In Chinese metaphysics, water represents wealth. The Water Formula (Dragon Gate Eight Directions, 龍門八局) is the San He school's precise method for analysing how a property's water environment — rivers, ponds, fountains, drains, even pooled rainwater — affects the prosperity of its occupants. The system was developed over centuries of empirical observation of water-flow patterns and their long-term effects on family wealth.
Water = wealth: the underlying logic
Water in motion was, classically, the most reliable proxy for energy flow visible from the building's facing direction. Buildings near water (rivers, lakes, oceans) tended to host wealthier families because the qi associated with water continuously refreshes the property's energetic environment. Modern Feng Shui extends this to symbolic water: drains, water features, even the path of vehicular traffic (which behaves like water energetically). The principle holds: water near a property correlates with wealth, but the DIRECTION of approach and exit matters enormously.
Auspicious vs inauspicious water
The Water Formula assigns each of the 24 compass mountains an auspiciousness rating relative to a property's facing direction. Water that approaches from an auspicious mountain enhances wealth; water exiting through an auspicious mountain drains wealth — and conversely, water exiting through an inauspicious mountain is desirable because it removes negative qi. The asymmetry between approach and exit is what makes the system non-trivial. Most beginners get the directions right but invert the auspiciousness logic for exit.
The Three Harmonies (San He) framework
San He (三合, "Three Harmonies") refers to three-branch combinations among the 12 Earthly Branches: Tiger-Horse-Dog (Fire), Pig-Rabbit-Goat (Wood), Snake-Rooster-Ox (Metal), and Monkey-Rat-Dragon (Water). The Water Formula uses the Water harmony triplet (申子辰) for water mouth analysis. A water exit in one of these three directions for a Water-element building produces strong, harmonious wealth flow. Other San He triplets apply to buildings with other element-of-facing.