The Social Anthropology Of Fengshui

Author: Watanabe Yoshio
Translators: Liu Zheng-ai and Zhou Xing
Publication Date: First Edition, August 2022
Fengshui (風水) holds a central place in Hakka culture, making its study an important path to understanding Hakka society. Professor Watanabe Yoshio began his fieldwork in Taiwan in 1978, conducting long-term ethnographic research in the Liugdui Hakka region of Pingtung. Beyond Taiwan, he has carried out extensive anthropological investigations across East Asia, including Japan, Okinawa, and mainland China.
Drawing upon decades of field experience and research, Watanabe published The Social Anthropology of Fengshui: Comparative Studies of China and Its Surrounding Regions in 2001. The book sought to address the widespread misunderstandings surrounding Fengshui that arose during the surge of popular interest in the subject, presenting a rigorous anthropological interpretation of its social and cultural dimensions.
This translated edition systematically explores the definition, historical study, and theoretical framework of Fengshui, while introducing rich ethnographic materials collected by the author—ranging from statistical data on Fengshui beliefs to detailed case studies based on interviews and site observations. Through these vivid local accounts, the book reveals the cultural logic and lived practices of Fengshui in everyday life.
As one of the most significant anthropological works on the subject, The Social Anthropology of Fengshui provides not only textual analysis but also a record of field exploration, offering readers in the Chinese-speaking world a deeper academic understanding of Fengshui and its place in East Asian cultural history.