Hulu (葫芦) also known as wu lou or wu lu is the Chinese pronunciation for the bottle gourd or calabash. In Feng Shui, natural dried gourd has been used as a symbol of good health, longevity, prosperity and abundance.
The natural dried gourd is also a potent symbol of protection. It has become an important feng shui tool in the enhancement and remedy of feng shui practice.
Many feng shui masters or practitioners used the natural dried gourd in dealing with feng shui sha qi while the metal gourd (e.g. brass and copper) is for health problems. Displaying a natural dried gourd or brass/copper gourd near the main entrance can bring peace, safety and protection to the household.
Usage of Wu Lou or gourd in feng shui:
• To dissolve illness energies
Display a natural dried gourd in the sector corresponding to your health direction if you are suffering from ill health. This natural dried gourd will also bring blessings to the family and long life to the Patriarch of the family. It will also help to alleviate the bad energy caused by the inauspicious illness-bringing annual black flying star #2. Also, place/hang the natural dried gourd at the each side of your bed to protect you from any illness.
Furthermore, the gourds themselves have the potency to absorb and confine the negative energies in their endless bottom, thus shielding you from the sickness qi.
• To attract wealth and blessings
The gourd can be displayed on the table or hang on the wall.
Recommended that five natural dried gourds fastened together with a red string is known as “wu fu ling men” (五福臨門), meaning “five blessings arriving at your door”. The “Five Blessings” or known as (wu fu 五福) are the blessings for longevity, riches and honor, good health and peace, kindness and virtue, and a natural peaceful death. The “Five Blessings” is also called the “Five Happiness” or “Five Good Fortunes”.
• To negate overhead beam’s harmful effects
Apart from feeling oppressed, you will be affected by the downwards cutting inauspicious qi from the overhead beam if you are sitting, sleeping or studying underneath such beam(s) for an extended period of time. Illnesses or relationship problems may arise.
In Feng Shui, the bed or chair should be repositioned to avoid the overhead beam completely. However, this might not be possible in some cases due to space constraints. Then hanging a natural dried gourd or wood gourd at the overhead beam would help to neutralize the harmful effects.
• To disperse sha qi
Your house is said to suffer from certain sha qi (malevolent energies) if the door or window is facing:
- Hospital, funeral parlor, cemetery or butchery (“yin qie sha” 阴邪煞)
- Police station or prison (“guan men sha” 官门煞)
- Garbage dump or public toilet (“du yin sha 独阴煞)
Such afflictions mentioned above can affect wealth, career, health, interpersonal relationship and emotion.
Display or hanging a natural dried gourd or wood gourd at the above affected door or window will be the one of the best feng shui cures for such afflictions.
• To serve as a gift
As the gourd symbolizes good health and longevity, it makes an excellent birthday present for the elderly people, or a gift for someone who is in constant poor health.
Things to note
- Many gourds sold in feng shui stores have a red ribbon or red thread tied around them, said to be for enhancement or activation purposes. However, if the gourds are to be displayed in the locations of the No. 5 Yellow Star and No. 2 Black Star, then the red thread or red ribbon should best be avoided because the red colour (Fire Element) will enhance the sickness-related stars (Earth Element).
- As with all feng shui items, once the gourd is damaged or tarnished, it has to be replaced.

Feng Shui Gold Foil Crystal Gourd Five Emperors Money Decoration - Feng Shui