Kua Number and House Facing: A Beginner's Guide

Anyone reading beyond the basics of feng shui and house facing will run into the term Kua number fairly quickly. This guide explains what it is used for in plain terms, why we are not going to calculate one for you, and what you can check for yourself once you have a direction in mind, whatever the reason for choosing it.

What is a Kua number?

In the Eight Mansions school of feng shui, sometimes called Ba Zhai and mentioned in our guide to house facing and feng shui in Singapore, practitioners use a personal number, generally called a Kua number, worked out from a person's birth year and gender. It is used to place a person into one of two broad groups of directions, which a practitioner then weighs alongside the facing of the home as part of an Eight Mansions reading.

What is it actually used for?

The Kua number itself is only a starting point. A practitioner combines it with the facing of the home, and sometimes other details, to form a reading under the Eight Mansions method. Exactly how that reading is applied, and how much weight it carries alongside other feng shui considerations, varies between practitioners.

Why we do not calculate it here

Working out a Kua number involves a specific formula applied to a birth year, and details such as the calendar year cutoff used and how gender is factored in can differ between sources and practitioners. Getting any part of that wrong changes the result, and a wrong number defeats the purpose of asking in the first place. Rather than risk giving an incorrect number dressed up as a confident answer, this guide leaves the calculation, and the reading that follows from it, to a feng shui practitioner who can also apply it correctly to your specific situation.

What stays true regardless of Kua group

Whatever direction a Kua number and an Eight Mansions reading eventually point to, the physical sun exposure on that facing does not change. A direction described as favourable in a reading can still be the one that catches the strongest afternoon heat in Singapore, if that direction happens to be west, or the gentler, more evenly spread exposure typical of north or south facing. Our guides to west sun in Singapore and north south facing cover what each direction actually means physically.

Once you have a direction in mind

Whether a direction comes from a feng shui reading, a practical preference such as wanting more natural light, or simply curiosity, the next useful step is the same: check what that facing direction actually means for a specific address. The Sun Facing Checker does not know or use any Kua number, and does not need to, since it works entirely from the physical bearing of a wall or window and the position of the sun for that date and time.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Kua number used for?

In Eight Mansions feng shui, a Kua number is a personal number worked out from birth year and gender, used to place a person into one of two broad groups of directions, which a practitioner then weighs alongside a home's facing as part of a reading.

Can I calculate my own Kua number from this guide?

This guide does not calculate one, since the exact formula and birth year cutoffs vary between sources, and an incorrect number would defeat the purpose. A feng shui practitioner can work this out correctly for your specific birth details.

Does a Kua number change the physical sun exposure of a home?

No. A Kua number and the Eight Mansions reading built on it are part of a feng shui practice. The physical sun exposure on a given facing direction is a separate, measurable fact that does not depend on any Kua number.

How do I check the sun exposure for a direction my reading points to?

Enter the address into the Sun Facing Checker and set the facing you want to check. It will show exactly when and how strongly the sun hits that wall or window for any month and time, regardless of the reason you are checking that direction.