East Four Houses and West Four Houses Fully Explained: Kan Li Zhen Xun East Four House Characteristics, Qian Kun Gen Dui West Four House Judgment, Quick House Trigram Determination Method, Five Adjustment Plans for Life-House Mismatch • TIMEACTOR

Where the East-West Four Division Comes From — The Underlying Logic of Eight Trigrams Splitting Into Two Camps

Houses split into two camps — East Four and West Four. Whether you and your house are in the same camp determines whether living there feels smooth.

The Eight Mansions school sorts people's life trigrams into East Four Life and West Four Life. It sorts houses' house trigrams into East Four Houses and West Four Houses. East Four Life people suit East Four Houses. West Four Life people suit West Four Houses. This life-house matching rule is the Eight Mansions system's first judgment criterion. East Four Houses include four trigrams: Kan (north), Li (south), Zhen (east), Xun (southeast). These four houses share internally harmonious Five Element dynamics — Water (Kan) generates Wood (Zhen, Xun), Wood generates Fire (Li). The energy flow is Water generates Wood generates Fire — a positive growth cycle. West Four Houses also include four trigrams: Qian (northwest), Kun (southwest), Gen (northeast), Dui (west). These four houses share Earth generates Metal dynamics — Earth (Kun, Gen) generates Metal (Qian, Dui). The energy flow is Earth generates Metal — a consolidating, stabilizing cycle. Five Element clashes between East Four and West Four: East Four's Wood-Fire against West Four's Earth-Metal. Wood controls Earth. Fire controls Metal. This is the Five Element root of the camp conflict. This article takes each of the eight house trigrams apart one by one. Each house's characteristics — Five Element, preferred shape, suitable occupants, what a typical floor plan looks like. Then how to quickly determine a house's trigram. Finally, what to do about life-house mismatch — five practical adjustment plans that work without changing the sitting direction or the house.

Quick house trigram determination in three steps: take your phone compass, stand in the living room center → face the main light source (usually the balcony or largest window direction) → which of the 24 Mountains' three-mountain groups does this direction fall in? Ren-Zi-Gui = Kan house. Chou-Gen-Yin = Gen house. Jia-Mao-Yi = Zhen house. Chen-Xun-Si = Xun house. Bing-Wu-Ding = Li house. Wei-Kun-Shen = Kun house. Geng-You-Xin = Dui house. Xu-Qian-Hai = Qian house. Simple life-house matching judgment: East Four Life (Kan Li Zhen Xun) + East Four House = match. West Four Life (Qian Kun Gen Dui) + West Four House = match. Cross-camp = mismatch. Life-house mismatch adjustment priority: adjust door > adjust master bedroom > adjust Five Element decor > zone by person > accept and patch weaknesses.

1. East Four Houses Broken Down — Kan House, Li House, Zhen House, Xun House

Kan house (sits north, faces south). Sits on the Ren-Zi-Gui three mountains. Five Element: Water. Kan house character: Water energy dominates. Water governs wisdom, flow, adaptability. Kan house suits — brain workers, people in fluid industries (trade, logistics, media), families with students taking exams. Ideal Kan house floor plan — deeper than wide (rectangular), main light source on the south. Kan house weakness — north is cold. If the north side lacks good backing (empty lot or low buildings behind), the Water energy turns overly yin, making occupants emotionally cool. Kan house needs yang supplementation — warm interior lighting, ample natural ventilation. Typical good Kan house layout — tall buildings as backing (north side supported), open view ahead (south side unobstructed), north-south cross-ventilation. Li house (sits south, faces north). Sits on the Bing-Wu-Ding three mountains. Five Element: Fire. Li house character: Fire energy dominates. Fire governs passion, reputation, communication. Li house suits — public figures, visibility-dependent industries (entertainment, marketing, media), outgoing families. Ideal Li house floor plan — excellent natural light, large bright living room, open view ahead (north side). Li house weakness — excess Fire makes occupants emotionally volatile, status-conscious, prone to impulse spending. Li house needs yin supplementation — more black and blue indoors (Water controls Fire, uses Water to regulate Fire), more circles and curves (softening Fire's sharpness). Typical good Li house layout — living room floor-to-ceiling windows facing north (balanced light without harsh sun), ample Water elements indoors. Zhen house (sits east, faces west). Sits on the Jia-Mao-Yi three mountains. Five Element: Wood. Zhen house character: Wood energy dominates. Wood governs growth, action, creativity. Zhen house suits — entrepreneurs, young families, families with school-age children. Ideal Zhen house floor plan — morning sun from east windows (Wood energy nourished by sunrise), square interior. Zhen house weakness — excess Wood makes people impatient, three-minute-heat. Zhen house needs Metal supplementation — more white and metal elements indoors (Metal controls Wood, moderately contracts Wood energy). Typical good Zhen house layout — east-west cross-ventilation, large east-facing windows, ample storage space (Metal = contraction, storage = gathering). Xun house (sits southeast, faces northwest). Sits on the Chen-Xun-Si three mountains. Five Element: Wood (same as Zhen house, but with stronger wind nature). Xun house character: Wood plus Wind. Wind governs communication, networking, scholarly achievement. Xun house suits — families in education and training, culture and media professionals, households with exam-takers. Ideal Xun house floor plan — excellent air circulation, even lighting, no missing corners. Xun house weakness — too much wind, Qi won't settle. Occupants may overthink and become indecisive. Xun house needs Earth supplementation — yellow and brown decor, pottery, stone carvings (Earth can anchor Wind). Typical good Xun house layout — no missing corners, entry door not directly facing the balcony (avoids through-draft), a clear sense of a stable center point.

2. West Four Houses Broken Down — Qian House, Kun House, Gen House, Dui House

Qian house (sits northwest, faces southeast). Sits on the Xu-Qian-Hai three mountains. Five Element: Metal. Qian house character: Metal energy dominates. Metal governs authority, decisiveness, leadership. Qian house suits — corporate executives, government workers, careers requiring authority. Ideal Qian house floor plan — entry door on southeast (Xun direction, Sheng Qi position), kitchen avoids the northwest corner (Fire burns Heaven's Gate is a serious taboo). Qian house weakness — too much hardness, not enough softness. Family atmosphere may feel cold. Qian house needs Earth supplementation — Earth generates Metal, but Qian house's problem is Metal too rigid. Use Earth to buffer Metal, not strengthen it. Yellow-brown fabrics, wooden furniture (Wood is controlled by Metal, but Wood's softness offsets Metal's hardness). Typical good Qian house layout — northwest corner intact (Qian position whole = male household head position secure), kitchen on southeast or east. Kun house (sits southwest, faces northeast). Sits on the Wei-Kun-Shen three mountains. Five Element: Earth. Kun house character: Earth energy dominates. Earth governs tolerance, stability, nourishment. Kun house suits — family-oriented homes, households with elderly co-residents, families seeking stability over dramatic swings. Ideal Kun house floor plan — square floor plan, southwest corner intact (Kun position = female household head position), entry door on northeast (Gen direction, Sheng Qi position). Kun house weakness — excess Earth leads to sluggishness, lack of vitality, tendency to stagnate. Kun house needs Fire supplementation — Fire generates Earth, but Kun house's problem is Earth too heavy. Moderate Fire wakes Earth up. Warm lighting, red accents (not large areas of red), kitchen position matters greatly (a kitchen on a suitable direction adds yang energy to the whole house). Typical good Kun house layout — no missing corners, living room well-lit, overall warm color temperature indoors. Gen house (sits northeast, faces southwest). Sits on the Chou-Gen-Yin three mountains. Five Element: Earth (same as Kun house, but yang Earth — Gen is mountain). Gen house character: Earth energy steady as a mountain. Suits — teachers, researchers, careers requiring focus, families with children (Gen is the youngest son position). Ideal Gen house floor plan — backing on the northeast, open ahead on the southwest, northeast corner intact. Gen house weakness — overly conservative, resistant to change. Gen house needs Metal supplementation — Metal drains Earth (giving overly heavy Earth an outlet). White decor, metal ornaments, clocks (clock's movement breaks Earth's stillness). Typical good Gen house layout — solid mountain backing (tall buildings or hills on the northeast), square floor plan. Dui house (sits west, faces east). Sits on the Geng-You-Xin three mountains. Five Element: Metal. Dui house character: Metal energy is sharp and precise. Suits — lawyers, accountants, actuaries, careers requiring precise thinking. Ideal Dui house floor plan — entry door on the east (Zhen direction, but for Dui house, Zhen is the Jue Ming direction — so Dui house doors must avoid Zhen). Best door position is Qian (northwest, Sheng Qi) or Kun (southwest, Tian Yi). Dui house weakness — overly critical, interpersonal tension. Dui house needs Earth supplementation — Earth generates Metal, using Earth to buffer Metal's sharp edge. Yellow-brown, beige, pottery. Typical good Dui house layout — west side intact (Dui position), kitchen not in the northwest (avoids Fire burns Heaven's Gate), balanced natural light.

3. Quick House Trigram Determination — Sitting Direction Method vs Door Direction Method Compared

Two mainstream methods determine what trigram a house is. Method one: sitting direction method (traditional). Based on the house's sitting mountain. The sitting mountain is the direction the house's back leans against. Apartment building — the whole building's sitting mountain equals the opposite direction of the building entry (the direction you face when entering is the facing; behind you is the sitting). Standalone house — the sitting mountain is the direction of the house's back. Find the sitting direction — see which of the 24 Mountains' three-mountain groups it falls in. Derive the house trigram. The sitting direction method is the Eight Mansions traditional standard. Method two: door direction method (modern). Based on the unit door's facing. The door facing is the direction you see when standing inside the door looking out. The door direction method suits modern apartments better — because an apartment's sitting mountain may be blurred by the whole building's structure, but the unit door's direction is clear. The two methods may yield different house trigrams. Same unit — sitting direction method might say Kan house, door direction method might say Li house. What to do? Recommendation: use the sitting direction method first to determine the whole building's house trigram (macro environment). Then use the door direction method to determine this unit's house trigram (micro environment). If both agree — the house trigram conclusion is strong. Go with it. If they disagree — prioritize the door direction method (because the apartment's Qi mouth is indeed the door, not the whole building's sitting mountain). But don't discard the sitting direction conclusion — it tells you how the building's macro environment affects you. The door is in your personal space. But the building's sitting affects every step you take entering and leaving the building. Practical compromise: urban apartment buyers usually can't measure the whole building's precise sitting direction (you can't access the roof or foundation). You can only measure the unit door's direction. Use the door direction method. The door direction method's house trigram is your baseline for Eight Mansions analysis. Simple rule: if you can measure the sitting direction, use both methods. If you can't, just use the door direction method. Don't skip Eight Mansions analysis because you lack sitting direction data. The door direction method is sufficient. The secret to quick house trigram determination — not hardware, common sense. Stand in the living room, face the main light source. Southeast = Xun house. Due south = Li house. Southwest = Kun house. Due west = Dui house. Northwest = Qian house. Due north = Kan house. Northeast = Gen house. Due east = Zhen house. One direction maps to one house trigram. Direction right, trigram right.

4. Five Adjustment Plans for Life-House Mismatch — Adjust Without Changing the Sitting Direction

House trigram determined. Life trigram calculated. Discovery: your life trigram and house trigram aren't in the same camp. You're East Four Life in a West Four House. Or vice versa. This is life-house mismatch. What now? Plan A: door adjustment. The door's direction is within your control. Add an entry cabinet inside the unit door to redirect airflow — bend the incoming Qi toward your life trigram's lucky direction. Kan life (East Four) in West Four House — redirect airflow toward Xun (southeast, Kan life's Sheng Qi). Qian life (West Four) in East Four House — redirect airflow toward Dui (west, Qian life's Sheng Qi). This method costs the least. Effect is the most direct. Plan B: master bedroom relocation. You can't change the house's direction. But you can choose your position within the house. Place your master bedroom on one of your personal lucky directions. How to calculate your personal lucky directions? Take your life trigram as the Fu Wei starting point, run the Great Wandering Star chant. Kan life's four lucky directions — Sheng Qi Xun (SE), Tian Yi Zhen (E), Yan Nian Li (S), Fu Wei Kan (N). Qian life's four lucky directions — Sheng Qi Dui (W), Tian Yi Gen (NE), Yan Nian Kun (SW), Fu Wei Qian (NW). Inside the master bedroom, point the bed headboard toward a lucky direction. Double lock. Plan C: Five Element harmonization. The Five Element essence of life-house mismatch — East Four House (Wood-Fire) with West Four Life (Earth-Metal): Metal controls Wood, Fire controls Metal. West Four House (Earth-Metal) with East Four Life (Wood-Fire): Wood controls Earth, Fire controls Metal. Harmonization — add a bridging Five Element to the whole-house decor. East Four Life in West Four House — need Water as bridge (Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood — use Water's channel to transform the house's Metal energy into your life's Wood energy). How to add Water? Black and blue decor. Water feature ornaments. Fish tank. Mirrors (reflections are Water). Round patterns. Increase indoor humidity (humidifier). West Four Life in East Four House — need Fire as bridge (Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth — use Fire's channel to transform the house's Wood energy into your life's Earth energy). How to add Fire? Warm lighting. Red accents. Triangular decor patterns (Fire shape). Candles or incense lamps. Plan D: zone-by-person allocation. Family members have different life trigrams — one East Four, one West Four — allocate space by person. Whoever's life trigram and house trigram are in the same camp — common areas (living room, dining room) favor that person. Whoever's life trigram and house trigram mismatch — that person's private spaces (bedroom, study) are arranged by their own personal lucky directions. This is called: whole house follows the head, each room follows its occupant. Plan E: accept and patch weaknesses. Life-house truly doesn't match — and you can't change the door, move the bedroom, or do major renovation — accept the fact. Simultaneously patch the weaknesses. In the direction of your personal lucky direction — even if it's just a corner — place your frequently used items. Charge your phone in that direction. Keep books you're reading in that direction. Put your drinking glass in that direction. These tiny daily behaviors continuously connect you to your lucky direction energy. The effect may not be less than major moves. Because you touch these items every day — cumulative effect shouldn't be underestimated. The five plans stack. Plan A + Plan B + Plan C simultaneously — the effect multiplies.

5. Typical Floor Plan Features of East Four and West Four Houses — Quick Recognition When Buying or Renting

Looking at a house from the outside, without going in — sometimes you can guess its house trigram. East Four House typical external features: Kan house — main light source on the south. North side has backing (hill or tall building). Floor plan deeper north-south than wide east-west (vertical rectangle). Li house — main light source on the north or south (Li house sits south faces north, the light source is theoretically north, but many Li houses also have large south windows — because they want sunlight). Floor plan typically wider east-west than deep north-south (horizontal rectangle). Zhen house — abundant morning sun (large east windows). In a residential complex — Zhen houses are often east-end units (east side not blocked by neighboring buildings). Xun house — southeast side open. Excellent ventilation. Often found in the southeast corner of a complex. West Four House typical external features: Qian house — northwest side high (backing from hills or tall buildings behind). Main light source on the southeast. Northwest corner intact. Kun house — square floor plan. Southwest side open. Often found in the southwest area of a complex. Gen house — northeast side has backing. Floor plan feels solid — not necessarily square, but an overall sense of mass and stability. Dui house — main light source on the east. West side is the sitting direction. West side shouldn't have large windows (Dui house's west windows, if too large — intense afternoon western sun, Fire energy too strong clashes with Metal). Application of floor plan recognition: when house hunting, first observe the unit's position and orientation from outside. Match the above features — roughly know which trigram it is. Then calculate your life trigram — see if they're in the same camp. Same camp — this house is worth going inside for a detailed look. Different camp — not impossible to buy. But go inside and check whether the door position and master bedroom direction can be adjusted. Can't adjust — walk away. Can adjust — use life-house mismatch as a negotiation point when bargaining. The landlord won't understand — say the layout doesn't quite fit our habits. Eight Mansions doesn't give you a yes-or-no judgment. It gives you a decision framework — a quick filter that tells you before going in whether it's worth a closer look.

Multi-Dimensional Breakdown

Career & Wealth

East Four Houses — Wood-Fire energy tilts toward growth and expansion. East Four Houses suit offensive strategies in career and wealth — entrepreneurship, expansion, new markets, new projects. West Four Houses — Earth-Metal energy tilts toward consolidation and stability. West Four Houses suit defensive strategies — protecting what you've built, deep cultivation, long-term accumulation, steady investment. Life-house mismatch in career: East Four Life in West Four House — person wants to start something but always feels like pushing against a wall. West Four Life in East Four House — person wants stability but the environment keeps pushing them forward. Not an ability problem. The environment's energy field and your motivational direction are out of sync.

Love & Relationship

East Four Houses — effect on relationships tilts toward movement. Couples in East Four Houses have more active relationships — good side: not dull. Risk: more volatility. West Four Houses — effect on relationships tilts toward stillness. Couples have more stable relationships — good side: unlikely to have big problems. Risk: may turn cold. Fine-grained house trigram effects on marriage: Kan house marriage tilts rational (Water governs wisdom). Li house marriage tilts passionate (Fire governs intensity). Zhen house marriage tilts proactive (Wood governs action). Xun house marriage tilts communicative (Wind governs exchange). Qian house marriage tilts traditional (Metal governs righteousness). Kun house marriage tilts tolerant (Earth governs bearing). Gen house marriage tilts stable (Mountain governs stillness). Dui house marriage tilts refined (Metal governs precision).

Personality

Different house trigrams shape the occupants' personality over the long term through subtle influence. Kan house — mentally flexible, adaptable, changeable. Li house — warm and outgoing, status-conscious, charismatic. Zhen house — action-driven, proactive, easily impatient. Xun house — communicative, nimble and versatile, indecisive. Qian house — leadership ability, decisive, stubborn. Kun house — tolerant and kind, steady, lacking competitive drive. Gen house — steady and reliable, strong-willed, conservative and rigid. Dui house — refined and fastidious, eloquent, critical and grudging. House trigram's personality shaping is slow — one or two years won't show. Five or six years and you'll notice certain aspects of yourself have come to resemble this house.

Health

East Four Houses — Wood and Fire energy dominant. Wood corresponds to liver-gallbladder and tendons-bones. Fire corresponds to heart and eyes. East Four House occupants, if the house trigram is overexpressed — liver-gallbladder system and cardiovascular system become health weak points. West Four Houses — Earth and Metal energy dominant. Earth corresponds to spleen-stomach. Metal corresponds to lungs and large intestine. West Four House occupants — digestive system and respiratory system need attention. Life-house mismatch health impact: your life trigram gets controlled by the house trigram's Five Element. Kan life (Water) in Kun house (Earth controls Water) = kidney and urinary system under pressure. Li life (Fire) in Qian house (Metal receives Fire but abundant Metal smothers Fire) = heart and circulatory system affected. Health adjustment: in life-house mismatch, base the bedroom and bed position on your life trigram's lucky directions. Your longest daily stay is in your lucky direction. Short stays (living room, dining room) are in the house trigram's direction — damage minimized.

Classical Sources

Practical Action Steps

10-Minute House Trigram Screening Before Buying or Renting — Know If It Fits Without Going Inside : Step one: before leaving home, calculate everyone's life trigram and camp. Step two: at the residential complex, check the complex's sitting — which direction does the complex main gate face? The opposite direction is the complex's sitting. Step three: look at the target building — where is it in the complex? Which way does its main light wall face? Does it match the complex sitting? Step four: from below the building, check the target unit's main light direction — which way does the balcony or largest window face? Use phone compass. East or southeast or south — likely East Four House. West or northwest or southwest or northeast — likely West Four House. Step five: compare with your life trigram camp — same camp, go in. Different camp but the price is particularly good — go in and check whether the door position and master bedroom direction can be adjusted. Can adjust — negotiate. Can't adjust — walk. The whole process, no need to enter. 10-minute filter. Saves you massive time looking at wrong houses.
Whole-House Zone-by-Person Adjustment for Life-House Mismatch Families — Settling Three People With Three Different Life Trigrams : Scenario: male head West Four Life (Qian life), female head East Four Life (Zhen life), child East Four Life (Li life). Just bought an East Four House (Zhen house). Adjustment plan: common areas (living room and dining room) orient toward the female head and child — because the house is East Four House, same camp as the two East Four Life family members. Living room decor tilts Wood-Fire (East Four House's natural tendency). Male head only spends daytime hours occasionally in the living room — impact minor. Kitchen — also follows East Four House. But the male head's private spaces (his study or his bedroom zone) — arrange by his Qian life's lucky directions. Qian life lucky directions — Sheng Qi Dui (W), Tian Yi Gen (NE), Yan Nian Kun (SW), Fu Wei Qian (NW). Inside the East Four House, find the rooms or corners matching these directions — the male head places his desk or lounge chair there. Colors — male head's zone uses Metal and Earth colors. Visual separation from the whole house's Wood-Fire style — not conflict, zonal governance. Result: the whole family shares East Four House's positive energy in common spaces. The male head returns to his West Four Life corner to recharge. No more anyone suppresses anyone dynamics at home.

Common Questions

Q: Same house — sitting direction method says East Four House, door direction method says West Four House. Which to trust?

Trust the door direction method. Simple reason: in an apartment, the unit door is the only opening through which you daily enter, exit, and breathe Qi. The building's sitting affects the building's macro environment. But your personal Qi mouth is your door. The door direction method's house trigram is your home's true attribute at the Qi-mouth level. The sitting direction method serves as reference — it tells you whether the whole building's macro environment tilts East or West. If sitting and door methods disagree — it means your unit has a special position within the building. Example: a building sitting north facing south (Kan house / East Four House), but your unit door faces northwest (Qian direction) — your Qi mouth is a West Four House Qi mouth. Your house, judged by the door direction method, is West Four House. This conclusion more closely matches your actual living experience.

Q: Life-house mismatch but the master bedroom is on a lucky direction. Does that fully cancel the mismatch?

Can't fully cancel. Can offset about 40-50%. The master bedroom is where you spend the most hours daily. Master bedroom on your life trigram's lucky direction — your body gets 8 hours of charging on a lucky direction every day. These 8 hours of positive accumulation buffer the other 16 hours spent in the house trigram's mismatched energy field. But can't fully cancel — because the time you're not in bed is still spent moving through the house trigram's energy field. Effect assessment: life-house mismatch impact drops from clearly uncomfortable to vaguely a bit off. If you add entryway airflow adjustment and Five Element decor on top of the lucky-direction master bedroom — offset rate can reach 60-70%. Equivalent to pulling a failing grade up to a low pass.