The Five Classic Elements in China are Tangible

Metal Wood Water Fire Earth in the Hands of the Chinese

Sep 30, 2009

The ancient Chinese theories of five elements sees the world, probably even the whole solar system, as made of metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

Just the same as the Greeks and the Hindus, the Chinese ancestors thought there are five elements constituting the Universe. However, precisely what are the five varied amongst the three cultural groups, although “water”, “fire”, and “earth” occur in common.

The Chinese Five Elements are Actually Five Forces

The Greek fifth element is a divine and consistent substance, ether. In Hinduism, other than the four material substances, there is one element that belongs in the non-material category, but rather suggesting sensory experiences. Interestingly, the Chinese considered all the five elements to be tangible which leads the Chinese to place emphasis on the function and interaction of the elements.

In the eyes of the ancient Chinese, metal, wood, water, fire and earth are the fundamental forms of energy, relentlessly mutating from one into another all over the natural world. In fact, these five substances are called “five functions” (wu xing) in Chinese rather than “five elements”. The character for “xing” shows a junction to suggest “the path for motion”. Hence, within the various English translations, “five forces”, “five phases” or “five steps” are more appropriate than “five elements”.

Please see the illustration for the Chinese characters “five elements” and other key Chinese words appearing in this article.

“Metal” is represented as a spear-head hence suggesting metal objects; however in the modern Chinese standing along the character refers specifically to gold. A tree stump with strong roots was used to include not only trees, but also shrubs, bushes and plants, together with their constituent material, “wood”. As to “water” and “fire”, the image of flowing water and flames rising from burning wood are the base of the character respectively. “Earth” is clearly a mound of soil.

From the Chinese point of view, it was commonly accepted that these five materials were generally interdependent having the tendency to mutually enhance and restrain. For example, wood generates fire, fire produces earth, earth yields metal, metal infiltrates water, and water nurtures wood; at the same time, wood exhausts earth, earth dams water, water extinguishes fire, fire melts metal, and metal damages wood.

Characteristics of the Five Elements

Similar to the common image of metal being workable and sharp, ancient Chinese thought that metals, in having flexibility to vary between hardness and softness, thus have the quality of extending and reforming. Wood, to the traditional Chinese mind, can be either straight or bent, therefore exhibits gentleness and compassion, also germinal and creative.

The conventional Chinese view point sees water and fire as separate, with the former as downwards, moisturizing and hiding whilst the latter is upwards and always with a fever of warmth. Finally the earth which contains and nurtures everything, supporting and embracing four directions, is the mother of all things.

The Five Elements and the Five Planets

Apart from the Sun and Moon, the other five planets, “visible” to naked eyes, in the solar system are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They are associated, by name, with the five elements in the Chinese language. Being the third brightest object, (after the Sun and the Moon), in the sky, Venus looks metallic and therefore is the “Metal Star”.

Jupiter and Saturn, being larger than the rest, give the image of tall trees and spacious earth and were named “Wood Star” and “Earth Star”. The substance “mercury” is “water silver” in the Chinese language and leads naturally to the planet “Mercury” being called “Water Star”. Similar to the variable nature of fire, Mars shines when it is in opposition to the earth, about every two years, and contracts the name “Fire Star”.

The scheme of “five forces” was developed to illustrate the interactions and relations among all the natural occurrences, to analyse and categorize all phenomena under these five heading. Every entity is thus characterized according to their specific natural qualities. Gradually, it became deeply rooted in most areas of ancient Chinese philosophy, such as astrology, medicine, nutritional studies, cooking, music, martial art, and, especially the Chinese geomancy, “Feng-shui”.

Further, even the writing of the number “five” was predetermined by the concept of five forces. The Chinese writing for “five” exactly depicts the interactions between the sky and earth, meaning everything in the world was the result of this equipollent occurrence.

The copyright of the article The Five Classic Elements in China are Tangible in Learning Chinese is owned by Hsiao Ying Chang. Permission to republish The Five Classic Elements in China are Tangible in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.