그동안 사람의 장수와 관련된 요인으로 유전적 체질, 식생활, 생활습관 등 여러 요인이 제시되었다. 본 연구는 장수 마을들이 입지한지리적 환경, 즉 풍토(風土) 또한 주민의 건강과 장수에 영향을 미치는 요소로 보고 전통지리관의 관점에서 분석을 시도하였다. 이를 위해 건강장수마을로 지정된 마을 중 네 곳을 선정하여 마을의 지형적특성을 풍수지리 이론에 따라 분석하였고 특히, 건물들이 입지한 자연 지리적 상황을 풍수학적 관찰 요목(要目)인 용[龍, 지맥], 혈[穴, 마을 입지], 사[砂, 주변 산세], 수[水, 물줄기], 향[向, 방위]에 맞춰 조사하였다. 연구 결과 첫째, 대부분의 마을은 주산에서 마을로 입수한지맥의 지기가 고루 분포한 터에 자리 잡고 있었다. 둘째, 대부분 마을의 주산이 북쪽에 자리해 마을 지축을 북고남저의 지형으로 유도하며 겨울에는 찬바람을 막아주고 있었다. 또한 전저후고의 터에 자리를 잡아 일조량, 통풍, 배수가 좋고 마을의 삼면을 산으로 반월 꼴로 에워싼 장풍국(藏風局)의 형국이었던 만큼 생기가 보전되는 조건을 갖추고 있었다. 셋째, 가옥의 좌향(坐向)은 대체로 풍수적 길향(吉 向)인 오향[午向, 남향]을 갖추고 있었다. 이상의 입지형태는 풍수상의 해석 뿐 만 아니라 관습적 양택론으로 살펴보아도 심신의 편안함을 주는 터전에 마을들이 자리 잡고 있다고 풀이된다. 이러한 자연조건이 장수마을 성립에 있어 깊은 관련성이 있는 것으로 해석된다.
The geographical locations of villages that have been honored as the longevity villages by the Korean government in 2002 because the people living in the villages have longer life span than people living in any other location in Korea have been analyzed by using a Feng-Shui theory.
Factors that may give an influence on one’s life span have been often studied with regarding on one’s genetic, diet and habits. However, by using Korean traditional Feng-Shui that consists with five characteristics such as Dragon (龍, contiguous line of mountains), Sit (穴, village location), Landscape (砂, geographical features of surrounding mountains/ hills), Water (水), and Direction (向), studies focused on a relationship between a geographical location (natural climatical characteristics) and the people living on the land in terms of their health and life span have been seldom taken place. In this study, the village hall, a Manor and the house of the rich in the village were analyzed and interpreted in terms of the five characteristics. The interpretation showed that most of the cases the directions of Dragon entering into the village from the main mountain were clearly visible: the Qui from the earth could be evenly distributed through out the village, providing equal opportunity to the residents. The main buildings were located along the direction of the main mountains on the north (a protection from the cold winds during winter) of the villages and were built on the properties having higher back ground and lower front ground. Moreover, as the villages faced south, they received benefits from the abundant sunshine, good ventilation and improved drainage. The mountains on right and left sides of the villages that are lesser elevated than the main mountain on the back together form a crescent shape, they called Jangpungguk (藏風局, an embrancing form), preserving the vitality. The exposure (坐向) of the houses is a southern exposure (午向) that is considered as having a good Feng-Shui. The landscapes of the villages are not only having a good Feng Shui but also meeting with a traditional wisdom, on which the residents experience comfortness that is considered an important factor for a longevity. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the analysis of the longivity villages by using a traditional Korean Feng Shui. The newly found factors for a village to become a longivity village addressed that the landscape of the villages at least with a higher ground on the back and facing south is a minimum requirement. The new factor, i.e., surrounding landscape of a new town. must be also considered before the new village is going to be built, If a similar landscape were not naturally available, using civil engineering may be an alternative way to provide a similar landscape.