Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 38) The success of the traditional Siheyuan wedding, like a shining pearl, shines with a unique light in the wave of cultural inheritance and tourism development, attracting more people to pay attention to the Siheyuan culture. This also made He Luo and Lin Yue realize that Siheyuan can be the carrier of more special cultural activities. Not long after, a cultural film and television company contacted He Luo and Lin Yue, who hoped to shoot a TV series with the traditional culture of old Beijing as the background in Siheyuan. The producer of the film and television company said to He Luo: "The architectural style and cultural atmosphere of Siheyuan are very consistent with the requirements of our drama. We hope to reproduce the hutong life of old Beijing here and show the embodiment of traditional culture in the daily life of the people." He Luo and Lin Yue knew that this was a great opportunity to promote Siheyuan culture, but they also had their own concerns. Lin Yue said to the producer: "We welcome filming here, but we must ensure that the filming process will not cause damage to the Siheyuan's architecture and environment, and minimize the impact on tourists' normal visits." The producer nodded quickly: "Of course, we will have a professional team to be responsible for on-site management, formulate a detailed filming plan, and ensure that everything is carried out in an orderly manner. In addition, we also hope to combine it with the cultural display of the Siheyuan, such as incorporating the Siheyuan's historical stories and traditional customs into the plot, which will benefit both parties." After negotiation, the two sides reached a cooperation intention. During the preparation for filming, the director of the film and television company brought the screenwriter and art team to the Siheyuan to scout the location. The director said to the art director: "Every corner of this courtyard has a plot, and we have to make full use of it. For example, the main house in this courtyard can be used as the residence of the elders of the family in the play, and the layout should reflect majesty and tradition." The art director took a notebook and wrote: "Okay, director. We will arrange it according to the needs of different scenes. Tables, chairs, ornaments and other props must be carefully selected to show the charm of old Beijing." The screenwriter added: "Some plots in our script involve traditional festivals in the courtyard, such as the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. We can shoot in the actual scenes of the courtyard to make the audience feel more involved." However, some problems were encountered during the filming process. Because there are usually many tourists in the courtyard, some tourists were dissatisfied when the scene needed to be cleared for filming. A tourist complained: "We came all the way here to visit, why are we suddenly not allowed to enter?" He Luo hurried forward to explain: "I'm really sorry, a TV series is being filmed here to better spread the culture of the Siheyuan. You can still visit normally during the filming interval. We will also try to shorten the clearing time. Please forgive us for the inconvenience." At the same time, filming costume dramas requires a large number of extras. When filming companies recruit temporary actors locally, they have high requirements for their performance and understanding of the traditional culture of old Beijing. The casting director said to the extras who came to apply: "Our drama shows the life of old Beijing. You must be able to show the spirit of the old Beijingers, and your gestures must be charming. In addition, some lines involve traditional Beijing dialects, and you must be able to speak authentically." An extra asked worriedly: "I'm not very familiar with the dialect. Will it be difficult?" The casting director patiently explained: "It doesn't matter. We will have professional language teachers to teach you. Everyone should study hard and strive to play the role well." As the filming progressed, the residents of the Siheyuan also participated in the process. Some residents were invited as consultants to provide the crew with details about life in the courtyard. An old resident said to the director: "In the past, when we celebrated the New Year in our courtyard, children had to visit every household to pay New Year's greetings, and the elders would give them lucky money and various traditional snacks. You can add these details to the plot." The director thought it was very valuable: "Thank you so much, these authentic life scenes can make our drama more real and vivid." When filming a traditional wedding scene in a courtyard, the residents also helped to set up the scene and teach the actors wedding etiquette. A resident aunt said to the actor who played the bride: "Girl, this veil can't be lifted casually. It has to wait until after the wedding ceremony, and the groom will use a scale to lift it up. This is very particular." The actor humbly learned: "Auntie, I understand, these traditional etiquette are really interesting." After several months of intense filming, the TV series was successfully completed. After it was broadcast, it received wide acclaim from the audience, and the courtyard was also known to more people as the TV series became popular. After watching the TV series, many viewers came to visit the courtyard. A tourist said excitedly: "I was attracted by the Siheyuan when I saw it on TV. Now I am here, and I feel that every brick and tile here is full of stories." This cooperation with the film and television company not only brought higher popularity to the Siheyuan, but also injected new vitality into the inheritance and development of the Siheyuan culture. He Luo and Lin Yue were full of emotion when they saw the lively scene of the Siheyuan. They knew that there was more potential to be tapped in the cultural charm of the Siheyuan, and there would be more wonderful things to be written in the future. So, they began to think about new development directions, such as combining with more cultural and artistic forms, holding the Siheyuan Cultural and Art Festival, making the Siheyuan a big stage for culture and art, and attracting more people to feel the charm of traditional culture.

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued Thirty-nine) After the idea of ​​holding the Siheyuan Culture and Art Festival was proposed, He Luo and Lin Yue quickly convened the management team, volunteers and some experts in the field of culture and art to discuss the preparations for the festival. He Luo unfolded a plan on the conference table and said, "For this Siheyuan Cultural and Art Festival, we hope to cover a variety of art forms, such as traditional opera, folk art performances, modern art exhibitions, etc., so that traditional culture and modern art can collide here. If you have any ideas, you can speak freely." An opera expert spoke first: "Opera is a treasure of traditional culture, and it is most appropriate to perform it in a Siheyuan. We can invite famous actors from major operas such as Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera to perform classic repertoires. At the same time, set up some opera experience areas so that tourists can try to paint facial makeup and wear costumes to feel the charm of opera." Lin Yue nodded in agreement: "The idea of ​​this opera experience area is very good. We can arrange professional opera actors to guide them, so that tourists can have a deeper understanding of opera culture. What about folk art performances?" Folk art master Master Li said: "Folk art performances can include lively projects such as dragon and lion dances and stilt walking, or some relatively niche but very distinctive ones, such as shadow puppetry. We can build a special shadow puppetry stage to perform traditional stories, and we can also teach tourists to make shadow puppets and manipulate the performances themselves." Teacher Wang, who is in charge of the modern art exhibition, went on to say: "For the modern art exhibition, we can cooperate with some modern artists to display modern paintings and sculptures with Siheyuan as the theme. These works can interpret Siheyuan culture from different perspectives and inject new vitality into Siheyuan." In the process of preparing for opera performances, inviting famous actors became the top priority. When He Luo contacted a famous Peking Opera actor, he said sincerely: "Teacher, our Siheyuan Culture and Art Festival hopes to invite you to perform. Your high artistic attainments can allow more people to appreciate the beauty of Peking Opera and add luster to our art festival." The famous actor smiled and responded: "Siheyuan is a good place, and I am willing to go. However, Peking Opera performances have high requirements for stage and sound effects, so they must be prepared in advance." He Luo assured: "Don't worry, we will specially build a high-quality opera stage, equipped with professional sound equipment, and will definitely provide you with the best performance conditions." For the shadow play performance and production experience area, Master Li led the staff to prepare materials and props. Staff member Xiao Zhang asked: "Master Li, there are so many materials for making shadow puppets. How do you distinguish and use them?" Master Li patiently explained: "This cowhide must be processed before it can be used to carve shadow puppets. The pigment must be special so that the color is bright and lasting. There are also particular tools for making shadow puppets. Different knives are used to carve different parts. I will show you later and you will understand." When preparing for the modern art exhibition, Teacher Wang discussed the display of works with a modern painter. Teacher Wang said: "Your oil painting with the theme of light and shadow of the courtyard is very creative. We will put it in a prominent position in the exhibition layout so that the audience can feel the unique charm of the courtyard from the perspective of modern art as soon as they come in." The painter suggested: "You can add a creation description next to the oil painting, telling the source of inspiration when I observed the changes in light and shadow in the courtyard, so that the audience can better understand the work." As the preparations for the art festival progress, publicity work is also in full swing. Volunteers post information about the art festival on social media and travel websites. Volunteer Xiao Zhao said to his colleagues: "We have to show all the highlights of the festival, such as the performances of famous opera actors, the unique shadow play experience, and the innovation of modern art works. Only in this way can we attract more people's attention." The colleague responded: "Yes, we can add some wonderful pictures and videos to let everyone understand the wonderful content of the festival more intuitively." On the opening day of the festival, the Siheyuan was very lively. The audience sat in front of the opera stage early, waiting for the famous actors to appear. A drama fan said excitedly: "It's so happy to be able to watch Peking Opera in such an atmospheric place like the Siheyuan." In the shadow play performance area, children excitedly watched the colorful shadow puppets dancing on the curtain. A child held his parents' hands and said: "I want to make shadow puppets too, it's so fun." In the modern art exhibition area, tourists stopped in front of the creative works and discussed the unique interpretation of the Siheyuan in the works. An art lover said to his companion: "These modern art works let me see another possibility of Siheyuan. They break the boundary between tradition and modernity." However, some minor incidents occurred during the art festival. Due to too many tourists, the materials in the shadow play experience area were insufficient. Master Li quickly arranged for people to replenish the materials: "This is more than we expected. We have to prepare more cowhide and paint to avoid disappointing the tourists." After the opera performance, the audience was a little crowded when they left. He Luo directed the staff to maintain order: "Don't worry, walk slowly, and pay attention to safety." Despite these minor problems, the Siheyuan Cultural Art Festival was generally very successful. This art festival not only enriched the cultural connotation of Siheyuan, but also opened up a new path for the development of Siheyuan, allowing Siheyuan to take a more solid step on the road of cultural inheritance and innovation. He Luo and Lin Yue looked at the lively scene and were full of expectations for the future of Siheyuan. They were already conceiving the next more exciting cultural feast.

# Rebirth in the Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued forty)

The successful holding of the Siheyuan Culture and Art Festival has made Siheyuan a hot topic in the cultural circle. While summarizing their experience, He Luo and Lin Yue are also actively planning new development directions. They hope to further expand the connotation of Siheyuan culture and allow more people to participate in the inheritance and innovation of Siheyuan culture.

At a team discussion meeting, Lin Yue proposed a new idea: "This art festival has shown us the charm of the combination of traditional culture and modern art. We can try to hold a Siheyuan Cultural Creativity Competition to collect creative works related to Siheyuan culture from all over the country or even the world, whether it is design, literature, film and television or other art forms."

He Luo's eyes lit up: "This is a great idea! The competition can inspire more people's creative inspiration and dig out more new perspectives on Siheyuan culture. We can set up different awards, such as the Best Design Award, the Best Literary Work Award, the Most Potential Film and Television Creative Award, etc., to attract more professionals and non-professionals to participate."

Volunteer representative Xiao Wang added: "We can also invite well-known figures in the cultural and art circles to serve as judges, which can not only ensure the fairness of the selection, but also increase the popularity of the competition."

The team immediately started preparing for the Siheyuan Cultural and Creative Competition. They posted the competition notice on major social platforms, art forums, and university official websites.

In the process of contacting the judges, He Luo communicated with a famous design master: "Master, our Siheyuan Cultural and Creative Competition hopes to invite you to be a judge. You have a huge influence in the field of design, and your participation is of great significance to the competition and the contestants."

The designer readily agreed: "Siheyuan is a very attractive cultural symbol, and I am willing to participate. I hope to see some innovative design works that respect traditional culture."

After the competition was launched, a large number of entries were received. During the initial review, the staff were shocked by the various wonderful ideas.

Staff member Xiao Li said to his colleague: "Look at this courtyard-themed clothing design, which cleverly combines traditional courtyard architectural patterns with modern fashion elements, and the color matching is also amazing."

My colleague responded: "Yes, there is also this novel with a Siheyuan as the background. The plot is full of ups and downs, and the family story of the Siheyuan is written vividly."

During the selection process, the judges also had heated discussions.

Professor Chen, a literary judge, commented on one of the participating novels: "The author of this novel has a deep understanding of Siheyuan culture. Through the stories of several generations in the family, it shows the changes of Siheyuan in the changing times. The characters are portrayed delicately and the emotions are sincere."

Director Zhang, a film and television judge, was very interested in a creative film and television proposal: "This proposal sets the courtyard as a key node where time and space intersect, and through the encounter of characters from different eras in the courtyard, it triggers a series of stories. It is very creative and has strong potential for visual presentation."

However, some problems occurred during the competition. Some contestants did not understand the submission format and requirements, which resulted in some works not being able to be properly reviewed.

After receiving inquiries from contestants, Xiao Zhang, who is in charge of organizing the competition, patiently explained: "Your design work needs to be submitted in high-resolution image format, and detailed design instructions, including design concepts, courtyard elements used, etc., are attached, so that we can accurately evaluate it."

Some contestants are also concerned about the fairness of the competition and that their works may be plagiarized.

He Luo responded in the official Q&A group of the competition: "We attach great importance to the fairness of the competition. All works will be kept strictly confidential, and the judges have signed a confidentiality agreement. Once plagiarism is discovered, the candidate will be disqualified."

After several rounds of selection, the final list of winners was announced at the award ceremony in Siheyuan. The award ceremony was attended by many guests and the winners were all very excited.

When the designer who won the Best Design Award came on stage to receive the award, he said: "I am grateful to the Siheyuan Cultural Creativity Competition for giving me this opportunity. The culture of Siheyuan has given me endless inspiration. I hope that my design can make more people feel its charm."

The winner of the Best Literary Work Award is a young writer who said with emotion: "Siheyuan carries too many stories, I just wrote them down. This competition has made me more determined to carry forward traditional culture."

The successful holding of the Siheyuan Cultural and Creative Competition has not only injected new vitality into Siheyuan culture, but also made Siheyuan stand out in the field of cultural creativity. Many cultural institutions and enterprises have sought cooperation with Siheyuan, hoping to discover and promote these excellent creative works.

He Luo and Lin Yue were very pleased to see these achievements. They knew that the development of Siheyuan was like an endless creative journey, and every new idea could open a new and exciting chapter. Next, they planned to cooperate with enterprises to transform some excellent creative works into actual products and further expand the influence of Siheyuan culture.