From selecting a location to comparing historical results, the update makes the data, calculations and reasoning behind traditional feng shui research easier to examine.

September 27, 2026 — Fengshui.Global has completed a new round of upgrades to its Xuan Kong Map Workbench, bringing together location search, building and road data, Xuan Kong Pai Long and Flying Star calculations, manual review, and research record management. The update focuses on data completeness, traceable results and the public user experience. Researchers can begin with a specific location, examine the basis of a calculation, identify conditions that still require verification, and retain different versions of their analysis.

The Global Feng Shui Association continues to follow digital approaches to the study of traditional knowledge. Following the earlier publication of a research paper on the Xuan Kong Map Workbench, this update puts more of its approach to integrating multiple data sources and human verification into everyday use.

Connecting locations, buildings and their surroundings

The workbench now incorporates a global place-name dataset covering more than 170,000 cities and settlements, with over 930,000 name index entries. It supports searches by city name and alternative names, and provides administrative area, time zone and reference elevation information to help users locate their study areas.

For building data, the system combines OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps to compare footprints within the same area, supplement missing buildings and remove duplicates, while retaining source and retrieval records. Users can view buildings, roads, candidate shui kou points and analysis boundaries on the map, then switch to imagery or terrain views for additional visual context.

New elevation references at the centre and eight surrounding directions also help users examine local differences in terrain. These data provide research context; they do not automatically establish verified landform, water-flow or on-site survey conclusions.

Making the basis of each result available for review

The workbench analyses relationships between buildings and shui kou points, comparing orientation evidence, building-period scenarios, Pai Long arrangements and Flying Star charts. Results for different shui kou points or period scenarios associated with the same building can be stored separately for comparison.

The update makes a clearer distinction between a completed calculation and complete map coverage. Even where the available data are sufficient to run a calculation, the system continues to flag missing source information and conditions awaiting verification, helping users avoid interpreting successful execution as proof that the site data are complete.

Orientation evidence is now described in words, using levels equivalent to “insufficient”, “moderate” and “more substantial”. Result details first show what needs to be checked next, followed by the rules, uncertainties and sources for closer examination. Cases involving multiple entrances, complex building footprints or directions close to sector boundaries retain review flags to help users identify the factors that affect interpretation.

Strengthening checks on reference points, directions and timing

To support field research, the workbench now records the analysis reference point (li ji), confirmation of the building footprint, verification date, method and supporting evidence. It also provides clearer input and conversion guidance for true north and magnetic north. Researchers can incorporate additional field information into a new review version while preserving the original results.

The accompanying charting tools now include a solar-term calendar that processes timestamps with time-zone information. The year changes at Li Chun, the Beginning of Spring, and months change at the twelve jie boundaries, improving the handling of times around these transitions.

Users with the appropriate permissions can choose to recalculate from the original data snapshot or retrieve fresh map data before calculating again. This makes it easier to distinguish changes caused by revised inputs, updated source data or differences between calculation versions.

Expanding public access and improving continuity

The update also expands the guest experience. The current public trial provides a small-area analysis around one centre point. Guests can browse the results and details across pages within their current task and compare building–shui kou relationships. Daily allowances, analysis limits and resource restrictions are described on the workbench.

Other improvements cover access to recent tasks, resuming paused or failed tasks, and identifying sign-in status. Desktop and tablet layouts have also been refined: location, area and start controls take priority, while advanced parameters can be expanded when needed, making the first-use workflow easier to follow.

Supporting continued research with reviewable tools

The upgrade has completed release acceptance checks, with tests covering reference charts, angular boundaries, solar-term handling, task recovery and browser interactions. These checks establish consistency between program behaviour and the adopted rules; they do not independently validate traditional theory or real-world outcomes.

The Xuan Kong Map Workbench now provides a research workflow spanning location selection, data preparation, rule-based calculation, manual review and version retention. Its purpose is to help organise evidence, compare conditions and document interpretation. Actual building entrances, building periods, sitting and facing directions, and surrounding site conditions still require reliable supporting information and on-site verification.

The Global Feng Shui Association welcomes researchers, practitioners and interested members of the public to explore the workbench and contribute concrete cases and evidence-based feedback to the documentation, exchange and methodological study of traditional feng shui knowledge.

Explore the workbench: Xuan Kong Map Workbench
Research and association information: Global Feng Shui Association