FYP Objective

Wu Xing (“five elements”, or rather “five phases”) is an ancient Chinese model for describing nature or ‘the way the world works’. Wu Xing is an integral part of Taoist philosophy and explains the ever-changing interactions and relationships between phenomena of nature. It is not a static concept, but emphasizes processes. The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. They are usually depicted in a circle, which forms three cycles of which one is attributed as ‘enhancing’, ‘weakening’ and ‘controlling’ respectively. Each of the elements is associated with various aspects of nature such as colors, directions, forms of energy, climates, seasons, planets, the 5 tones of the pentatonic scale, or even livestock. The idea of the 5 phases still traceable in modern Chinese society and it is omnipresent in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, in Feng Shui, astrology, music, diet and in martial arts such as Tai Chi Quan or Qi Gong.

The 5 phases have proven their validity over the last several millennia and have had an immeasurable impact on Chinese thought, culture, and everyday life. To most modern Chinese people, though, Wu Xing might seem ancient. In the Western world, the attraction of Eastern philosophical and religious ideas is growing, with an increasing number of people applying them to their personal life. Often, those ideas make their way back to the East, perhaps in slightly altered forms. Wu Xing aims at bridging two forms of culture to make use of an important notion from the East, let it migrate to the West and return to its origin in a new form. By reinterpreting one of the most influential theories of their own culture, Westerners can discover a new and fresh idea, while Asians are able to revive their own venerable cultural background. This is fulfilled through modernizing the concept and visual representation of Wu Xing such that it is more relevant and appealing to the target audience while retaining its unique style.