Altar and water fountain position

myfs_103485 · May 19, 2004

Hi

I like to find out would it be ok if my Altar (Guan Yin) face directly towards the balcony?

I like the sound of water. Is it advicable to place a waterfountain at the balcony area?

I am asking these cos i have heard people saying that these two items cannot be placed anywhere i like.

Please advice. Thanks.

Confused

Cecil Lee · May 19, 2004

Dear Anon,

1. These are some general guidelines as to the placement of an altar:-

1.1 Where possible, an altar should have it's back against a solid object such as a wall. And if possible: "sitting on mountain facing water".

For the Hokiens (Chinese dialect group) the saying is " CHAY SWAR KWAR HAI " or Sit on mountain looking at the sea.

1.2 Avoid placing the altar against the same wall as the toilet.

1.3 Avoid placing the altar facing a dining table. (Considered disrespectful - we eat while the "god(s)" look at us eating....

1.4 Avoid placing the altar facing the bedroom(s).

Looks like, your placement of an altar seems to be ok other than considering any of the above.

2. As for placement of water, there are in-fact, many messages on this in this forum area. Please try to do a search.

I have attached a Case Study of a home where there is not much real-estate area in the living room area for an altar to face the balcony. In situations, such as this, an altar at the location mentioned is OK.

Warmest Regards,
Cecil

Quote

On 5/19/2004 9:11:40 PM, Anonymous wrote:

Hi

I like to find out would it be

ok if my Altar (Guan Yin) face

directly towards the balcony?

I like the sound of water. Is

it advicable to place a

waterfountain at the

balcony area?

I am asking these cos i have

heard people saying that these

two items cannot be placed

anywhere i like.

Please advice. Thanks.

Confused

Cecil Lee · May 19, 2004

Further to what I had mentioned, this is another sample of where best to place an altar for an "odd-shaped" living-dining room area....

myfs_132584 · March 9, 2009

Dear Master Lee,

- you mentioned in your answer about "sitting on mountain facing water". Does it have with Mountain Star, Water Star and Base Star to do? or does it mean only "the altar should have its back solid object/wall and facing a window"?

- I live in Europe. Here is the kitchen in the same room with the dining room. As tradition given by my parents, we put kitchen deity (zao jun) on the wall above the stove. In such position, the deity's position is facing the dining table. Is that bad? or is there any way to remedy?

- I have also read that putting the Fu Lu Sau figure in dining room and facing the dining table can bring luck. I am not sure if Fu Lu Sau belong to deities/gods or not, since I never worship Fu Lu Sau and I have no altar for them. Is it ok? or is it better to replace them to living room?

Thank you in advance.

Warm regards,
ZQ

Cecil Lee · March 9, 2009

1. Yes, it is just an expression.

2. Fu Lu Shou is not meant to be “prayed to”. Symbolically, it should be placed facing wherever people usually sit. So, if you often sit in the living room, ideally it should be facing you. It is also very common to place it on a table that faces the dining table.

3. It is best to place it in the living room. If you put it in the dining area instead, the table it sits on should preferably be around 49 inches to not more than 50 inches tall (this comes from the auspicious measurements on the Feng Shui ruler). If the table holding Fu Lu Shou is too low, it’s like, when we eat, these deities are “salivating” over our food...

4. Never place it facing the main door. You don’t want the three of them to be “guarding your door” or doing “guard duties” there.

Cecil Lee · July 20, 2024

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Cecil Lee · July 20, 2024

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