A woman in Shanghai, China, caught the attention of police after repeatedly moving a traffic mirror to protect her home's 'positive energy' according to feng shui principles, causing several car accidents.
Feng shui, which translates literally to 'wind and water' in Chinese, is a cultural practice concerned with the arrangement of furniture and other objects to protect the flow of energy, or 'chi', and create balance in a space. One woman in Shanghai became particularly concerned about this practice after a string of bad luck, which a feng shui expert attributed to a traffic mirror 'revealing evil spirits' that was facing their home.
Mirrors hold special importance in feng shui. It is believed they should not be placed opposite a bed or the front door, fearing it will reflect negative energy, leading to nightmares, sleep disturbances, and pathological paranoia. However, this mirror was necessary for drivers to see if anyone was coming around a sharp bend on the road.
Determined to change her luck, the woman adjusted the mirror so it was no longer facing her house... but this brought bad luck to drivers in the area, who relied on it to see traffic and make informed decisions on the road.
However, it is also claimed that this caused another bout of bad luck for her family, so the woman moved the other mirror as well. When residents of the neighborhood grew weary of the constant mirror movement, they gathered and called the local police to speak with the woman and her husband about the situation.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, authorities warned the couple that their actions could be considered a crime punishable by imprisonment, noting that they could be held responsible for any accidents resulting from the mirrors being moved. The property management company later wrapped both mirrors in cement to prevent them from being moved again.
In an interview with Shanghai TV, her husband, known as 'Lu', strongly endorsed the feng shui expert's conclusions and defended his wife's actions. 'We are not happy about having a mirror that reveals devils pointed at us,' he said.
