Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

**《Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life》 (Continued 19)** After the renovation of the Siheyuan, it was like a new life, and every corner exuded a simple and tenacious atmosphere. He Luo and Lin Yue did not stop there. They looked to the longer-term future, thinking about how to make the Siheyuan continue to shine in the new era. That day, He Luo and Lin Yue met an old man who was basking in the sun in the yard. The old man smiled and said, "The house has been renovated really well this time. Our courtyard feels more solid. What new ideas do you two have next?" He Luo smiled and replied, "Uncle, we are thinking, isn't it the integration of popular culture and technology now? Can our courtyard also do something in this regard? For example, we can create a virtual reality (VR) experience project so that tourists can immerse themselves in the historical changes of the courtyard." The old man's eyes lit up: "This sounds fresh, but what is VR?" Lin Yue smiled and explained: "Uncle, VR can make people feel like they are in the scene. We can make the appearance of the courtyard in different periods into a virtual scene, and tourists can wear the equipment as if they have traveled through time." This idea has been supported by many residents, and everyone thinks it is a good and innovative idea. So He Luo and Lin Yue began to prepare for the VR experience project. They contacted professional technology companies to discuss how to create the best experience content. When the staff of the technology company came to the Siheyuan for inspection, they said: "The historical and cultural heritage here is so profound. We can collect images and data from every corner of the Siheyuan and create a very realistic scene. However, this requires us to cooperate well with the residents." He Luo nodded and said: "No problem, we will fully cooperate with your work. The residents are also looking forward to this project." During the production process, the residents provided the historical stories and details of the Siheyuan they knew. An old grandmother recalled: "I remember when I was a child, there was an old locust tree in this yard. Every summer, everyone would enjoy the cool under the tree. It was very lively." The staff hurriedly recorded these details and prepared to integrate them into the VR scene. After several months of hard work, the VR experience project was finally completed. The Siheyuan held a small experience meeting and invited some tourists and residents to experience it first. After putting on the VR device, a young tourist excitedly said: "Wow, this feels so wonderful! I seem to have really returned to the past and seen what the Siheyuan looked like before. Even the scenes of people's lives are so real." An old resident also said excitedly: "Yes, this reminds me of many things in the past. This technology is really amazing." The launch of the VR experience project has made Siheyuan a hot topic again and attracted more tourists. However, with the increase in tourists, the reception capacity of Siheyuan faces new challenges. He Luo and the members of the management team gathered together again to discuss countermeasures. Xiao Wang said: "We can open up some more space near the Siheyuan and build some simple rest areas and dining areas to relieve the pressure inside the Siheyuan." Lao Zhang disagreed: "I think we should start with improving the utilization efficiency inside the Siheyuan, such as reasonably arranging the tour route and time to avoid excessive concentration of people." Everyone expressed their opinions and the discussion was very heated. Lin Yue proposed: "We can do two things at the same time. On the one hand, we can optimize the internal visit arrangements, and on the other hand, we can negotiate and cooperate with some idle spaces in the surrounding area to expand the reception capacity." He Luo agreed: "Yueyue is right, we have to consider it comprehensively. We can talk to the surrounding residents and businesses first to see if there is any possibility of cooperation." So He Luo and Lin Yue began to communicate with the people around them. They found an old man with a vacant house nearby. He Luo said sincerely: "Uncle, there are too many tourists in our Siheyuan now, and we can't accommodate them. Can you rent this house to us and use it as a temporary rest area for tourists?" The old man hesitated: "I originally wanted to leave this house to my children, and I don't really want to rent it." Lin Yue smiled and said: "Uncle, we are only renting it for a short period of time, and we will protect the house very well. This is good for the development of the Siheyuan and the surrounding areas. When your children want to use the house in the future, we can end the lease at any time." After some persuasion, the old man finally agreed. Through cooperation with the surrounding areas, the reception capacity of the Siheyuan has been effectively improved. Tourists are also more comfortable and convenient during their visit. But new problems have emerged. As the commercial atmosphere around the Siheyuan gradually becomes stronger, some residents are worried that the commercial atmosphere will destroy the original tranquility of the Siheyuan. A resident complained: "It's getting noisier and noisier around here. There are shouts of business everywhere. It's not as quiet as before." He Luo and Lin Yue realized that this problem needs to be taken seriously. They called a meeting of residents to discuss how to balance commercial development and the tranquility of the Siheyuan. He Luo said at the meeting: "Everyone's concerns are justified. We can't let commercial development affect the essence of the Siheyuan. We can make regulations on the operating hours and volume of surrounding businesses." Lin Yue added: "Yes, we also need to strengthen environmental management, increase greening and sound insulation facilities, and minimize the impact of commercial activities on the Siheyuan." The residents nodded one after another, and everyone worked together to implement a series of measures. With everyone's joint efforts, the Siheyuan still maintains its unique tranquility and charm while the business is booming. The development of the Siheyuan continues, and He Luo and Lin Yue lead everyone along the way, writing more exciting stories.

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 20) With the standardization of commercial activities and the implementation of environmental optimization measures, Siheyuan has found a new balance between bustle and tranquility. However, He Luo and Lin Yue are well aware that development is an ongoing process that requires constant response to new situations. On this day, He Luo was checking feedback at the Siheyuan Visitor Center. Lin Yue hurried over with a hint of excitement on his face: "He Luo, do you know? A cultural tourism investment company contacted us. They are very interested in Siheyuan and want to discuss cooperation with us. There may be a large investment." He Luo frowned slightly: "This sounds like an opportunity, but there may also be risks. We have to understand their ideas and plans." Soon after, representatives of the investment company came to the Siheyuan. The representative introduced enthusiastically: "Mr. He, Ms. Lin, our company is very optimistic about the development potential of Siheyuan. We plan to increase investment here and build a comprehensive cultural tourism complex. For example, we will build a large traditional cultural performance center and theme homestays to further expand and strengthen the brand of Siheyuan." He Luo pondered for a moment and said: "It sounds very attractive, but we must ensure that the traditional culture of Siheyuan is not overwhelmed by over-commercialization. Our core is to inherit and promote traditional culture." Lin Yue also nodded in agreement: "Yes, and during the construction process, the existing architectural structure and style of Siheyuan cannot be destroyed. This is our bottom line." The representative of the investment company quickly assured: "Don't worry about this. We will invite a professional design team to ensure that all construction is integrated with the original style of Siheyuan. Moreover, we also have detailed plans for the display and inheritance of traditional culture. The programs of the performance center will revolve around the history of Siheyuan and the culture of old Beijing." After several in-depth discussions, the two sides reached a preliminary cooperation intention. But this news caused different opinions among Siheyuan residents. The second uncle said with some concern: "This investment is a good thing, but if it goes wrong, our courtyard house will be ruined." The third uncle was more optimistic: "I think this is an opportunity to let more people know about our courtyard house. However, we have to keep a close eye on them and not let them mess around." He Luo called a meeting of the residents and explained the cooperation plan in detail: "Fellow villagers, this cooperation is an opportunity for us. We can use their funds and resources to better develop the courtyard house. But I understand everyone's concerns, so throughout the process, we will set up a supervision team to ensure that every link meets our requirements." During the construction of the Traditional Cultural Performing Arts Center, He Luo and Lin Yue often communicated with designers and construction teams. He Luo looked at the design drawings and said to the designer: "Can we add some more Siheyuan elements to the design of this stage? For example, the background can adopt the shape of the Siheyuan gate." The designer replied: "This is a good idea. We can incorporate more details like this so that the audience can feel the atmosphere of the Siheyuan when watching the performance." As for the construction of the theme B&B, Lin Yue put forward his own ideas: "The room layout of the B&B can be designed according to the different historical periods of the Siheyuan. Each room has a theme, allowing tourists to experience the life of the Siheyuan in different eras." Some problems were also encountered during the construction process. For example, when digging the foundation, some ancient ruins were found. The workers reported to He Luo: "Mr. He, we dug up some strange fragments and don't know what they are." He Luo immediately contacted the archaeological department. After the archaeological expert arrived, he said excitedly: "These fragments may have important archaeological value, which means that there may be more historical relics underground in the Siheyuan." This discovery temporarily stopped the construction of the Siheyuan, and everyone discussed how to continue the project under the premise of protecting the relics. Archaeological experts suggested: "We need to conduct a detailed exploration of this area. If the scope of the ruins is large, the construction plan may need to be adjusted." After communicating with the investment company, He Luo decided to respect the archaeological work. After a period of exploration, the scope and value of the ruins were determined. In the end, by adjusting the design plan, the construction of the performing arts center and the homestay cleverly avoided the ruins area, and set up an area in the building to display the discovery process of the ruins and cultural relics, adding new cultural highlights to the Siheyuan. The opening day of the Traditional Culture Performing Arts Center was very lively. The wonderful performances on the stage won rounds of applause from the audience. A tourist exclaimed: "This performing arts center is great! The performances are wonderful, and everything here is full of the flavor of Siheyuan." The theme homestay is also loved by tourists. A tourist who checked in said to Lin Yue when checking out: "The room with the style of the Republic of China where I live is really unique. It feels like traveling back to that era. This accommodation experience is so unforgettable." The success of this cooperation has brought the development of Siheyuan to a new level. But He Luo and Lin Yue were not satisfied. They continued to think about how to make Siheyuan go further on the road of cultural tourism and let more people appreciate the charm of Siheyuan culture.

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 21) With the successful operation of the traditional cultural performance center and the theme homestay, the popularity of Siheyuan has skyrocketed, and the number of tourists has increased day by day. However, He Luo and Lin Yue were not dazzled by the prosperity in front of them. They were keenly aware that new problems were quietly emerging. On this day, He Luo met Xiao Li, who was in charge of the homestay management, in the yard. Xiao Li said with a worried look on his face: "Brother He, there have been a lot of complaints about homestays recently. Many tourists have reported that the surrounding area is too noisy and they can't rest well at night." He Luo frowned: "Is it because of the performance noise of the performance center? Or other reasons?" Xiao Li scratched his head: "Not entirely, some newly added snack stalls and souvenir shops in the surrounding area are open until very late, and people come and go, and the noise is noisy." He Luo realized that this needed to be solved as soon as possible, and he immediately found Lin Yue and the members of the management team to discuss countermeasures. Lin Yue suggested: "We can stipulate the business hours of surrounding businesses, especially at night, so as not to affect tourists' rest." But Lao Zhang was a little worried: "This may not be easy to implement. The merchants may have opinions and feel that it affects their business." He Luo thought for a while and said: "We can communicate with the merchants and work out a reasonable timetable. At the same time, we can also add some sound insulation facilities around the courtyard, such as planting some green plants around the homestay to reduce noise." So, He Luo and Lin Yue took the plan to negotiate with the merchants. At the merchant meeting, He Luo said sincerely: "Boss, our Siheyuan is developing better and better now, and everyone has contributed. But recently, tourists in the homestays have reported that it is too noisy at night and they can't rest well. We hope that everyone can cooperate to adjust the business hours, which will be good for the long-term development of our entire Siheyuan." A snack stand owner was not very happy: "We are counting on selling more at night. If the business hours are shorter, our income will be less." Lin Yue patiently explained: "We understand everyone's difficulties, so we will also take some measures, such as helping everyone to promote and attract more daytime tourists. Moreover, we are not asking everyone to close early, but just make a slight adjustment to ensure that it will not be too noisy at night." After repeated communication, the merchants finally agreed to adjust the business hours. At the same time, green plants began to be planted around the Siheyuan, and some sound barriers were installed. In the process of solving the noise problem, He Luo discovered a new situation. Due to the increase in tourists, the sanitation pressure of the Siheyuan increased, and the original cleaning staff were a little overwhelmed. He Luo found Aunt Wang who was in charge of cleaning: "Aunt, you have worked hard recently. I think the sanitation situation is a bit difficult." Aunt Wang wiped her sweat and said: "Yes, there are too many people and the garbage cannot be cleaned up." He Luo decided to increase the number of cleaning staff and formulate a more reasonable cleaning schedule. He posted a recruitment notice in the yard, and soon many nearby residents came to apply for the job. When interviewing new cleaning staff, He Luo said to an older sister: "Aunt, the sanitation of our courtyard is very important. Not only should we clean up the garbage in time, but we should also pay attention to protecting the environment here. Some old objects cannot be damaged." The older sister smiled and replied: "Don't worry, I will definitely do it seriously. I also like this courtyard. It's great to be able to work here." With the solution of the sanitation problem, the courtyard has returned to its former cleanliness. But He Luo and Lin Yue have set their sights on the new direction of cultural inheritance. Lin Yue said to He Luo: "Our current cultural display is mainly focused on performances and some fixed exhibitions. I think we can add some more interactive cultural experience projects, such as allowing tourists to personally participate in the production of traditional handicrafts." He Luo's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea! We can invite craftsmen to teach tourists to make kites, paper cutting and the like, so that they can have a deeper understanding of traditional culture." They began to contact craftsmen and prepared to open a special handicraft experience area in the Siheyuan. A paper-cutting artist came to the Siheyuan for inspection and said: "The atmosphere here is very good, and it is very suitable for paper-cutting experience activities. However, we need to prepare a lot of tools and materials, and there must be enough space." He Luo and Lin Yue immediately made arrangements to transform an unused wing room in the Siheyuan into a handicraft experience area and purchased a full range of tools and materials. After the opening of the handicraft experience area, it was warmly welcomed by tourists. A young tourist excitedly held up the paper-cut he had just made and said, "This is so interesting! I used to just watch others make paper-cuts, but now I can do it myself, and it feels completely different." A parent brought his child to experience kite making and said with a smile, "This kind of activity is great. Not only do children have fun, but they can also learn traditional cultural knowledge." In the process of constantly solving problems and innovating and developing, the cultural connotation of the Siheyuan has become increasingly rich, and the tourist experience has become better and better. He Luo and Lin Yue looked at the lively and orderly Siheyuan with great satisfaction in their hearts. They knew that there were more possibilities waiting for them to explore.