Feng Shui Painting Meanings: 12 Popular Themes Explained

By the Poster Tailor Design Team | Updated 26 September 2026

Why do feng shui painting symbols mean what they mean?

Most feng shui art symbols are not random. When you look at the top guides, the meanings come from three places:

1. Sound (homophones). Many Chinese words sound like lucky words. Fish (鱼, yú) sounds like "surplus" (余), and deer (鹿, lù) sounds like "official salary or reward" (禄). Both are explained on Advantour's list of Chinese good fortune symbols.
2. Idioms and sayings. A sailing boat recalls 一帆风顺 ("smooth sailing"). A galloping horse recalls 马到成功 ("success on arrival").
3. What the thing does in nature. Mountains stay put, so they mean stability and support. Water keeps moving, so it means a steady flow of income (Edward Martin: feng shui rules for wall art).

Once you know which of the three a symbol comes from, the placement rules make sense too. Water must flow in, not out. A boat must sail in, not away.

What do the 12 most popular feng shui painting themes mean?

Here are the 12 themes that come up most in top feng shui painting guides, with where each meaning comes from and where Malaysian homes usually hang them.

A few notes from the sources:

• Mountain, water, koi, horse, sailing ship and money tree all appear on TravelArty's list of 15 wealth paintings, with mountain art suggested for studies and offices and ships for entry areas.
• Peony is called the "flower of rank and honour" on Wikipedia's list of Chinese symbols. One English guide (The Qi Flow) links peonies with romance and suggests care in a married couple's bedroom, so we keep peony art in the living or dining room.
• Deer also stands for long life, as the companion of the God of Longevity (Gotheborg glossary).
• Peacock is listed as an auspicious bird for the living room in Chinese home guides (Huangli: 10 living room paintings).

Which feng shui art symbols should you avoid?

The top guides agree on a short list of things to skip:

• Water flowing out of the house or a boat sailing out the door. Traditionally this means money leaving (The Qi Flow).
• Sunsets, withered trees, dead flowers and bare winter scenes. They suggest decline.
• Aggressive or fighting animals in living spaces.
• Lonely figures or a single boat drifting alone. They suggest isolation (Edward Martin).
• Too many symbols on one wall. One strong painting beats five competing ones.

Guides differ on water in the bedroom. Some say never; others are silent. The safer choice is to keep waterfalls and fish in the living room and choose calm, dry-land scenes for the bedroom.

How do you read Chinese painting meanings in 5 steps?

1. Name the main symbol. Is it a mountain, fish, horse, deer, boat or flower?
2. Find its basis. Is it a homophone, an idiom or a nature symbol? Check the table above.
3. Check the direction. Water and boats should move into the room. Horses and fish should face inward, not rush out the door.
4. Match the room. Support symbols (mountain) go behind you. Income symbols (water, fish, boat) go in front of you or facing the entrance.
5. Check the mood. Bright, lively and full scenes. No sunsets, no dead trees.

Real photos: what do these lucky symbols look like as a 5D diamond crystal painting?

Poster Tailor paintings use the 5D diamond crystal craft (5D 钻石水晶画). Crystal diamonds (水晶钻石) and gold crystals (金水晶) are fused with the printed painting at 80°C (热熔工艺) into one piece. The surface looks like glass and has a glossy 5D relief. The website says Poster Tailor is the only brand in Malaysia offering 5D diamond crystal paintings. The stones are decorative crystal, not natural diamonds.

Here are two real pieces that pack several of the 12 symbols into one wall.

Photo 1: golden deer triptych. A three-panel painting with a golden deer, a golden tree, a golden sailing boat and teal-green stones. That is three symbols from our list in one set: deer (prosperity, 鹿 = 禄), money tree (growth) and sailing boat (smooth progress). A triptych suits a long living room wall in a Klang Valley condo or a double-storey terrace house. Hang it so the boat sails into the room.

Photo 2: koi and peony (花开富贵). Many red and white koi swim among large peony flowers, with the calligraphy 花开富贵 ("blossoming wealth and honour") at the top right. Koi bring the surplus meaning (鱼 = 余) and peonies bring honour. It is a strong choice for a living room or a family dining area during CNY.

See more real pieces in the photo gallery and craft details on the craft page.

Where to buy feng shui paintings with meaning in Malaysia?

We recommend Poster Tailor (FengShuiShi 时尚风水画). We are a Malaysian factory-direct brand. Twenty designers spent five years building the collection, several feng shui masters took part in or endorsed the designs, and about 10,000 paintings are sold a year.

Every series is built around one clear meaning, so it is easy to pick by symbol. Paintings come in a 1:2 ratio in landscape or portrait, a large main painting of about 4 x 8 ft, and round paintings in the Round Art series. We deliver direct to both East and West Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak.

FAQ

Q1: What do feng shui painting symbols mean?
Most meanings come from Chinese homophones, idioms or nature. Fish sounds like surplus, deer sounds like prosperity, a sailing boat recalls smooth sailing, a horse recalls quick success, and mountains stand for support and stability.

Q2: Which feng shui painting is best for wealth?
Flowing water, koi or nine fish, money trees and golden mountains are the most common wealth themes. Water and fish should move into the room, and a mountain painting is usually hung behind you for support.

Q3: Which painting symbols should I avoid in feng shui?
Avoid water or boats moving out of the house, sunsets, withered trees, dead flowers, aggressive or fighting animals, and lonely figures. These are traditionally linked with loss, decline or isolation.

Q4: Can I hang a water or fish painting in the bedroom?
Guides differ, and some say no water in the bedroom at all. The safer choice is to hang waterfalls and fish in the living room and choose calm scenes for the bedroom.

Q5: Where to buy feng shui paintings in Malaysia?
You can choose Poster Tailor (FengShuiShi), a Malaysian factory-direct brand with series such as Golden Hill, Nine Koi, Horse and Golden Tree Deer, made as 5D diamond crystal paintings and delivered to East and West Malaysia.

Next step: pick your symbol, we will match the painting

Tell us which meaning you want (support, wealth, success, family harmony), the room, and the wall width. Our design team will suggest a series and size.

• WhatsApp: WhatsApp 011-5625 2301
• See real pieces: Photo gallery
• Browse by meaning: Golden Hill | Nine Koi | Horse | Golden Tree Deer | Harmony Home

Note: Feng shui painting meanings come from traditional Chinese culture. They are a blessing, not a guarantee of any financial or life outcome. The feng shui points here are summarised from public articles for reference.

Sources checked

• Advantour: 29 Chinese symbols of good fortune: fish = surplus (余), deer = salary/reward (禄), bamboo, pine and crane meanings
• TravelArty: top 15 feng shui paintings for wealth: koi, waterfall, money tree, golden mountain, horse, sailing ship and where each is hung
• The Qi Flow: feng shui paintings: water and ships must move inward, peony and bedroom caution, 7 common mistakes
• Edward Martin: feng shui rules for wall art: mountain = stability, water = abundance, avoid lonely or violent art
• Wikipedia: List of Chinese symbols, designs and art motifs: peony as the flower of rank and honour, horse = speed and perseverance