Top 10 Feng Shui Items for Career Advancement

The Lion has long been a symbol of physical strength, wisdom, and intellect. It is a guardian figure for solemn and prestigious spaces, including places of worship. In Feng Shui, the lion holds significant power, offering protection from negative forces, malicious intentions, and dark energies that may affect people's lives or sacred places.

The brass lion embodies powerful energy, helping to dispel negative chi and attract prosperity to the area where it is placed. Additionally, the material of brass enhances the Feng Shui properties of the statue, purifying the space and removing bad omens. However, despite its strong Feng Shui energy, it is recommended not to place too many lion statues in a home. Ideally, one or two brass lions should be placed in spaces such as the living room or prayer room to enhance the room’s energy.

Typically, a pair of lions consists of a male – placed on the right, and a female – on the left. These two sacred guardians protect the space of your home or worship area. To achieve the desired effect, ensure the lions are correctly positioned. In an office setting, the brass lion is an effective wealth-attracting item, particularly for those with a Water element, as Metal supports Water according to the Five Elements. This is one of the most effective ways to boost your career, attracting energy for promotion and success.

The Qilin is a mythical beast in Chinese mythology, part of the Four Benevolent Animals (Dragon, Qilin, Turtle, and Phoenix). The female is known as Lân, and the male as Kỳ, together called the Qilin. It resembles a deer with its body marked like a zebra, a tail like a buffalo's, hooves resembling those of a horse, and a single horn on its head. Known for its peaceful nature, the Qilin does not eat meat but lives off grass, earning it the title of the 'benevolent beast.' When the Qilin appears, it signifies the birth of a wise person who will bring peace and prosperity.

Legend has it that when Lady Trưng was pregnant with Confucius, she dreamed of a Qilin appearing before her. It knelt and presented a jade tablet with an inscription that read: 'Descendant of the Water Emperor, destined to rule but without a throne.' The Qilin's jade symbolizes peace, harmony, intelligent and filial children, academic success, and prosperity. It is commonly placed on desks, in living rooms, offices, stores, altars, safes, and workspaces, particularly in areas influenced by auspicious stars such as Lục Bạch, Diên Niên, and Sinh khí, to attract wealth. Thus, the Qilin is a symbol of good fortune, prosperity, success, longevity, honor for descendants, and happiness. It is believed to bring luck to those seeking career advancement, especially in military roles. The Qilin is often embroidered on the robes of senior officers and lawyers as a symbol of their high rank.

In Feng Shui, the sailboat is regarded as a powerful symbol of success, victory in business, and prosperous transactions. The Chinese highly value the sailboat symbol for its association with 'smooth sailing,' which brings good fortune and profitable business dealings. So, why is the sailboat so effective in Feng Shui? It symbolizes wind—a positive breeze that facilitates smooth business transactions, bringing success and good fortune.

To enhance your luck in business, place a sailboat on your desk or near the entrance. Ensure that the boat faces inward, symbolizing the flow of wealth and success into your home, office, or business. Avoid placing it facing outward, as that could imply sending your wealth away. Alternatively, you can hang a picture of a sailboat with its sails full, heading toward you, to bring even more good fortune and wealth.

It's often said that a sailboat with full sails brings good omens, unlike models of sinking ships, like the Titanic, which represent misfortune. Therefore, avoid buying images or models of sinking boats as they signify failure and decline. To further enhance your wealth, you can fill the boat with gold bars, coins, or paper money, symbolizing the boat bringing prosperity into your life. Often, sailboats will feature inscriptions such as 'Nhất Phàm Phong Thuận' (a boat that sails smoothly) or 'Tiền Trình Dĩ Cẩm' (a bright future). You can choose a sailboat made of wood, brass, or stone for this purpose.

The Koi fish, when placed inside the home, brings luck and prosperity, while placing it on your desk brings career success, advancement, and promotion. In the world of official positions, the Koi is a symbol of progress and fame. Additionally, the image of the Koi fish crossing the Dragon Gate carries many positive meanings for your household.

When a Koi fish statue is placed on a study desk, it helps ensure excellent academic results and success in exams. If placed at the workplace, it brings fortune, strength to overcome challenges, promotions, and blessings to your marriage.

Moreover, placing the Koi fish crossing the Dragon Gate in the home serves as a reminder that to achieve success, one must strive, sacrifice, and push forward without giving up. The power to succeed lies not in external factors but within ourselves—through belief and continuous effort, success will surely follow.

The Golden Toad, also known as the three-legged toad, is considered a divine creature that attracts wealth and prosperity. This unique toad, with three legs, is believed to have the magical ability to spit out coins. According to legend, the three-legged toad was once a demon, but was tamed by the immortal Liu Hai, who transformed it into a force for good, traveling around and distributing money to help the poor. Over time, this toad became a revered symbol of financial success.

The Golden Toad (Money Frog) ranks second in feng shui importance, after the Pi Yao, and is thought to bring good fortune and wealth. The best place to position a three-legged toad is diagonally opposite the main door, facing inward as though it is leaping into the home. It can also be placed under a desk, inside a cabinet, or hidden beneath chairs and other furniture. This makes an excellent gift for family members or business partners, wishing them success and financial prosperity. It’s recommended to keep a three-legged toad in the home for its benefits.

The Pi Yao is not only a powerful symbol of wealth attraction, but it also provides health protection and brings good fortune to one’s career and reputation. Statues of the large Pi Yao are often created to ward off evil energy and negative influences.

When placed in an auspicious feng shui location, such as areas that enhance vitality, prosperity, longevity, or health, a Pi Yao statue can significantly transform the fate of the household, leading to positive changes. It helps improve fortune, banish negative energy, and serves as a protector of the home. Thus, the Pi Yao becomes a guardian spirit for the entire family, ensuring peace and security in the household.

The Pi Yao is also known for its ability to dispel the “Five Yellow Star,” a harmful energy in feng shui that brings bad health and financial losses. The protective energy of the Pi Yao is still potent in today’s world, bringing luck in health, wealth, and career success to those who place it in their home.

The Dragon (Róng) is a sacred symbol in Chinese culture and other East Asian countries. Wherever it is placed, it signifies auspiciousness, and it is considered one of the four auspicious mythical creatures in Chinese folklore. The large sacred turtles, known as Long Gui, are also revered for their divine protection.

According to ancient legends from Hong Kong, the goddess Nüwa used the four legs of a giant turtle to stabilize the four corners of the world when they were tilted by the god Gonggong. The Dragon Turtle is known for carrying heavy loads, symbolizing the ability to combat negative energy and mitigate disasters. It is commonly used to enhance the home's feng shui and promote family prosperity. In the workplace, it is best placed facing the door or a window, ideally on your desk. Behind the Dragon Turtle, a piece of Amethyst (Amethyst Geode) is often placed to attract positive energy, and in front of it, a clear crystal or white quartz ball is placed to improve the flow of water energy and enhance its power.

The Steed Rising to Prominence, also known as Mã Thượng Phong Hầu, is a feng shui symbol featuring a horse and a monkey, with the monkey often sitting atop or climbing the horse’s back. In Chinese, the word for monkey, ‘hầu,’ shares the same pronunciation as ‘hầu’ in ‘vương hầu,’ meaning noble or dignitary. This symbol is inspired by the legendary figure of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, who transformed from a stone and possessed extraordinary powers, including defeating evil spirits and causing chaos in heaven, earning the respect of the gods. As such, the monkey represents immense power.

The horse, or ‘Mã,’ represents the heavenly trigram in the I Ching and symbolizes strength, speed, and success. Throughout history, the horse has been a crucial companion in warfare and daily life, often linked to military generals and warriors. Mã Thượng Phong Hầu symbolizes rapid career advancement, reaching the pinnacle of glory and success, with respect and admiration from others. Placing this statue on your desk or wearing it as an amulet can be beneficial for those seeking fame, promotion, and success in their careers. The phrase ‘Phong Hầu’ signifies elevation to a higher rank and noble recognition.

In ancient times, officials carried a jade seal to represent their rank and status. The higher the position, the more exquisite the seal. The emperor's seal was known as the Imperial Seal. If you are a fan of Chinese period dramas, you’ll recognize these symbols of authority. Many people also enjoy carving their own seals as a form of personal expression, though they may not carry the official weight of a government seal, they still hold symbolic significance.

The Official Seal of Promotion is crafted from beautiful jade blocks, often in various forms such as the Heavenly Wealth Seal, Qilin Seal, Lion Seal, Dragon Seal, and Dragon Turtle Seal, among others. For employees and officials, displaying this seal in the home can accelerate career advancement and wealth. In larger corporations, senior staff should place it on their desk or bookshelf. For quicker results, it is essential to position the seal in the correct feng shui location based on the year’s energy cycle.

The rooster has a long-standing connection to human life and is a significant cultural symbol in Vietnamese folk traditions. The crowing rooster, heralding the sunrise, is a representation of brightness and clarity. The rooster’s crow is associated with the concept of ‘public recognition’ or fame, as ‘danh’ in Vietnamese sounds like ‘minh,’ which means light or brightness, linking the rooster’s crowing with the idea of rising to prominence.

In the ancient legend of Sơn Tinh and Thủy Tinh, the rooster was part of the royal dowry offered by King Hùng, along with other treasures like a nine-tusked elephant, a nine-tailed rooster, and a nine-maned horse. According to feng shui, the rooster belongs to the Metal element and is best placed in the western part of the house. Placing a wooden rooster sculpture in the south brings good fortune and enhances career success. The rooster symbolizes the realization of one’s ambitions and the achievement of fame and wealth. When placed alongside peonies, it further amplifies the meaning of ‘great prosperity.’ A rooster’s majestic stance makes it particularly beneficial for leaders, providing protection from slander and supporting personal reputation. For business owners, positioning a rooster statue facing the workspaces can help avoid conflicts and foster business growth.