Ｔｈｅ　Ａｒｔ　ｏｆ　Ｐｌａｃｅｍｅｎｔ.docVIP

Ｔｈｅ　Ａｒｔ　ｏｆ　Ｐｌａｃｅｍｅｎｔ 　　THE Forbidden City is Beijing’s hottest tourist attraction besides the Great Wall. Situated in the heart of the city, this sprawling complex served as the imperial palace of two dynasties. In front of the complex is the Golden Water River, while behind lies Jingshan Hill (also known as Coal Hill). This placement is far from accidental. Few visitors realize that the river and hill are in fact artificial, created in accordance with traditional Chinese fengshui principles which require a “hill at the back and water in front.” Such a position is said to bring the inhabitants happiness and good luck. Although often dismissed as superstition in modern China, it has been shown that many fengshui principles do in fact have a basis in science, overlapping with numerous concepts found in modern environmental architecture. 　　The construction of ancient Chinese buildings, from grand palaces to small private residences, was deeply influenced by traditional architectural principles. Even today, Chinese people are very particular about architectural details when purchasing real estate. Apart from the house’s quality, they carefully check the abode’s exposure to sunlight, the amount of ventilation, and the floor on which it is located if it’s an apartment. Wan Yanhua, associate professor at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, states that architectural factors and the inhabitant’s comfort and health are indeed closely linked. 　　“Traditional architecture can be considered a set of ancient environmental concepts,” says Sun Fengqi, director of the Institute of Landscape Gardening at Tsinghua University. “Take the long-established use of quadrangles in Beijing for example. Unlike those living in high-rise buildings, the residents of traditional abodes built around a central square look healthier and more vigorous. The structure of the quadrangle has a scientific environmental foundation, offering good ve