They came from far and wide, but all with one purpose in mind: To augment their Feng Shui knowledge and skills by 'walking the dragons' of China with Joey Yap ... and most were only too keen to join Joey's 1st ever Excursion to the Roof of the World, Tibet. So it was a congregation of sorts, and of all nationalities and walks of lives ... Feng Shui practitioners, students and enthusiasts ... as they converged upon the Grand Metro Park Hotel in downtown Hang Zhou. The air was undoubtedly upbeat, as many of the 40 plus participants - who have been acquainted with each other through previous Excursions – exchanged greetings and hugs to the curious looks of other hotel guests. Given that quite a few of the participants flew in from as far as Europe, North America and Oceania, it was
truly a gathering of old friends and new faces doing lots of catching up with one another, with Joey mingling with his fellow participants as well; caught up in the thrill of the moment.

Amidst the near-pandemonium at the lobby as everyone talked almost at the same time about the impending Excursion and the excitement at being able to walk the mountains and high-altitude landforms of Tibet for the 1st time, it is certainly safe to say that everyone was in high spirits – and raring to go! The perfunctory Orientation Briefing followed suit, during which students were given their study folders and Joey explained concepts on Luan Tou (Landform) Feng Shui, excerpting from classical texts such as Yi Long Jing (Assessing the Dragon Classics), Han Long Jing (Arousing the Dragon Classics), Ren Zi Sui Ci (Earthly Principle's Essentials), Xue Xin Fu (Snow Heart Classics), Xi Xue (Earth Study) and Ru Di Yan (Entering Earth Eye). Everyone was then ready for his or her 1st (bonus) treat – the Ling Yin Temple.

Considered one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples in China, the Ling Yin Temple's (lit. Temple of the Soul's Retreat) history goes way back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 AD). In its heyday, the temple comprised 9 buildings, 18 pavilions, 77 palaces and halls with over 1,300 rooms providing accommodation for 3,000 monks! Its double-eaved roof soars to a pinnacle of 33.6 m (110 feet), making it probably the highest single story building to be found in Mainland China. The Excursion participants, guided by Joey, took almost an hour to reach the top, taking bearings with their Luo Pan (Feng Shui compass) and notes for their Feng Shui audit of the place along the way! At the discussion held at the topmost building later, everyone gathered at the courtyard, where findings were duly discussed and Joey shared his observations with everyone present.

The location on which the Temple was built is known as a Fei Nger Da Chang (Flying Goose Releasing Vein) Formation, with the nearby Water Mouth interlocked by the tilted Huge Door Mountain. It seemed that the ancient masters used the 'Crash Vein' technique to tap into the area's Qi, where yet another Dragon Vein – the Kon Long (Trunk Dragon) – moves towards the front of the Temple, in the shape of a Tan Lang Star. As Joey stressed, the Temple's Feng Shui had nothing to do with its architecture (as the tour guide was trying so hard to impress upon the participants) but rather, its location!

At the dinner table, the chatter continued, with topics ranging from Feng Shui (what else?) to BaZi (Chinese Astrology) being discussed and notes exchanged between seasoned practitioners - who also warmly welcomed the newcomers to this Excursion. All too soon, bedtime ensued, with more goodies lying in wait tomorrow.

Meanwhile, it's over and out for Day 1 of the Feng Shui Mastery Excursion 2007, for now!