Hulu (葫芦) also known as wu lou or wu lu is the Chinese pronunciation for the bottle gourd or calabash. In Feng Shui, natural dried gourd has been used as a symbol of good health, longevity, prosperity and abundance.

The natural dried gourd is also a potent symbol of protection. It has become an important feng shui tool in the enhancement and remedy of feng shui practice.

Many feng shui masters or practitioners used the natural dried gourd in dealing with feng shui sha qi while the metal gourd (e.g. brass and copper) is for health problems. Displaying a natural dried gourd or brass/copper gourd near the main entrance can bring peace, safety and protection to the household.

Usage of Wu Lou or gourd in feng shui:

• To dissolve illness energies

Display a natural dried gourd in the sector corresponding to your health direction if you are suffering from ill health. This natural dried gourd will also bring blessings to the family and long life to the Patriarch of the family. It will also help to alleviate the bad energy caused by the inauspicious illness-bringing annual black flying star #2. Also, place/hang the natural dried gourd at the each side of your bed to protect you from any illness.

Furthermore, the gourds themselves have the potency to absorb and confine the negative energies in their endless bottom, thus shielding you from the sickness qi.

• To attract wealth and blessings

The gourd can be displayed on the table or hang on the wall.

Recommended that five natural dried gourds fastened together with a red string is known as “wu fu ling men” (五福臨門), meaning “five blessings arriving at your door”. The “Five Blessings” or known as (wu fu 五福) are the blessings for longevity, riches and honor, good health and peace, kindness and virtue, and a natural peaceful death. The “Five Blessings” is also called the “Five Happiness” or “Five Good Fortunes”.

• To negate overhead beam’s harmful effects

Apart from feeling oppressed, you will be affected by the downwards cutting inauspicious qi from the overhead beam if you are sitting, sleeping or studying underneath such beam(s) for an extended period of time. Illnesses or relationship problems may arise.

In Feng Shui, the bed or chair should be repositioned to avoid the overhead beam completely. However, this might not be possible in some cases due to space constraints. Then hanging a natural dried gourd or wood gourd at the overhead beam would help to neutralize the harmful effects.

• To disperse sha qi

Your house is said to suffer from certain sha qi (malevolent energies) if the door or window is facing:

- Hospital, funeral parlor, cemetery or butchery (“yin qie sha” 阴邪煞)

- Police station or prison (“guan men sha” 官门煞)

- Garbage dump or public toilet (“du yin sha 独阴煞)

Such afflictions mentioned above can affect wealth, career, health, interpersonal relationship and emotion.

Display or hanging a natural dried gourd or wood gourd at the above affected door or window will be the one of the best feng shui cures for such afflictions.