How the Kua number works
The Kua (or Gua) number comes from the Eight Mansions school of compass feng shui. It is worked out from your year of birth, using the Chinese solar year, which begins around 4 February (Li Chun). If you were born in January or the first days of February, the calculation uses the previous year.
The traditional formula has two versions, historically labelled male and female. The calculator lets you choose either one; many people try both and see which set of directions suits their home.
East group and West group
| Group | Kua numbers | Favourable directions (in general) |
|---|---|---|
| East group | 1, 3, 4, 9 | North, South, East, South-east |
| West group | 2, 6, 7, 8 | West, North-west, South-west, North-east |
There is no Kua number 5 in this system: it becomes 2 in version A and 8 in version B.
Using your directions
People usually apply the result in two places: the direction the top of the head points when sleeping, and the direction they face when sitting at a desk. If your room only allows one layout, that’s fine. Comfort, a solid wall behind the bed and a clear view of the door matter more in everyday practice than a perfect compass reading. For more on the bedroom side, see bedroom feng shui.
The Kua system is a traditional belief system, not a scientific one. Treat the results as an idea to try, not a rule.