I Ching (易经) — The Book of Changes
The I Ching is China's oldest text — older than the Tao Te Ching, older than Confucius, older than written Chinese history itself. It's a divination system, a philosophical treatise, and a guide to living with change that has shaped Chinese architecture, city planning, and everyday decision-making for over 3,000 years.
What is the I Ching?
The I Ching is built around 64 hexagrams (六十四卦) — six-line symbols made of broken (yin) and unbroken (yang) lines. Each hexagram represents a life situation, and the "moving lines" between them show how situations evolve. It was originally used for royal divination during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC), but Confucius, Lao Tzu, and generations of Chinese scholars wrote extensive commentaries that transformed it into a philosophical masterpiece.
The simplest way to understand it: the I Ching teaches that the only constant in life is change. Every situation contains the seed of its opposite — joy hides within difficulty, and difficulty within joy. For travellers, this is the single most useful mindset you can bring to China.
I carry a small copy of the I Ching everywhere I guide. When a plan falls through — and plans will fall through in China — I flip to a random hexagram and read. It's amazing how often it speaks directly to the situation.
The 8 Trigrams (八卦) — The Building Blocks
Before the 64 hexagrams come the 8 trigrams — three-line symbols that represent fundamental forces of the universe. You'll see these everywhere in China: on temple walls, embroidered on robes, carved into furniture. They're the DNA of Chinese cosmology.
☰
Heaven (天)
Creativity, strength
☷
Earth (地)
Receptivity, devotion
☵
Water (水)
Danger, flowing
☲
Fire (火)
Clarity, dependence
☶
Mountain (山)
Stillness, meditation
☱
Lake (泽)
Joy, connection
☴
Wind (风)
Gentle penetration
☳
Thunder (雷)
Arousal, shock
Every Chinese city is laid out with these forces in mind. The Forbidden City faces south (Fire) because the emperor needs clarity. Chongqing is defined by Water (Yangtze) and Mountain — ☵ and ☶ in constant dialogue.
I Ching in Chinese Destinations
Forbidden City, Beijing
The Forbidden City is I Ching numerology made physical. Its 9,999 rooms represent the Emperor's position just below Heaven's 10,000. The number nine — the ultimate yang number — appears everywhere: nine gates, nine dragon screens, nine rows of door nails. The entire complex faces south (the yang direction), and the balance of yin (rear palace, gardens) and yang (throne halls, courtyards) follows the hexagram patterns precisely.
Temple of Heaven, Beijing
The Temple of Heaven is a physical manifestation of I Ching cosmology. The round altar represents Heaven (yang — ☰), the square base represents Earth (yin — ☷). The marble stones on the upper terrace are arranged in multiples of nine — 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81 — all of which correspond to hexagram numbers. Bring a compass and count the stones yourself.
Classical Gardens, Suzhou
Suzhou's gardens are filled with I Ching symbolism. The zigzag bridges represent Hexagram 39 — Obstruction (jian) — reminding visitors that the path to beauty is never straight. The "borrowed scenery" technique — framing distant pagodas through windows — reflects the I Ching principle that what is absent is as important as what is present.
Pingyao (Shanxi) — A Feng Shui City
Pingyao is China's best-preserved Ming/Qing walled city, and every street, gate, and building follows I Ching feng shui. The city wall has 72 watchtowers (72 disciples of Confucius) and 3,000 crenellations (3,000 students). The south gate (Fire) faces the sun; the north gate (Water) represents the cold. Walking through Pingyao is like walking inside an I Ching diagram.
Mount Hua, Shaanxi
One of Taoism's five sacred mountains, Mount Hua's five peaks correspond to the five elements derived from I Ching cosmology. The west peak (Metal), east peak (Wood), south peak (Fire), north peak (Water), and central peak (Earth) form a perfect elemental mandala. Taoist temples perch on impossible cliffs — the physical embodiment of Hexagram 46 — Pushing Upward.
Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang
Luoyang was China's capital for over 1,500 years, and the Longmen Grottoes — 100,000+ Buddhist statues carved into cliffs — are arranged according to I Ching principles. The Yi River (Water — ☵) flows before the cliffs (Mountain — ☶), creating the trigram combination that represents 启蒙 — enlightenment through overcoming obstacles.
Key Hexagrams for Travellers
I've been consulting the I Ching for years, and these are the hexagrams that come up most often during my trips — and the ones I recommend travellers keep in mind:
䷀ Hexagram 1 — The Creative (乾)
New beginnings, pure yang energy. The hexagram for the first morning of your China trip — everything is possible, the world is open. Don't waste this energy; use it to go somewhere that scares you a little.
䷁ Hexagram 2 — The Receptive (坤)
The ideal travel mindset. Being open to whatever comes — the missed train, the unexpected invitation, the street food that turns out to be the best meal of your life. Pure yin. Surrender to the journey.
䷂ Hexagram 3 — Difficulty at the Start (屯)
The first day in a new Chinese city. Everything feels hard — the language, the signs, the traffic. Don't panic. This hexagram promises that the sprout will break through the ground. Give it three days.
䷆ Hexagram 7 — The Army (师)
Dealing with crowds — the Great Wall at 10am, Shanghai Metro at rush hour, a Chinese national holiday. The hexagram teaches: organisation over force. Plan your timing, pick your battles, and move with strategy, not frustration.
䷵ Hexagram 54 — The Marrying Maiden (归妹)
Things are not as they seem. The restaurant with the amazing reviews is empty. The hole-in-the-wall with no sign is incredible. This hexagram warns against judging by appearances — a crucial lesson for China travel.
䷺ Hexagram 59 — Dispersion (涣)
Dispersing fear of the unfamiliar. This hexagram is about breaking through what holds you back — trying street food that looks strange, taking a local bus instead of a taxi, saying "hello" to someone in Chinese. The fear dissolves the moment you act.
䷿ Hexagram 64 — Before Completion (未济)
"Not yet across the river." The final hexagram — the I Ching deliberately ends with incompletion. Your China trip will feel unfinished. There will always be one more city, one more dish, one more temple. That's the point. Come back.
䷜ Hexagram 29 — The Abyss (坎)
Danger — but also learning. Your flight is cancelled. You lost your passport. You ate something that didn't agree with you. This hexagram says: the abyss is real, but the way through is to stay present, stay calm, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
I Ching Wisdom for Your China Trip
Lost in a city? Hexagram 2 (The Receptive) — stop checking maps and walk. The best discoveries come when you don't know where you're going. I've found hidden temples, incredible noodle shops, and quiet gardens this way.
Frustrated with a language barrier? Hexagram 8 (Holding Together) — find common ground through gestures, smiles, and a translation app. Human connection transcends words. Some of my most memorable guiding moments happened without a single word exchanged.
Overwhelmed by choice? Hexagram 60 (Limitation) — you can't see all of China in one trip. Accepting limits creates freedom. Pick three things and do them well. Leave the rest for next time.
Disappointed by a famous site? Hexagram 54 (The Marrying Maiden) — the touristy version of a place is never the real version. Find the alley behind the attraction, the side entrance, the rooftop café. The real China is always one layer deeper.
How to Consult the I Ching in China
You don't need to be a Taoist master to use the I Ching on your trip. Here's how travellers can experience it:
- ☰Download an app. There are excellent I Ching apps with English translations. When faced with a travel decision — "should I go to Xi'an or Chengdu?" — consult the I Ching for a different perspective.
- ☷Visit a fortune-teller. In Beijing's hutongs, Chengdu's Jinli Street, or Xi'an's Muslim Quarter, you'll find I Ching fortune-tellers who use yarrow stalks or coins. It costs ¥20–50 and is a fascinating cultural experience, even if you don't believe in divination.
- ☲Read the temple inscriptions. Many Taoist temples have I Ching hexagrams carved into walls or displayed as talismans. The Mount Qingcheng temples have some of the best-preserved examples.
- ☵Try coin divination yourself. All you need is three coins and a copy of the I Ching. Toss them six times, record the results (heads = yang, tails = yin), and look up your hexagram. It's meditative, insightful, and takes 10 minutes.
From my experience
I've been studying the I Ching for over a decade, and I use its principles every single day when guiding. A few years ago, a client's flight from Shanghai to Guilin was cancelled due to weather. She was furious — she had non-refundable hotel deposits, a carefully planned Yangshuo itinerary, and only five days in China. I told her about Hexagram 29 (The Abyss): "Danger, but through it, learning." We rerouted to Hangzhou instead, spent two days at West Lake in the misty rain (which turned out to be stunning), and she later told me it was the best part of her trip.
China has a way of teaching you to go with the flow. The I Ching is just the manual. I keep a worn-out copy in my daypack, and before every guiding day, I toss the coins. Not because I believe the hexagram predicts what will happen — but because it changes how I see what happens. That shift in perspective is the real magic.