Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 47) The International Siheyuan Cultural Exchange Year is in full swing. The monthly theme activities have attracted a large number of participants. The International Youth Siheyuan Cultural Practice Camp has also been going very smoothly, and young people from all over the world have gained a lot here. However, He Luo and Lin Yue are not satisfied with the status quo. They hope to add more highlights and depth to this exchange year. At a discussion meeting, He Luo proposed a new idea: "We can add an 'International Siheyuan Cultural Research Cooperation Project' during the exchange year, and invite scholars and research institutions from various countries to conduct in-depth research on Siheyuan culture with us, such as the adaptive changes of Siheyuan culture in cross-cultural communication, and the enlightenment of Siheyuan culture to the construction of modern urban communities. " Lin Yue's eyes lit up: "This is a very forward-looking idea. We can set up special funds to support these research projects, and we can also organize regular academic seminars for researchers to share their interim results." Team member Xiao Zhang asked: "Then how can we attract international scholars and research institutions to participate?" He Luo replied: "We can send invitation letters to internationally renowned universities and cultural research institutions to introduce the content and research significance of our project. At the same time, we can cooperate with some international academic journals to publish and promote excellent research results." So they began to actively prepare for the "International Siheyuan Cultural Research Cooperation Project". In the process of contacting international scholars, He Luo had an in-depth conversation with a Japanese cultural research scholar. He Luo said: "Professor, we are carrying out an international Siheyuan cultural research cooperation project. You have profound attainments in East Asian cultural research. We very much hope that you can participate in this project, especially the comparative study of Siheyuan culture and Japanese traditional architectural culture." Japanese scholars expressed great interest: "Siheyuan culture and Japanese traditional architectural culture do have many aspects worthy of comparative study, such as space utilization and the embodiment of family concepts. I am very willing to participate in this project and hope to contribute to cultural exchanges." As more and more scholars and research institutions joined, the project was officially launched. At the first academic seminar, scholars put forward their own research ideas. An American scholar said: "I am concerned about the language transformation of courtyard culture in cross-cultural communication. When introducing courtyard culture to Western audiences, how to accurately translate and explain some words and concepts with Chinese cultural characteristics is the key to influencing the communication effect. For example, the word 'quadrangle courtyard', directly translated as 'quadrangle courtyard' may not fully convey its connotation, and we need a more in-depth explanation." A Chinese scholar responded: "We can adopt some cross-cultural interpretation methods, such as comparing the courtyard with similar Western architectural forms, and using concepts familiar to Western audiences to explain the characteristics of the courtyard, while retaining its core cultural elements." During the research process, some difficulties were encountered in data collection and case analysis. A staff member in charge of project coordination reported to He Luo: "Teacher He, some scholars lack sufficient actual case data when studying the inspiration of Siheyuan culture on modern urban community construction, which may affect the depth of the research." He Luo immediately arranged: "We can contact some domestic urban planning departments and community management agencies to collect relevant case materials. At the same time, organize scholars to conduct field visits to some representative modern communities to obtain first-hand data." At the International Youth Siheyuan Cultural Practice Camp, new course content has been added to enable young people to better understand the connection between Siheyuan culture and modern life. The teacher of the practice camp said to the young people: "What we are going to discuss today is the application of Siheyuan culture in modern interior design. You see, the partition design in the Siheyuan can inspire us to create a more layered interior space, and the color matching of the Siheyuan can also be applied to modern home design." An Italian youth asked: "Then how can we combine Siheyuan culture with modern minimalist style?" The teacher replied: "This is a good question. We can extract some elements of Siheyuan culture, such as geometric patterns and the texture of traditional materials, and then use simple design techniques to integrate them into the modern minimalist style to create an interior space that is both fashionable and culturally meaningful." With the advancement of the "International Siheyuan Cultural Research Cooperation Project" and the deepening of the practice camp courses, the influence of the International Siheyuan Cultural Exchange Year activities has been further expanded. Media from various countries have reported on these activities, attracting widespread attention from the international community. A British journalist wrote in a report: "The Siheyuan Cultural Exchange Year is a cross-cultural feast. It not only allows people to appreciate the cultural beauty of Siheyuan, but also explores the value and significance of Siheyuan culture in modern society through in-depth research and practice, providing valuable experience for global cultural exchange and development." He Luo and Lin Yue were very pleased to see these achievements. They know that Siheyuan culture is like a treasure, and there are more values ​​waiting for them to explore and a wider world waiting for them to explore. This exchange year activity is just a new starting point.

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 48) The International Siheyuan Cultural Exchange Year continues to advance with continued enthusiasm. The "International Siheyuan Cultural Research Cooperation Project" and the International Youth Siheyuan Cultural Practice Camp have entered a critical stage, with new achievements emerging continuously, and also bringing new challenges and opportunities. In terms of research projects, scholars have begun to deeply analyze the audience feedback of Siheyuan culture in cross-cultural communication. A French sociologist said to He Luo: "We found through online surveys and field interviews that Western audiences are particularly interested in the folk elements in Siheyuan culture, such as traditional festival celebrations in Siheyuan. But they have difficulty understanding some of the complex etiquette culture, and we need to find a better way to spread it." He Luo responded: "Then we can make some animated shorts or interactive games about the traditional etiquette culture of Siheyuan, and present these contents in a vivid and interesting form. For example, the detailed process of Siheyuan weddings can be shown in animations, and players can be allowed to participate in the sacrificial rituals of Siheyuan through games, which may help them understand." In the study of the inspiration of Siheyuan culture for the construction of modern urban communities, Chinese scholars and American scholars have differences. Chinese scholars proposed: "The neighborhood relationship model of the Siheyuan is a close and mutually supportive model. We should learn from this model in modern community construction, increase community public space, and promote exchanges between residents." American scholars believe: "But this model of the Siheyuan is based on the traditional social structure and cultural background. Modern society pays more attention to personal privacy. We cannot copy it completely, but we must find a balance on the basis of respecting privacy." After intense discussions, they decided to jointly carry out a community pilot project to integrate different concepts and observe the actual effect. In the International Youth Siheyuan Cultural Practice Camp, new problems also emerged. Due to the different cultural backgrounds of young people from different countries, differences of opinion occurred in some team cooperation projects. In a project on the creation of Siheyuan-themed murals, a Spanish youth and a Korean youth had different ideas. The Spanish youth said: “I think the murals should be colorful and bold in style to show the vitality of the Siheyuan.” The Korean youth retorted: “I think we should pay more attention to details and artistic conception, and use elegant colors to reflect the tranquility of the Siheyuan.” The instructor of the practice camp mediated in time: “Your ideas all make sense. We can try to combine the two styles. In the main part of the picture, use bright colors to highlight the lively scenes of the Siheyuan, such as festival celebrations; in the edge part, use elegant tones to depict the quiet corners of the Siheyuan, like flowers and plants in the courtyard.” At the same time, in order to allow more people to participate in the International Siheyuan Cultural Exchange Year activities, He Luo and Lin Yue decided to hold an international Siheyuan cultural photography competition. Lin Yue said at the press conference: "This photography competition is open to photography enthusiasts around the world, both professional and amateur. We hope to show the beauty of Siheyuan from different angles through your lens, whether it is architectural details, folk activities or the people living here." A photojournalist asked: "What are the judging criteria? Is it more focused on artistic expression or the embodiment of Siheyuan culture?" Lin Yue replied: "Both are important. We hope that the works have both artistic value and can impress the judges and the audience, and accurately convey the connotation of Siheyuan culture. For example, a good work can show the unique cultural atmosphere of Siheyuan through light, shadow and composition." As soon as the photography competition was launched, it received a large number of entries. During the judging process, the judges were shocked by the wonderful works. One judge pointed to a photo of a beautiful Siheyuan after snow and said: "This photo is great! The photographer cleverly used the white color of the snow and the gray tones of the Siheyuan buildings to create a tranquil and distant atmosphere, showing the ancient charm of the Siheyuan vividly." Another judge commented on a photo of children playing in the Siheyuan: "This photo is full of vitality. The children's smiles and movements are captured very well. From them, we can see the inheritance and development of Siheyuan culture, and there is a sense of endless life." As the International Siheyuan Cultural Photography Competition progresses, the popularity of the International Siheyuan Cultural Exchange Year continues to rise. Participants from various countries learn and communicate with each other in different projects and activities, and Siheyuan culture continues to spread and develop in this process. He Luo said to Lin Yue, "This exchange year event really exceeded our expectations. Seeing so many people passionate about Siheyuan culture, I feel that our efforts have paid off. We must continue to work hard to show the charm of Siheyuan culture to the world." Lin Yue nodded in agreement: "Yes, there is still a lot of potential to be tapped. We must continue to innovate and let Siheyuan culture shine forever on the international stage." The International Siheyuan Cultural Exchange Year event is like a giant cultural ship, breaking through the waves in the ocean of international culture, carrying the treasures of Siheyuan culture and heading towards a broader world.

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 49) The successful holding of the International Siheyuan Cultural Photography Competition has added a strong touch to the International Siheyuan Cultural Exchange Year. With the announcement of the results of the competition, excellent photographic works have been widely circulated on the Internet, attracting more people to pay attention to Siheyuan culture. He Luo and Lin Yue are also thinking about how to use this new trend to further deepen the international influence of Siheyuan culture. In a team meeting, He Luo proposed: "The photography competition has spread the beautiful images of Siheyuan all over the world. We can strike while the iron is hot and launch an international Siheyuan cultural documentary creation competition. Encourage film and television creators from all countries to create documentaries with Siheyuan as the theme, and deeply explore the stories, culture and humanistic values ​​behind Siheyuan." Lin Yue added: "This is a good idea. We can provide creators with some information and shooting suggestions, such as historical changes of Siheyuan, life stories of Siheyuan residents, etc., to help them create better. At the same time, set up a professional judging team to judge from multiple dimensions such as the depth of documentary content, artistic expression, and cultural communication value." Team member Xiao Li asked: "Then how do we promote this documentary creation competition?" He Luo replied: "We can use social media platforms, international film and television creation forums, and film and television professional channels of major universities to carry out extensive publicity. We can also contact some internationally renowned documentary directors and ask them to help promote and recommend." During the promotion process, they contacted a famous British documentary director. He Luo introduced the situation of the competition to him: "Director, we hope to get your support for our International Siheyuan Cultural Documentary Creation Competition. You have a huge influence in the field of documentaries. If you can help promote it, it will definitely attract more outstanding creators to participate." The British director responded enthusiastically: "Siheyuan culture is a subject that is very worth exploring. I will post information about the competition on my social account and recommend it to some film and television creators I know. I hope to see some wonderful works that show the charm of Siheyuan." As the news of the competition spread, film and television creators from various countries responded positively. In the process of creation, creators encountered various problems. An American creator asked the organizing committee of the competition: "We want to show the traditional architectural craftsmanship of Siheyuan in the documentary, but it is difficult for us to find professional craftsmen to shoot. Can you provide some help?" The staff replied: "We can contact the craftsmen in the Siheyuan repair team for you. They are all experienced inheritors of traditional architectural craftsmanship. You can communicate with them about the shooting time and content." An Indian creator was a little confused about the understanding of cultural connotation when shooting Siheyuan folk culture. He said to the local folk expert: "I am filming the sacrificial rituals in the Siheyuan. I don’t quite understand the religious and cultural significance behind these rituals. Can you explain it to me?" The folk expert patiently explained: "The sacrificial rituals in the Siheyuan embody the traditional Chinese ancestor worship and family concepts. Through sacrifice, family members pray for the blessings of their ancestors and pass on the family culture. Each link has a specific symbolic meaning, such as the type of offerings, the order of sacrifices, etc." During the judging stage, the judges had an in-depth discussion of the entries. A judge commented on a documentary focusing on the lives of middle-aged and elderly people in Siheyuan courtyards: "This work is very touching. Through delicate lens language, it shows the daily life, memories and emotions of the elderly in Siheyuan courtyards. It allows us to see that Siheyuan courtyards are not only buildings, but also places that carry people's lifelong memories." Another judge expressed his opinion on a documentary on the restoration of Siheyuan courtyard buildings: "This documentary is very professional in showing the architectural restoration process, but the explanation of the cultural significance can be more in-depth. Some interpretation of the significance of the inheritance of restoration technology can be added." After several rounds of review, the winning works of the documentary creation competition were screened at the closing ceremony of the International Siheyuan Cultural Exchange Year. At the closing ceremony, He Luo gave a speech: "These documentaries are the result of the creators' love for Siheyuan culture. They show the charm of Siheyuan from different angles, allowing us to have a deeper understanding of the rich connotations of Siheyuan culture." A French award-winning creator said when sharing his creative experience: "Siheyuan is a place full of stories. During the creative process, I encountered many difficulties, but with everyone's help, I completed this documentary. I hope that through my work, more people can feel the unique charm of Siheyuan culture." The successful holding of the International Siheyuan Cultural Documentary Creation Competition has brought the Siheyuan Cultural Exchange Year to a successful conclusion. But He Luo and Lin Yue know that this is just a new milestone in the international dissemination of Siheyuan culture. They have begun planning the next round of international cultural activities, hoping to spread Siheyuan culture further and wider, so that Siheyuan culture will never stop flowing in the long river of international culture.