Gan-Zhi designation (or void designation if it falls on a Kong Wang position).
- Assess quality. Identify whether the sector is auspicious (珠宝), void (空亡), or inauspicious (火坑/差错). Cross-reference the Nayin element against the sitting direction's element for productive vs. controlling relationships.
- Validate with Layer 8. Read the corresponding near-field sector on the 60 Penetrating Dragons ring. Confirm it falls in the same 10-day Jiazi cycle period as the 72 Dragons reading.
Compass precision is only half the assessment. Classical feng shui insists that luantou (巒頭 — landform reading) must always precede and confirm the compass reading. As Yang Junsong's tradition states:
Landform Before Compass
Classical Quote: "未看羅盤先看山，山水相依龍脈顯。"
"Before looking at the compass, first observe the mountains. Where mountain and water depend on each other, the dragon vein reveals itself."
Source: Tian Yu Jing (天玉經), attributed to Yang Junsong, Tang Dynasty.
| Feature | Auspicious Sign | Inauspicious Sign | Classical Term |
|---|
| Ridge Movement | Winding, serpentine course with directional changes; never rigidly straight | Arrow-straight ridge pointing directly at the site (冲煞) | 活龍 vs. 死龍 |
| Saddle Points | Clear "waist" constrictions (過峽) between elevated sections — qi gathers and passes through these narrow points | No saddle points; ridge is monotonously uniform in elevation | 過峽 (Guò xiá) |
| Ancestral Peak | A clear Ancestral Mountain (祖山) at the origin of the dragon, from which branch ridges descend in an orderly hierarchy | Dragon ridge appears from nowhere with no traceable origin peak | 祖山 (Zǔ shān) |
| Entry Nodes | The final 3–5 ridge segments before the proposed acupoint show coherent undulation, clear flanking hills, and water approaching from favorable directions | Final segments disordered, fractured, or exposed; no clear acupoint formation | 入首 (Rù shǒu) |
| Vegetation | Healthy, dense, diverse vegetation on slopes indicates soil vitality and qi accumulation | Barren, rocky, or eroded slopes indicate qi has dissipated | 生氣 (Shēng qì) |
- Embracing water (抱水): Water that curves around and faces the site from the front is auspicious — it signals that qi is being contained and accumulated rather than draining away.
- Departing water (去水): Water that flows directly away from the site signals qi drainage — a major inauspicious indicator regardless of how strong the incoming mountain dragon appears.
- Bright Hall formation (明堂): Streams on both left and right of the dragon ridge that converge in front of the site create the classical Bright Hall — the most sought-after configuration in yin house assessment.
- Identify the Ancestral Mountain (祖山). Locate the highest background peak from which the main ridge descends toward the site. Confirm it is a coherent, well-formed summit.
- Trace the dragon's path. Follow the ridge from the Ancestral Mountain downward, noting each saddle point (過峽). Three or more distinct saddle compressions before reaching the site is a strong positive indicator.
- Assess the final entry section (入首). The last 3–5 ridge sections should slow, broaden, and "open" into a sheltered basin or slope facing a clear bright hall with water or flat ground in front.
- Check flanking guardians. The Blue Dragon ridge (left/east) and White Tiger ridge (right/west) should be present, proportionate, and bowing slightly toward the site.
- Place the Luopan. Read Layer 6 (72 Dragons ring) to identify the incoming mountain's dragon designation and qi quality. Cross-reference with Layer 8 for near-field validation.
- Read the water exit (水口). Using the Heaven Plate, determine the direction in which the primary watercourse exits the site. Verify it is compatible with the sitting direction per San He rules.
- Synthesise. Only when landform assessment, 72 Dragons quality, and water exit direction all align auspiciously is the site confirmed as a genuine dragon acupoint.
Cross-School Integration (各派融合)
The 72 Dragons system is primarily a San He tool, but its logic intersects with other major schools. Understanding these intersections allows advanced practitioners to validate readings across frameworks.
| School | Chinese | 72 Dragons Usage | Integration Level |
|---|
| Yang Gong Tradition | 楊公風水 | Original home — ring attributed to Yang Junsong; complete system with full landform-compass methodology | Authoritative — lineage source |
| San He | 三合派 | Core diagnostic ring; used for every mountain dragon assessment, yin house selection, water exit validation, and date selection | Native — foundational use |
| Xuan Kong (Flying Stars) | 玄空飛星 | Secondary validation of mountain star quality at sitting direction — a strong mountain star is enhanced when the incoming dragon is confirmed auspicious by the 72 Dragons ring | Supplementary — advanced synthesis |
| Long Men Ba Ju | 龍門八局 | Occasional directional cross-check; not a primary tool for this school | Tangential — directional reference only |
This site's 24 Mountains data — directional names, degree ranges, elements, and trigram associations — is stored in _data/twenty_four_mountains.json, which powers the interactive tools in the Feng Shui section of the Five Arts Academy. The 72 Dragons degree ranges in the interactive table above are calibrated against that same reference dataset, ensuring consistency across all Luopan-related tools and content on this site.