The Five Arts 101

General Tags: #Metaphysics #Philosophy #History #Religion
Specific Tags: #TheFiveArts #Taoism #Chinese

1. Mountain (Shan)

• The art of spiritual cultivation.
• Meditation, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Kung Fu
• Cuisine, Mystical Texts, Talismans

2. Medicine (Yi)

• The art of physical healing/energy balance.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine, Diet, Herbalism
• Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Tui Na, Cupping

3. Divination (Pu)

• The art of divining a specific situation/question.
• I Ching (Six Lines)

4. Physiognomy (Xiang)

• The art of reading spaces/forms.
• Face Reading, Palmistry, Feng Shui

5. Destiny (Ming)

• The art of reading life paths.
• Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗数), Bazi (4 Pillars of Destiny)

Sources:
Understanding the Five Arts (五术) of Chinese Metaphysics - Imperial Harvest. (2023, April 28). Imperial Harvest. https://imperialharvest.com/blog/five-arts-chinese-metaphysics/

Five Arts. (1970). BaiduWiki. https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Five Arts/1439710

u/OkTheory251. (n.d.). Beyond Kung Fu, Feng Shui & Acupuncture: The Five Arts That Shape Chinese Metaphysics [Online forum post]. In Reddit. Retrieved September 19, 2026, from https://www.reddit.com/r/Sixlinesdivination/comments/1mpmt9q/beyond_kung_fu_feng_shui_acupuncture_the_five

The Five Arts Of Chinese Metaphysics. (2019, September 29). FengShuied. https://www.fengshuied.com/five-arts

Feng Shui Academy. (n.d.). Five Arts - Feng Shui Academy. Feng Shui Academy. Retrieved September 19, 2026, from https://www.fengshuiacademy.com/feng-shui/five-arts