What is Hoang Ốc? The third check for choosing a year to build

To choose a year to build, folk tradition weighs three factors: Kim Lâu, Tam Tai and Hoang Ốc. This article focuses on Hoang Ốc — the least understood of the three.

What is Hoang Ốc?

"Hoang Ốc" (the deserted house) checks whether a building age lands on a good or bad palace among six, counted by lunar age. Three palaces are good, three bad.

The six palaces

In order: Nhất Cát – Nhì Nghi – Tam Địa Sát – Tứ Tấn Tài – Ngũ Thọ Tử – Lục Hoang Ốc.

• Nhất Cát (good): all is well.
• Nhì Nghi (good): smooth building, added fortune.
• Tam Địa Sát (bad): illness and loss.
• Tứ Tấn Tài (good): wealth and prosperity.
• Ngũ Thọ Tử (bad): bad for health.
• Lục Hoang Ốc (bad): a declining, empty house.

How to calculate

Count by lunar age, repeating every six. Age 10 is Nhất Cát, 11 Nhì Nghi, 12 Tam Địa Sát, 13 Tứ Tấn Tài, 14 Ngũ Thọ Tử, 15 Lục Hoang Ốc, then 16 back to Nhất Cát… Ages on Nhất Cát, Nhì Nghi, Tứ Tấn Tài are favourable.

Weigh with Kim Lâu and Tam Tai

An ideal building year has no Kim Lâu, no Tam Tai, and a good Hoang Ốc palace. Check Kim Lâu and Tam Tai on Choosing a year to build, and Tam Tai separately.

If the year isn't right

People often borrow a compatible person's age to front the ground-breaking, or pick another year. See choosing a good day for the ground-breaking date.

Kim Lâu, Tam Tai and Hoang Ốc are folk beliefs, for reference.