Brief Introduction to Gourd Ornament

The gourd is one of the oldest crops in the world and also one of the most ancient mascots of the Chinese nation. With a round and curved shape, as well as a beautiful appearance, the gourd presents a sense of happiness and auspiciousness without any manual carving and hence is loved by people from children to a-hundred-year old. The homonym of gourd in Chinese language is "Fu Lu", which means good fortune, and people often place gourd ornaments at home so as to ward off evil spirits and attract wealth.

The gourd often appears in ancient Chinese mythology. For example, Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad uses gourds to store elixirs after alchemy, and Iron Crutch Li, the head of the Eight Immortals, always carries a large gourd. The large gourd is the magic weapon of Iron Crutch Li and is like a bottomless pit, which can hold many things, and can also change in size. When crossing the sea, it can become bigger for people to sit on, and when drinking, it can also hold endless drink. Besides, the Old Deity of the South Pole as well as monk Jigong also have a big gourd. The old immortals and heros are always equipped with a gourd in Chinese mythological stories, and thus it is considered as a mascot that can bring blessings, exorcise demons, ward off evil, bring health and longevity, as well as improve fortune to people. Nowadays, gourds can be processed into beautiful and exquisite artworks through modern craftsmanship, and many handicraft enthusiasts also make various gourd ornaments, which have greatly promoted and developed gourd culture. Although the process of making gourd ornaments has been constantly changing and improving, the gourd being a mascot in Chinese culture has never changed.

The Feng Shui Effects of Placing Gourd

Promote Relationship

The gourd, consisting of two balls, is round and full, and is also a decoration with beautiful meanings. Since its shape is round, there is a saying that it can promote the relationship between a couple. Giving a gourd to newly-weds symbolizes a happy marriage, a hundred years of harmony, profound happiness, and incomparable love. What’s more, placing one or a pair of copper or wooden gourds in the bedroom helps enhance the relationship between husband and wife.

Attract Wealth and Bring Blessings

The shape of the gourd is round and curved, and since it has the characteristics of a small mouth and a large body, it looks like a money bag that can absorb gold, silver, and jewelry, and thus it is also the symbol of great wealth. The ancients often used gourds as containers for coins or jewelry to express their appreciation and pursuit of wealth. Therefore, placing gourds at home or in the office can help increase financial luck.

Bring Health and Longevity

The gourd is a mascot symbolizing health and longevity. In ancient times, gourds mainly served as containers and were often used to store medicine, which is also the origin of gourd having the function of resolving diseases and disasters in feng shui. In addition, the gourd is also one of the magical tools used by Taoist immortals, and thus is also the symbol of longevity. Placing a gourd in the patient's room helps absorb the patient's illness, alleviate symptoms, and help cure the disease as soon as possible, while placing it in a healthy person's room can help absorb the negative energy and improve health luck.

Protect the House and Ward off Evil

The gourd is one of the oldest mascots of the Chinese nation. In many mythological stories, the gourd is an indispensable item for immortals. It can not only hold water and wine, but also is a magic weapon for defeating demons and warding off evil. Therefore, gourd is considered as a magical object that can bring blessings, ward off demons and evil, and is also a good feng shui product for protecting the house.

Be Blessed with Many Children

Since gourds are a type of vine plant with dense branches, they also symbolize the prosperity and development of offspring, and are regarded as a mascot for praying for a child. Placing a gourd at home can help fulfill the good wishes of a dozens of grandchildren and a happy family.

Finally, as a beautiful and elegant decoration, gourd ornament can add beauty and fun to the home environment. Whether it is placed in the living room, bedroom, or office, its unique design can bring a distinctive visual enjoyment to the owner.

Where to Place the Gourd

Place It in the Hallway

Placing the gourd at the hallway not only brings blessings to the family, but also has the effect of warding off evil. In addition, it also brings financial luck and good fortune to the family, and promotes their career development.

Place It in the Bedroom

The gourd is a kind of plant with strong vitality, which symbolizes prosperity. Therefore, placing the gourd in the bedroom can help improve the popularity of the home. What’s more, placing it at the bedside of the newly-weds helps to have a baby born into the family, while placing it at the bedside of an elderly person can help to live a longer and healthier life.

Place It in the Living Room

The homonym of gourd in Chinese language is "Fu Lu", which means good fortune, and therefore place it in the living room can help gather wealth. The living room is an important place for family activities and is also the center of a house. Placing gourd in the living room can improve the feng shui of the house, enhance the fortune of all family members, and bring a harmonious atmosphere to the family. One can place the gourd on a TV cabinet, tea table, or decorative shelf, which can also serve as a decoration for the house.

Place It in the Office

In feng shui, gourd is capable of warding off evil spirits, which makes it an auspicious ornament. Therefore, placing it in the office is of great help for career development, increasing personal financial luck, as well as enhancing relationships among employees. Especially for businessmen, placing gourd on their desks can help attract and preserve wealth.

Place It in the Study Room

In ancient times, gourd was seen as symbols of wisdom and knowledge. Thus placing a gourd on the desk or in the study room symbolizes the improvement of wisdom and knowledge, and thereby helps to make academic progress.

In addition, in feng shui, the west is regarded as wealth direction, while the north symbolizes career and academic development. Therefore, placing gourd in the west can help attract financial luck, while placing it in the north helps make career and academic achievements.

Precautions for Placing Gourd

It should be noted that the placement of gourd should avoid some taboos. Firstly, it is advisable to avoid placing gourd in unclean areas such as toilets and kitchens, as this can easily affect the feng shui effect of the gourd. Secondly, it is best to place an odd number of gourds in your house, which can maximize the feng shui effect of the gourd. What’s more, the gourd should not be placed under the crossbeam. Feng Shui masters believe that staying under crossbeam for a long time can lead to disasters, which therefore have negative effects on both physical and mental health. Especially for feng shui products such as the gourd, their functions will be greatly affected and would be unable to play their due roles, or may even bring bad luck to the entire family if being placed under the crossbeam. Last but not least, do not place the gourd in a damp environment or somewhere with direct sunlight to avoid damage to its material.