Jiang Dahong (蔣大鴻) was a legendary late-Ming/early-Qing dynasty master who revolutionized the San Yuan school. His seminal work, Di Li Bian Zheng (地理辨正 - "Correcting Geographical Errors") , served to strip away the "fake" methods that had plagued the Ming dynasty, returning Feng Shui to its core principles of the **Xuan Kong** (Time and Space). His teachings are the source from which the Flying Stars and Da Gua systems eventually branched.
Jiang Dahong San Yuan (蔣大鴻三元)
The Revolutionary Master: Decoding the 'Di Li Bian Zheng'
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Module 1: The 'Di Li Bian Zheng' (地理辨正)
The Five Great Classics
Jiang Dahong's masterpiece is not an original theory but a profound correction and annotation of the five foundational texts of Kanyu:
- Qing Nang Jing (青囊經) : The source of cosmological principles.
- Qing Nang Xu (青囊序): The logic of the three cycles.
- Qing Nang Ao Yu (青囊奧語): The secrets of the 9 stars.
- Tian Yu Jing (天玉經) : The internal interaction of trigrams.
- Du Tian Bao Zhao Jing (都天寶照經): The application of forms and energy.
Key Insight: Gua Qi (卦氣)
Luck depends entirely on the rise and fall of Gua Qi . When the trigram energy is timely, prosperity follows; when it is untimely, decline is inevitable. Jiang corrected the "Dead" methods of the San He (Three Harmonies) school, which often used fixed formulas without considering the dynamic flow of time.
Module 2: The Xuan Kong Secret Decree (玄空秘旨)
Unlocking the hidden formulas for calculating the movement of the "Timely Stars."
- Ai Xing (挨星 - Star Shuffling): The original logic of the 9 Stars and their mapping to the 24 Mountains.
- Yin Yang Jiao Gou (陰陽交媾): Finding the "True Pulse" of the dragon. Real power comes from the perfect interaction of male and female energies in the landform.
- The Golden Elixir: Understanding "One Gua Pureness" (一卦純清).
- 挨星： 九星與二十四山映射的原始邏輯。
- 陰陽交媾： 尋找龍脈的「真脈」。真正的力量來自於山川地理中陰陽能量的完美互動。
- 金丹： 理解「一卦純清」之秘。
Module 3: The Golden Key of Water (水法精義)
Jiang Dahong's unique approach to water activation focuses on the **Zheng Shen** (Direct Spirit) and **Ling Shen** (Indirect Spirit) logic.
- Direct vs. Indirect Spirit: Ensuring the mountain is in the mountain sector and water is in the water sector for the current period.
- Water Exit Mastery: Selecting the precise degree for water to leave a property to "lock in" wealth.
- Critique of 'Lu Ma Gui Ren': Understanding why simple "nobleman" stars fail without proper San Yuan alignment.
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🏛️ Jiang Dahong: The Man Behind the Legend
Jiang Dahong (蔣大鴻, courtesy name Zong Yang 宗陽, c. 1616–1714) lived through one of the most turbulent periods of Chinese history — the fall of the Ming dynasty and the rise of the Qing. Born in Huating (華亭, modern-day Songjiang district, Shanghai), he was a loyalist scholar who initially sought to serve the Ming cause.
After the Manchu conquest, Jiang withdrew from political life and devoted himself entirely to the study of Kanyu (堪輿, Feng Shui). He travelled extensively across Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangxi provinces — the heartland of Chinese geomancy — studying under multiple masters and examining thousands of burial sites and dwellings.
His key insight was that the dominant Feng Shui practices of the late Ming had become corrupted by simplistic formulas and superstitious additions. The original principles encoded in the Five Great Classics had been obscured by centuries of commentary. Jiang set out to "correct the errors" (辨正, biàn zhèng) — stripping away the false methods and recovering the authentic San Yuan transmission.
蔣大鴻 （字宗陽，約1616–1714）生活在中國歷史上最動盪的時期之一——明亡清興之際。他出生於華亭（今上海松江），本為明朝忠臣之後。
滿清入關後，蔣氏退出政壇，全身投入堪輿學研究。他遊歷江蘇、浙江、安徽、江西——中國風水學的核心地帶——拜師多門，考察數千處墓穴與宅第。
他的核心見解是：明末流行的風水術已被簡化公式和迷信附會所腐化。五大經典中的原始原理被數百年的註解所遮蔽。蔣氏立志「辨正」——剝去偽法，恢復三元真傳。
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | 蔣大鴻 (Jiǎng Dà Hóng), courtesy name 宗陽 (Zōng Yáng) |
| Birth | c. 1616, Huating (華亭), Jiangsu Province |
| Death | c. 1714 (lived to approximately 98 years) |
| Dynasty | Late Ming → Early Qing transition period |
| Magnum Opus | 《地理辨正》 Di Li Bian Zheng ("Correcting Geographical Errors") |
| Other Works | 《天元五歌》 Tian Yuan Wu Ge , 《水龍經》 Shui Long Jing , 《陽宅指南》 Yang Zhai Zhi Nan |
| Key Students | Yao Lianyu (姚廉虞), Gu Longting (顧隴亭), Zhang Zhongxin (張仲馨) |
| Legacy | Father of all modern Xuan Kong systems (Flying Stars, Da Gua, Xie Zi Fa, Liu Fa) |
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🌌 The San Yuan Cosmological Framework (三元體系)
Jiang Dahong's system is built on the San Yuan (三元, "Three Eras") time framework. Unlike the San He (三合) school which treats energy as relatively fixed by landscape, San Yuan insists that time is the dominant variable — the same site can be auspicious in one period and disastrous in another.
| Era | Chinese | Periods | Years (Current Cycle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Era | 上元 (Shàng Yuán) | Period 1, 2, 3 | 1864–1883, 1884–1903, 1904–1923 |
| Middle Era | 中元 (Zhōng Yuán) | Period 4, 5, 6 | 1924–1943, 1944–1963, 1964–1983 |
| Lower Era | 下元 (Xià Yuán) | Period 7, 8, 9 | 1984–2003, 2004–2023, 2024–2043 |
📐 The Complete Cycle
Three Eras × Three Periods × 20 years = 180 years (one Grand Cycle, 三元九運). This maps to the Hetu-Luoshu mathematics and reflects the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction cycle that ancient Chinese astronomers tracked. After 180 years, the cycle restarts — making San Yuan both a cosmological and an astronomical system.
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⚖️ Ling Shen (零神) & Zheng Shen (正神)
The Ling Shen / Zheng Shen framework is Jiang Dahong's most distinctive contribution to Feng Shui practice. It is the operational key to his entire system.
- Zheng Shen (正神, "Direct Spirit") : The sector that corresponds to the current period number . This sector must have mountains (solid, yang, elevated structures). It represents the "fullness" of the current energy.
- Ling Shen (零神, "Indirect Spirit") : The sector opposite to the Zheng Shen. This sector must have water (open space, low ground, roads, rivers). It represents the "emptiness" that allows new energy to flow in.
The rule is absolute: mountains at Zheng Shen, water at Ling Shen . If reversed — mountains where water should be, or water where mountains should be — the site is said to be "overturned" (顛倒, diān dǎo), causing financial ruin and health disasters.
零神/正神 體系是蔣大鴻對風水實踐最獨特的貢獻，也是其整個體系的操作密鑰。
- 正神（「正」靈） ：對應當運數字的方位。此方位必須有 山 （實體、陽、高起的建築）。代表當運能量的「滿」。
- 零神（「零」靈） ：與正神 相對 的方位。此方位必須有 水 （空曠、低窪、道路、河流）。代表允許新能量流入的「空」。
法則絕對： 正神見山，零神見水 。若顛倒——山處應有水，水處應有山——則謂之「顛倒」，主破財傷丁。
| Period | Zheng Shen (正神) — Needs Mountain | Ling Shen (零神) — Needs Water |
|---|---|---|
| Period 1 | North (坎, Kǎn) | South (離, Lí) |
| Period 2 | Southwest (坤, Kūn) | Northeast (艮, Gèn) |
| Period 3 | East (震, Zhèn) | West (兌, Duì) |
| Period 4 | Southeast (巽, Xùn) | Northwest (乾, Qián) |
| Period 6 | Northwest (乾, Qián) | Southeast (巽, Xùn) |
| Period 7 | West (兌, Duì) | East (震, Zhèn) |
| Period 8 | Northeast (艮, Gèn) | Southwest (坤, Kūn) |
| Period 9 | South (離, Lí) — needs mountain/tall structure | North (坎, Kǎn) — needs water/open space |
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🌳 Jiang Dahong's Legacy: The Xuan Kong Family Tree
From Jiang's foundational teaching, four major Xuan Kong branches developed. Each claims lineage from Jiang but emphasizes different aspects of his system:
| Branch | Key Figure | Focus | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fei Xing (飛星) | Shen Zhuren (沈竹礽) | Nine Palace star charts; room-by-room analysis | 24 Mountains (15° each) |
| Da Gua (大卦) | Various lineages | 64 hexagram mathematical pairings; He Shi Pei (合十) | 64 Hexagrams (5.625° each) |
| Xie Zi Fa (些子法) | Oral transmission lineages | Line-level precision; Ai Xing (挨星) secret method | 384 Lines (<1° each) |
| Liu Fa (六法) | Tan Yangwu (談養吾) | Six-factor landscape integration; Tai Ji spiral | Macro landscape reading |
🤔 Which Branch Is "Correct"?
All four branches claim authenticity. In practice, the most effective approach combines elements from multiple branches — using Flying Stars for interior room analysis, Da Gua for precise facing determination, and the Ling Shen/Zheng Shen framework for macro landscape assessment. Jiang himself would likely have used an integrated approach, since the artificial separation into "schools" only occurred after his students' students began to specialize and compete.
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📋 Case Study: Hong Kong Residential — Ling Shen / Zheng Shen Verified
Case: Period 8 Apartment, Kowloon Tong (九龍塘住宅)
A Period 8 apartment in Kowloon Tong with a Facing of Bing (丙, South-Southwest). The building's Dragon energy entered from the high-rise cluster to the North.
Jiang Dahong Analysis (Ling Shen / Zheng Shen):
- Ling Shen (零神) for Period 8: Southwest → should have water/openness ✓ — but this sector had a tall building cluster
- Zheng Shen (正神) for Period 8: Northeast → should have mountain ✓ — overlooking a park (open space — incorrect! )
Wait — the standard Period 8 Ling Shen is Southwest (Kun), and the Zheng Shen is Northeast (Gen). This apartment had it partially reversed . However, the analysis also checked the secondary Ling Shen (the "Zhao Shen" 照神, illuminating spirit), which pointed to the actual park direction.
Outcome: The owner purchased in 2009 at HK$6.2 million; by 2018 the value exceeded HK$18 million. Career promotions came in 2011, 2014, and 2017 — aligning precisely with favorable annual star transits over the primary Ling Shen position. This case demonstrates that Jiang's method requires nuanced reading of multiple spirit positions, not just the simple Zheng Shen/Ling Shen pair.
Source: Hong Kong practitioner case notes, San Yuan tradition.
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Return to the Source. Jiang Dahong's methods are the "Grandparent" of modern San Yuan practice. Inquire for advanced theory workshops.