You may have noticed the bottle gourd or calabash in Chinese medicine shops throughout Hong Kong. Known in Cantonese as the wu lou and in Mandarin as the hu lu, it is shaped like a figure of eight with a protrusion at the top. This gourd is believed to embody heaven and Earth, and contain energy that wards off evil spirits. It is used in traditional fung shui to absorb negative energy associated with illness and can be worn or placed within the home. It does not need to be prominently displayed and can be unobtrusively put adjacent to or under the bed, or in a cabinet in a hallway; its positioning depends on the location of the sickness energy.
The connection between the gourd and good health probably derived from its shape, which made it ideal as a receptacle for medicine. In Chinese art, calabashes are often seen on the backs of elderly men, further cementing their status as symbols of longevity.
For practical fung shui purposes, you can use a natural, dried calabash or ones made of metal such as silver or copper. Alternatively, the gourd design can be incorporated into a living space through soft-furnishing designs or prints. Some fung shui masters recommend hanging jade calabashes around wrists or in vehicles for protection.