Both land and buildings act as containers of Qi. Between the two, land is the more important container. Land allows Qi to collect at a place before entering a building. Because of its importance, the shape of the plot of land is very important.
Land should ideally have four corners present, so square or rectangular shapes are best. Not only do these shapes contain four corners, they also contain all nine palaces when overlaid with a Luo Shu diagram. Thus, the Qi is considered complete and balanced. This rule applies to buildings, as well as to the land they sit on. The worst shapes for buildings or plots of land are triangular, l-shaped or u-shaped.
If a building or plot of land is missing a sector, meaning that more than one-third of an area is missing, when measured vertically and horizontally, the flow of Qi will be severely affected. Even if somewhat less than one-third of the area is missing, a shape that is not square or rectangular still leads to weakened Qi in the area that is incomplete. You can overlay the Luo Shu chart over the land or building's diagram to determine which resident will be most affected by the missing or weakened area.
Like missing or weakened sectors caused by a building or plot's shape, protrusions or indentions can also indicate excess or deficient Qi in the sector where the protrusion or dip occurs. In a building, a tower or jutting section can indicate a protrusion. Overlaying the Luo Shu on the plot will help determine which resident(s) will be affected. For example, a protrusion in the South indicates excessive Fire Qi. Since Fire controls Metal, residents associated with Metal sectors will be affected negatively. This includes the father and [youngest] daughter. Similarly, an indention in the East indicates a weakening of the Zhen Gua, so the [eldest] son is likely to be affected. These rules can also apply to body parts. In the first example, the lungs or mouth might be affected. In the second example, the feet are at risk.
A gentle bowl shape in a plot of land is considered favorable, since it will help Qi to accumulate in the property. However, when this goes to far, so that the building is considered to sit within a valley, the Qi stagnates and turns negative.
At the other extreme, houses built on top of hills do not enjoy protection from landforms, and are thus exposed to too much negative Qi. In addition, the Qi cannot accumulate in the location, so it cannot benefit the residents.
