Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

"Siheyuan Storm" With the increasing prosperity of the Siheyuan cultural tourism ecosystem, some film and television production companies have also turned their attention to this place, intending to explore more unique story materials. A large-scale film and television company contacted the Siheyuan, hoping to shoot a large-scale period drama with the Siheyuan as the background, showing the changes in people's lives, emotional entanglements and cultural heritage in the Siheyuan from the Republic of China to modern society. The producer of the film and television company came to the Siheyuan and discussed the plot creation in depth with the residents. He said: "We hope that this drama can truly restore the style of the Siheyuan in different historical periods. For example, during the Republic of China period, the Siheyuan may experience the impact of social unrest, and the ups and downs between families will be more obvious. We want to start with the story of an ordinary family in a Siheyuan, and show the struggles and perseverance of people in that era, such as the shortage of supplies during the war years, and how the residents of the Siheyuan supported each other and overcame difficulties together." An elderly resident recalled: "I heard from the older generation that it was really not easy at that time. Everyone would pool money together to buy food, the men would spontaneously organize to protect the courtyard, and the women would sew and mend at home and take care of the old and the young. Once, bandits attacked, and the people in the courtyard worked together to block the door with tables, chairs and benches, so that the bandits could not succeed." The producer took careful notes and continued: "After the founding of New China, the Siheyuan will usher in new changes. People actively participated in socialist construction, children sang revolutionary songs in the courtyard, and adults worked hard in their respective positions. Siheyuan will also undergo some transformation and expansion with the development of the times to adapt to new life needs." Uncle Zhao, a resident, said: "I remember when I was a child, a small house was newly built in the yard, which was used as a community activity room. Everyone would hold meetings there in the evening to learn cultural knowledge. At that time, the relationship between neighbors was particularly good. Everyone celebrated good things together and overcame difficulties together." When discussing the plot of the modern part, the producer said: "In modern society, Siheyuan is facing the challenges of urban development, such as the pressure of demolition and the yearning of young people for the outside world, which has led to changes in the popularity of Siheyuan. But at the same time, there are residents like you who stick to the Siheyuan culture, strive to inherit and innovate, and let the Siheyuan radiate new vitality in the new era. We want to show their new understanding and love of Siheyuan culture through the perspective of the younger generation in the play." Xiao Ming said: "Now there are indeed many young people who have begun to pay attention to Siheyuan. For example, many young people actively participated in some cultural activities we held before. They use new ways to spread Siheyuan culture, such as shooting short videos and live broadcasts, so that more people know the charm of Siheyuan." In terms of casting, the film and television company also fully solicited the opinions of residents. The director said to the residents: "We hope to find some actors who can interpret the characteristics of the characters of that era and show the cultural heritage of the Siheyuan. Do you think which actors are more suitable in your daily life?" A resident suggested: "I think the actor XX who often plays in period dramas is very good. His image fits the image of the resolute male in the Republic of China period, and his acting skills are also solid, and he can express the inner emotions of the character very well." Another resident said: "For the female role, the young actress XXX is very smart. She can play the young girl who loves the Siheyuan culture in the modern part. She has shown her love and understanding of traditional culture in previous works, and she should be able to interpret this role well." During the filming, the Siheyuan became a lively set. The actors walked and acted carefully in the yard. The actor who played the elder of the family in the Republic of China said to the director: "In this scene, I think my lines can add some emphasis on the traditional etiquette of the Siheyuan, so as to better reflect the cultural atmosphere of the family in that era." The director nodded after thinking: "You are right, this will make the plot more full. We can add some content about sacrificial ceremonies, family dinner etiquette and so on in the lines." As the filming progressed, the surrounding residents and tourists were also attracted. A tourist said excitedly: "It feels so wonderful to see my favorite actors filming in the Siheyuan. And through this process, I also know more about the history and culture of the Siheyuan. It turns out that so many stories have happened here." When this period drama was broadcast, it caused a huge social response. The audience was deeply moved by the story of the Siheyuan in the play, and they all expressed their desire to come to the Siheyuan to experience it for themselves. One viewer left a message on social media: "This drama allowed me to see the changes of Siheyuan, just like a living history book. I must go to Siheyuan to take a walk, see the scenes that have appeared in the drama, and feel the cultural atmosphere there." With the power of film and television, Siheyuan has once again pushed its cultural influence to a new peak. It has not only become a popular place for people to check in, but also a symbol of cultural inheritance and perseverance in people's hearts. It continues to write a glorious chapter, constantly explores and moves forward on the road of integrating cultural communication and film and television creation, and opens up a new and broad world for the promotion of traditional culture.

"Siheyuan Storm" With the popularity of period dramas set in Siheyuan, the number of tourists visiting Siheyuan has exploded, which has brought unprecedented pressure on the management and protection of Siheyuan. In response to this situation, the residents of Siheyuan have joined hands with local government departments and cultural protection experts to discuss sustainable development strategies. The staff of the government department spoke first: "The current problem of excessive pressure on tourists facing Siheyuan must be taken seriously. We need to formulate a scientific and reasonable tourist diversion plan, such as setting up appointment time periods and dividing the daily tourist visiting time into several batches, so as to ensure that tourists have a good sightseeing experience and reduce the instantaneous pressure on the Siheyuan. At the same time, we must also strengthen the guidance and management of tourists, set up obvious signs and tourist instructions in various areas of the Siheyuan, and remind tourists to protect the environment and visit in a civilized manner." The cultural protection expert continued: "From the perspective of cultural protection, we must regularly monitor and maintain the buildings of the Siheyuan. The increase in tourists may lead to increased wear and tear on the buildings, so we need to increase the frequency of professional inspections of the Siheyuan building structures, walls, roofs, etc. For example, for some ancient wood carvings, stone carvings and other decorations, special protective measures should be taken to prevent tourists from touching and causing damage." A resident asked worriedly: "But will this limit the spread of Siheyuan culture? After all, fewer people will come, and fewer people may know about it." The expert replied: "This is not a contradiction. We can limit the number of tourists while strengthening online cultural communication. For example, we can produce more sophisticated virtual tour videos of Siheyuan and promote them through official websites, social media and other platforms, so that more people who cannot come to Siheyuan in person can also appreciate its charm. We can also carry out online cultural lectures, live interactive activities and other activities, and invite experts, scholars, residents' representatives and others to explain Siheyuan cultural knowledge to everyone and answer the audience's questions." When discussing how to enhance the display of Siheyuan's cultural connotation, a young cultural and creative worker put forward his own idea: "We can create some thematic cultural exhibition spaces. For example, based on the historical development of Siheyuan, different exhibition halls can be set up to display the changes of Siheyuan from ancient times to modern times, including the evolution of architectural style, the restoration of the living scenes of the residents, and relevant historical documents. Each exhibition hall can be equipped with interactive explanation equipment so that tourists can have a deeper understanding of Siheyuan culture." Xiao Ming agreed: "This is a good idea, but the updating and maintenance of the exhibition content is also very important. It cannot remain unchanged, so as to attract tourists to visit many times." Cultural and creative workers responded: "We can regularly collect new research results, residents' stories, etc. to supplement the exhibition content. At the same time, we can also set corresponding special exhibition themes according to different seasons and festivals. For example, during the Spring Festival, we can hold a Siheyuan traditional Spring Festival cultural exhibition to display items and stories related to customs such as Spring Festival couplets, New Year pictures, and New Year's Eve dinners." In order to better inherit the traditional handicrafts of the Siheyuan, the residents also decided to set up a traditional handicraft inheritance studio. A resident who was good at paper-cutting said to the young people who came to learn, "The craft of paper-cutting requires carefulness and steady hands. Look at the movement of the scissors on the paper, and every line must have continuity and rhythm. Start with simple patterns, such as cutting a word "Fu" or small animals. After you master the skills, you can try more complex works." The young man asked curiously, "Master, besides being a decoration, does this paper-cutting have any other cultural significance?" The master replied, "Paper-cutting carries our people's yearning for a better life. Each pattern has its meaning, like the auspicious dragon and phoenix symbolizing good luck, and mandarin ducks playing in the water representing a happy love. These patterns can often be seen in the life of siheyuan, such as the paper-cut window grilles on the windows. When they are posted during the New Year and other festivals, the whole courtyard is filled with a festive atmosphere." With the gradual implementation of these protection, development and inheritance measures, siheyuan is not only responding to the tourism boom, but also constantly improving its cultural quality and sustainable development capabilities. It not only continues to be a favorite tourist destination for tourists, but also becomes an important place for cultural research and educational inheritance. It moves forward steadily on the road of cultural inheritance and innovation, continues to write its own glorious chapter, and provides valuable experience and reference for the protection and development of other traditional architectural cultures, allowing the ancient courtyard culture to always maintain its unique charm and vitality in the tide of modern society.

"Siheyuan Storm" In the process of Siheyuan actively exploring the path of sustainable development, an international cultural exchange organization noticed the efforts made by Siheyuan in cultural inheritance and innovation. They took the initiative to contact Siheyuan, hoping to hold a global "Tradition and Modernity: Siheyuan Cultural Dialogue" forum here. The forum aims to bring together cultural scholars, artists, architects and people from all walks of life who are interested in traditional culture from all over the world to discuss the transformation and development of traditional Siheyuan culture in modern society, and how to apply its concepts and elements to global urban construction and community building. Representatives of international cultural exchange organizations met with the Siheyuan residents and said: "Siheyuan is a treasure of traditional Chinese residential culture. Its unique spatial layout, neighborhood relations and philosophical thoughts all provide valuable examples for modern society. We hope to build an international exchange platform through this forum, so that people from different cultural backgrounds can have in-depth exchanges and collisions, and jointly explore new ways to integrate tradition and modernity. For example, Western urban planning concepts focus on individual space and functional divisions, while Siheyuan culture emphasizes group harmony and shared space. How to find a balance between the two in modern urban design is one of the important topics we hope to explore." Professor Zhao, a scholar-resident of the Siheyuan, responded: "This is a very meaningful and challenging project. We are happy to be a stage for such a global cultural dialogue. However, organizing such a large-scale international forum requires careful planning in terms of agenda setting, guest invitations and language services. We must ensure that every participant can fully express his or her views and deeply understand the views of others, so as to achieve a true cultural exchange and collision of ideas." The representative nodded and said, "You are absolutely right. We have formed a professional preparatory team to be responsible for the overall planning and execution of the forum. In terms of agenda setting, we will arrange keynote speeches, group discussions, field trips, cultural experiences and other links. The keynote speeches will invite well-known experts and scholars from home and abroad to give an in-depth interpretation of various aspects of Siheyuan culture and its application in modern society; the group discussions will focus on specific practical cases, such as the protection and transformation of Siheyuan, the reshaping of traditional neighborhood relations in modern communities, etc., and encourage participants to share their respective experiences and insights; in the field trip session, we will lead the guests to go deep into every corner of the Siheyuan and experience its unique charm firsthand; cultural experience activities include traditional handicraft production, folk performance appreciation, etc., so that everyone can appreciate the profoundness of Siheyuan culture in practice." During the preparation process, language services became a key issue. A staff member in charge of language coordination said to the volunteers: "Since the participants of this forum come from all over the world, language communication is crucial. We need to recruit a group of volunteers who are proficient in multiple languages ​​to provide on-site translation services for the guests. Not only should their speeches be accurately translated, but they should also be able to assist the guests in daily communication and ensure that they have no language barriers during their stay in Siheyuan. At the same time, we will also set up multilingual guide equipment and materials at the forum site to facilitate the guests to learn about the relevant information of Siheyuan on their own." A volunteer asked: "What should we do if we encounter some culturally specific words or concepts that are difficult to translate directly?" The staff member replied: "This requires us to make adequate preparations in advance. Cooperate with cultural experts to sort out such words that may appear and prepare detailed explanations and instructions. During the translation process, try to use easy-to-understand methods so that foreign guests can understand the general meaning. If it is really difficult to explain clearly, you can use multimedia materials such as pictures and videos to assist in the explanation." When the forum officially opened, Siheyuan was bustling with guests from all over the world gathered together. During the keynote speech, a Japanese architect walked up to the podium and said: "Japanese traditional architecture has a deep connection with the Chinese courtyard house. We both focus on the harmonious coexistence of nature and architecture. In modern Japanese urban construction, we are also trying to integrate the traditional Japanese-style space concept into modern residential design, such as using flexible partitions, focusing on natural lighting and ventilation, etc. The spatial layout of the courtyard house provides us with more inspiration. For example, its courtyard design can be used as a public space to promote communication and interaction between neighbors, which is particularly important in modern cities." A Chinese scholar in the audience asked a question during the interactive session: "You mentioned integrating traditional space concepts into modern residential design. How do you balance the relationship between traditional elements and modern functional requirements in actual operation?" The Japanese architect replied: "This is indeed a key issue. We need to conduct in-depth research on the core values ​​of traditional elements and combine them with modern lifestyles for innovative design. For example, on the basis of retaining traditional Japanese-style tatami, we can add modern storage functions; or in courtyard design, we can use modern landscape technology to create a more beautiful and easy-to-maintain landscape effect." During the group discussion, the issue of the protection and transformation of the courtyard house sparked a heated discussion. A European cultural heritage protection expert said: "In Europe, we have very strict protection for ancient buildings, but we are also faced with the challenge of how to make them adapt to modern life. The protection and renovation model of the Siheyuan provides a good reference for us. For example, in the renovation process, how to add modern facilities, such as water and electricity systems, network communications, etc., without destroying the original building structure and style, is a topic we all need to explore." A Chinese architect responded: "In the renovation of the Siheyuan, we used some concealed design techniques to cleverly integrate modern facilities into traditional buildings. For example, the air-conditioning outdoor unit is hidden behind the building decoration components, and the electrical wires and pipes are laid inside the wall. At the same time, we also focus on the reuse of traditional building materials, such as using old tiles and bricks for new landscape design or architectural decoration, which not only saves resources but also preserves historical memory." In the cultural experience session, foreign guests participated in the production of traditional handicrafts. When an American artist was trying to make a Chinese knot, he said to his instructor: "This Chinese knot looks simple, but it is not easy to make. Each of its knots seems to be telling an ancient story and contains profound cultural implications. I want to bring this traditional handicraft back to the United States, combine it with local art forms, and create some new works." The instructor smiled and said: "The Chinese knot is one of the symbols of Chinese traditional culture. It represents reunion and auspiciousness. You can bring it back to the United States and make innovative creations, which is a good way to spread and promote Chinese traditional culture. I hope you can find more possibilities for the integration of tradition and modernity in this process." With the successful conclusion of the forum, the parties reached a number of cooperation intentions and results. The Global Traditional Residential Culture Research Alliance was established to promote long-term cooperation and information sharing among countries in the research and practice of traditional residential culture; a traditional and modern urban construction practice project was launched to encourage various places to apply the concepts and methods discussed at the forum to actual urban construction and community building; a series of academic works and cultural readings on the exchange of Siheyuan culture and global traditional residential culture were also published, further expanding the influence of the forum and the scope of cultural dissemination. Through this global forum, Siheyuan once again stood at the forefront of international cultural exchange and cooperation, and became an important hub for the dialogue between traditional and modern cultures. It continues to write a brilliant chapter, making positive contributions to promoting the protection and development of global cultural diversity, promoting the integration and innovation of traditional and modern cultures, and making Siheyuan culture shine more brilliantly on the world cultural stage, attracting more people to pay attention to and participate in this great cause of cultural inheritance and innovation.