All three iconic cities are built on famous rivers - London on the River Thames, Paris on the River Seine and New York on the Hudson River, all tapping into the energy of the "water dragon', the Feng Shui speak for the life force of water, the symbol of prosperity.
Dr Samuel Johnson, the 18th century lexicographer, was spot on when he was discussing London with his biographer James Boswell in September 1777 with his now famous sound bite, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford." Paris may be sophisticated and stylish but snobbish, and has gone down in history as wiping out their monarchy, while New York is a hip and cool city but is a bit in-your-face kind of place.
London, on the other hand, is the grand Duchess who is elegant, regal, steeped in history and has a deep sense of tradition excelling in pomp and pageantry yet thoroughly modern. And it has a secret weapon - the monarchy.
The British celebrates their tradition with reverence and in many ways is defined by its monarchy. It respects the monarchy by acknowledging that they are the most valuable asset of the country in terms of tourism and prestige. The British royal family is the most famous family on the planet and their dramas, comedy and tragedy captivate the world. When the nation celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, a magnificent river pageant with 1000 boats sailing on the Thames was held in her honor in June 2012.
It was televised and watched by millions across the world and will be firmly etched in the history of Britain like the Diamond Jubilee celebration of Queen Victoria. What's the success behind London?
The Birth of London - A Liquid History
When Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC and was reconnoitering the land and exact tributes from the native Celts, the future of London was set. The site where London is today was nothing more than an unhealthy mosquito-infested marshland, and the only inhabitants were few tribesmen and wetland birds, centred around the Thames. which were much wider in those days.
It was not until 100 years later when one of Caesar's successors. Emperor Claudius, landed on the eastern coast in Kent that a full-scale conquest of south-eastern England began. The Romans understood the science of geomancy, which the Chinese labelled as Feng Shui, and recognized this region as a potential trading and defense post capitalizing on the River Thames's geographical position and accessibility to the sea.
They chose the Thames Estuary as the site for Londinium, the Roman name for London. It soon became an important trading post, and over the next century, London became the administrative centre of Roman Britain.
After the fall of the Roman Empire. it fell into ruins until the 7th century, when London was re-born and began to prosper again. By the 9th century, London became a major trade link with the rest of Europe. Its wealth and prosperity began to attract a series of invaders with power struggles following, and control of London passing from the Vikings to the English and the Norman kings.
The chequered and savage past of London is what weaves the social and cultural tapestry of the city today, a cosmopolitan metropolis with a DNA hard-wired for heritage, history, architectural wonder, modernity and a universal centre for commerce, education, arts and entertainment. This ends Part 1 of London Feng Shui. To find out more, you can check out the next post.