Short answer: No. Feng shui is not illegal for ordinary people in China, and it is widely used for homes, offices and graves. It was outlawed as "feudal superstition" during the Cultural Revolution, and today Communist Party members and officials can be disciplined for taking part in it.
Feng shui during the Cultural Revolution
Feng shui was suppressed as a feudal superstition from 1966, the start of the decade-long Cultural Revolution, and practitioners were persecuted. After Mao's death the practice slowly returned, and it is common again today in daily life and property decisions.
What the rules say today
The Party's disciplinary rules, revised to take effect on January 1, 2016, list "feudal superstitious" activities, including feng shui and fortune-telling, as violations for Party members. Under those rules, people who organize such activities can face expulsion, and participants can be warned and then expelled.
A well-known case was Bai Xueshan, a Ningxia official expelled in 2016 for "organized superstitious activities" tied to city planning based on feng shui principles. Reports since then describe other officials disciplined for similar reasons.
Public life versus official life
- Ordinary people: consulting a feng shui master, arranging furniture or choosing a burial site is not prohibited.
- Officials and Party members: the practice is treated as a discipline problem.
- The state itself: scholars have pointed out that planners and officials sometimes describe major projects in feng shui-like terms while still condemning it as superstition.
Feng shui and the Forbidden City
The Forbidden City in Beijing was laid out with traditional Chinese geomancy in mind, which is one reason travel guides mention feng shui when describing its design. See our page on whether the Forbidden City is worth visiting.
Where Forbidden China Wealth fits
Forbidden China Wealth is not a feng shui product. It is an audio program marketed around a "wealth frequency." The fact that feng shui and other traditional practices survived official campaigns says nothing about whether the sales page's claims are true. To judge the product on its facts, read Is Forbidden China Wealth Legit?
Sources: AsiaNews on the 2016 Party rules; Sixth Tone on feng shui practice.
See the official Forbidden China Wealth offer
Forbidden China Wealth is a $39 digital audio program with three bonus guides and a 365-day refund promise. Read our full overview first if you haven't yet.
Last updated: September 20, 2026. Facts on this page are compiled from the sources named above and can change over time.