Discourse Shifts Surrounding Fengshui: An Ethnographic Study of Disputes Over a Heritage Building in Southern Fujian

ABSTRACT In contemporary China, despite a widespread belief in Fengshui, its ambiguous legal nature has led to an increasing number of Fengshui disputes with limited resolution. Previous studies have overlooked disputes where parties are of an unequal status as well as the logic of discourse during the dispute resolution process. In this article, the “triple‐market” concept was used to define the gray legal nature of Fengshui in China, and the extended‐case method was used in an ethnographic study of a dispute over a heritage building in Southern Fujian. Our research indicates that shifts in discourse, a key characteristic of Fengshui claims, reflect attempts by victims to find solutions that align with their sense of justice. This process requires specific techniques and tactics, which refine Sally Engle Merry's theory on the application of “discourse shifts” in Fengshui disputes. Additionally, we describe in detail Fengshui disputes on the southeast coast of China that portray a complex regional landscape.