Mountains and Hills Camp and Fortifications Chapter

山有岡巒，地有形勢。斷其形，則氣勢滅。故秦築長城，鑿其山岡之氣，而咸陽邱墟；隋䟽汴河，斷乎土地之脈，而江都荊棘。成周卜遷伊洛，得瀍澗之利，而王年八百；吳、晉奄宅建業，得江山之勢，而延期數葉。

Mountains have ridges and undulations, and the land has its shape and direction. Once the mountain shape is cut off, its momentum will also dissipate. Therefore, when the Qin dynasty built the Great Wall, it cut through the mountain ridges and disrupted the land's vital energy, resulting in the decline of Xianyang. Similarly, when the Sui dynasty opened the Bian River, it severed the land's network, leading to the overgrowth of thorns in Jiangdu. In contrast, when the Zhou dynasty chose to settle in the area around the Yi and Luo rivers, it took advantage of the favorable terrain of the Chanyu and Lian rivers, thus maintaining its rule for eight hundred years. The Eastern Wu and Eastern Jin dynasties established their capitals in Jianye, seizing the momentum of the land, and thus their dynasties lasted for several generations.

夫建都邑、築城壘，必擇形勢。雖成敗在人，不在於城地，然地形山勢，足以為人之助也。故曰：趙之地坦然平，吳楚之地東南傾，秦韓之地龍虎形，幽魏之地無邱陵。夫趙無陂險、山岡、溝澗，故曰坦然平。吳楚之有江海、波潮，故曰東南傾。秦韓被山帶河、岡巒重複，故曰龍虎形。秦得龍虎之形，而東吞趙魏，南併荊楚。

Whenever building a capital or constructing fortifications, one must choose a favorable terrain. Although success or failure depends on people rather than the land itself, the terrain and mountainous features can provide assistance. Therefore, there is such a saying: The terrain of Zhao is flat and open, that of Wu and Chu slopes toward the southeast, that of Qin and Han forms the shape of a dragon and a tiger, while the areas of Youzhou and Wei have no hills. Zhao has no undulating land, hills, or ravines, hence it is flat and open; Wu and Chu have rivers and seas with waves and tides, hence their terrain slopes toward the southeast; Qin and Han are backed by high mountains and surrounded by great rivers, with layered hills, hence their terrain forms the shape of a dragon and a tiger. Qin was able to conquer Zhao and Wei to the east and take over Jing and Chu to the south precisely because of this dragon and tiger terrain.

夫建都邑、列營壘，非地勢不王，非山岡不固。營壘之法：欲北據連山，南憑高岡，左右襟帶，地水東流，乾上伏下，過子艮、寅卯，重岡入巽。

Building a capital city or setting up camps requires a good terrain to achieve great success; without a hill to rely on, the defense will be insecure. The principle of establishing camps is: the back should be supported by continuous mountains, the front should be backed by high hills, and the left and right should be like the sleeves of a robe embracing and protecting, with water flowing eastward. The underground energy rises from the northwest direction of Qian, passes through the north direction of Zi, the northeast direction of Gen, and the Yin and Mao directions, then extends to the southeast direction of Xun, with successive hills leading the way.

又曰：戌連申酉，坤未高；前有迎山，抱且朝；或驚或躍，或蟠龍；藏車隱馬，若飛鴻；支條散脈，如蛇走；氣車森聳，似雞籠；四維皆起，四仲平；㢲水迤邐，出自庚；天門倚伏，歴壬癸；直出地戶，東南傾；南有汙池，為朱雀；北有堆阜，為元武；東有叢林，為青龍；西有大道，為白虎。

It is also said that the western-north position,戌, connects with the positions of 申 and 酉; the southern-west position,坤, and the position of 未 are elevated. In front there are mountains facing directly, surrounding and embracing, with mountain shapes either startled, leaping, or coiled like a dragon. These mountains can conceal a carriage and shelter a horse, and from afar they resemble flying geese. The branches spread out like a long snake moving. The energy lines stand tall and solemn, like layers of a chicken coop. The four corners are raised, while the four main directions are flat. The water in the southeast direction, 巽, winds and twists, flowing from the western position of 庚. The area around the heavenly gate in the northwest is undulating and hidden, passing through the positions of 壬 and 癸, and directly reaching the southern-eastern position of 地户, with the whole area sloping towards the southeast. To the south there is a low-lying pond, forming the Vermilion Bird; to the north there is a raised mound, forming the Black Tortoise; to the east there is dense forest, forming the Azure Dragon; and to the west there is a broad road, forming the White Tiger.

四獸旣具，八卦乃列，乃立表測影，以定子午之位。興土工，先本戊上；起版築，從中步至門。夫草木不生，不可居；鳥獸不集，不可居；燋石沙礫，不可居；河水逆流，不可居。朱雀無頭，元武折足，白虎銜尸，青龍悲哭，強居之者，兵敗將死。

The four animals are all complete, and only then can the eight trigrams be properly arranged. Therefore, they set up a measuring pole to observe the shadow of the sun, thus determining the directions of due south and due north. When breaking ground for construction, they should start from the position of Wu earth; when beginning to build walls, they should measure from the center to the gate. There are several places where one should not dwell: places where grass and trees do not grow, places where birds and beasts do not gather, places covered with dry stones and gravel, and places where the river flows backward. In addition, if there is no hill in the position of the Vermilion Bird to the south, if the hill at the position of the Black Tortoise to the north is broken, if the White Tiger's position to the west resembles it holding a corpse, and if the Azure Dragon's position to the east looks like it is weeping—those who insist on encamping in such places will surely suffer defeat and loss of soldiers and generals.

山若蟠龍，玉案數重，宛轉邪曲，首尾相從；山若鳳皇，翅翼開張，群隊千萬，帶隴扶岡，前有印綬，後有囘翔；山若飛龍，首尾遠同，或驚或躍，乍橫乍縱，臺傾池潤，舞鶴翔鴻；山若臥狗，頭拳尾就，腹內乳見，項連山首；山若麒麟，乍立乍蹲，群從千萬，朝者數人；山若長蛇，或曲或邪，後岡前谷，隱馬藏車：凡此，皆營壘之形勢也。

The mountain shape resembles a coiled dragon, with a platform-like terrace in front, layered and repeated, the mountain trend winding and curving, its head and tail following each other; the mountain shape resembles a phoenix, with wings spread wide, and thousands of small mountains accompanying it, proceeding along with ridges and supporting hills, with a square and upright small hill in front and a swirling and flying trend behind; the mountain shape resembles a flying dragon, with its head and tail far apart yet corresponding, suddenly rising up, then leaping, sometimes lying horizontally, sometimes stretching vertically, with sloping terraces and moist pools, like dancing cranes and swans; the mountain shape resembles a lying dog, with its head curled, tail gathered, a breast-like hill appearing on its abdomen, and the neck connected to the mountain peak; the mountain shape resembles a qilin, suddenly standing or crouching, with thousands of attendant mountains, but only a few hills facing forward to support it; the mountain shape resembles a long snake, either curved or slanting, with a hill behind and a valley in front, capable of hiding horses and sheltering carriages. All these are the forms to be identified when setting up camps and establishing fortifications.