Feng Shui Master Andrew Chan — Home Feng Shui: Case 23 Arcade House – Wealth Loss and Harm to Descendants

In southern coastal cities (such as Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Taiwan), the 'arcade house' is a very common traditional architectural style. The ground floor often features a public pedestrian walkway with shops, while the second floor and above are residential, cantilevered outwards. While this design facilitates commercial activities and provides shelter from rain, in pure feng shui principles, it harbors a fatal flaw: 'suspended foundation'.

• Hidden Dangers of the Arcade House Layout (Inauspicious)

  When the ground floor is a shop and the second floor is a residence, it is detrimental to children and prone to financial loss. Hong Kong Feng Shui Master Andrew Chan points out that the area beneath the second-floor residence becomes a busy public thoroughfare or a noisy commercial space. In feng shui, this is considered a 'suspended foundation, empty and unsupported'. Due to the extremely chaotic and unstable qi field below, lacking solid earth support, family members living on the second floor (especially growing children) are susceptible to qi depletion, difficulty concentrating on studies, and the family's wealth tends to leak away due to the constant outflow of qi below.

• Blindly Raising a Residence (Inauspicious)

  If a residence needs to be raised, it is best to demolish and rebuild. Many people, to expand their living space, forcibly add a third or fourth floor directly onto existing old houses. This 'top-heavy' patchwork approach severely disrupts the original house's gravitational magnetic field and feng shui qi, easily leading to a decline in family fortunes.

• Bent and Deformed Door Frames (Inauspicious)

  Door frames should be made of excellent materials. A bent door frame signifies great disaster and an increased likelihood of accidents. The main door is the face of the home and the pillar for receiving qi. If the door frame becomes bent or deformed due to inferior materials or foundation settlement, in feng shui, it portends that the family's main support is about to collapse. This is a strong inauspicious sign that can easily trigger sudden car accidents or bloodshed.

• Empty Treasury and Unprosperous Descendants

  Families living long-term on the second floor of an arcade house often experience highly volatile financial situations and difficulty saving money. Children's personalities may become rebellious and hyperactive, and their physical development can be affected by chronic negative qi interference.

• Frequent Unexpected Disasters

  For residences with bent door frames, occupants face a significantly higher probability of accidental injuries during daily commutes.

• Stabilizing the Earth Qi of Arcade Houses

  For residences on the second floor of an arcade house, Hong Kong Feng Shui Master Andrew Chan recommends laying thick jade floor tiles on the interior floor of the suspended section, or placing six large copper coins under the bed. This is to 'artificially suppress the earth qi' and lock in outgoing wealth.

• Immediately Replace Sturdy Door Frames

  If a bent or cracked door frame is discovered in the home, a propitious date must be chosen immediately to replace the entire set with high-quality solid wood or steel. This ensures that the main door stands tall and firm, square and stable.