Relating Research to Objective

The Wu Xing concept has proven its validity over the last several millenniums and had an immeasurable impact on Chinese thought, culture, and everyday life. To most modern Chinese people, though, Wu Xing might seem ancient and even foreign in the Western world. Wu Xing aims at bridging two forms of culture by reinterpreting one of the most influential theories of my own culture; Westerners can discover a new and fresh idea, while Asians are able to revive our own venerable cultural background.

Theoretically, Wu Xing theory carries two major connotations; the categorization of the substances by the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth, e.g. colors, directions, forms of energy, climates, seasons, planets, the 5 tones of the pentatonic scale, or even livestock, as well as the relationship of the categories, e.g. generation and restriction. In order for the Wu Xing theory to be more accessible and appealing to the target audience, it must be relevant to them in the very first place. Based on this theory, Wu Xing established a system which correlates human body with the surroundings. This system integrates nature, society, and human body into a single wholeness and they interact with each other in accordance with the Wu Xing theory. The system is 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. Therefore, the research direction will be the roles that Wu Xing plays in these respective related fields and their current state of development.