Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

"Siheyuan Storm" After the sketching activities in art schools brought new vitality to the Siheyuan, the Siheyuan community was involved in a major urban planning discussion on "the integration of traditional architectural space and modern public cultural services". With the development of the city, people's demand for public cultural space is growing, and the unique architectural space form of the Siheyuan is considered to have great potential and can be transformed into a place with both traditional cultural heritage and modern public cultural service functions. The urban planning department organized a seminar and invited Siheyuan community representatives, architectural designers, cultural scholars and citizen representatives to participate. An architectural designer took the lead in speaking: "The courtyard space of the Siheyuan can be transformed into an open public cultural activity area. For example, we can build a small stage in the courtyard and regularly hold cultural activities such as traditional opera performances and folk music concerts, so that citizens can enjoy a cultural feast in an environment full of ancient charm. At the same time, we can use the wing rooms of the Siheyuan to set up cultural exhibition rooms to display local historical relics, folk crafts, etc., turning it into a mobile small museum." Uncle Zhao from the Siheyuan community raised a question: "This is a good idea, but will so many people coming in and out affect the normal lives of our residents? Can we still live quietly like before?" The designer patiently explained: "Uncle Zhao, this is indeed an issue we need to focus on. During the renovation process, we will reasonably plan the boundaries between public areas and residents' living areas. For example, in the layout of the courtyard, some isolation facilities can be set up to guide the audience in and out in an orderly manner during cultural activities to avoid disturbing the lives of residents. Moreover, we will also control the time and volume of the activities to ensure that while enriching the cultural life of citizens, we can also guarantee the quality of life of residents." Professor Li, a cultural scholar, went on to say: "The main house of the Siheyuan can be transformed into a cultural lecture hall, where experts and scholars from home and abroad can be invited to hold lectures on history, literature, art and other aspects. This will not only improve the cultural literacy of citizens, but also make the Siheyuan an important node for cultural exchange and dissemination. In addition, in the corridor area of ​​the Siheyuan, some leisure reading corners can be set up to place various books and magazines for citizens to read for free, creating a good atmosphere for reading for all." A citizen representative asked: "Are these public cultural services free? Or do we citizens need to pay?" The staff of the urban planning department replied: "Most basic public cultural services will be open to the public free of charge. Cultural exhibitions, outdoor performances, reading corners, etc. are all set up to improve the quality of cultural life of citizens. Of course, for some special and costly cultural activities, a certain fee may be charged, but it will be kept within a reasonable range as much as possible, and preferential or free policies will be provided to some special groups, such as the elderly, students, and low-income people." When discussing how to protect the original architectural features of the Siheyuan, a senior architect emphasized: "In the process of renovation, we must follow the principle of 'repairing the old as it is'. Whether it is the exterior structure of the building or the interior decoration details, the traditional style of the Siheyuan should be preserved as much as possible. For example, when repairing roof tiles, traditional techniques and materials should be used; when repairing doors and windows, they should be made in the original style, and the historical charm of the Siheyuan should not be destroyed in pursuit of modern functions." Mr. Wang, the cultural consultant of the Siheyuan community, added: "At the same time, we must also pay attention to the inheritance of cultural connotations. Some cultural signs can be set up in various corners of the Siheyuan to introduce the architectural features, historical allusions, traditional customs, etc. of the Siheyuan, so that citizens can have a deep understanding of the Siheyuan culture while enjoying public cultural services. " As the seminar progressed, all parties gradually reached a consensus, and a preliminary planning scheme for the transformation of Siheyuan into a modern public cultural service space came into being. During the implementation of the plan, residents of the Siheyuan community actively participated in it. They assisted the construction workers in the cleaning and protection of the buildings, and provided a lot of precious information about the history and culture of the Siheyuan for the preparation of cultural exhibitions and lectures. When the renovation of the Siheyuan public cultural service space was completed and opened to the public, it attracted many citizens to come and experience it. After attending a traditional calligraphy lecture, a citizen said excitedly: "This Siheyuan has been transformed so well! Listening to lectures here feels particularly cultural, as if traveling back to an ancient academy. And you can also visit the Siheyuan's architecture and exhibitions by the way, which is really killing two birds with one stone." Another citizen said after watching an opera performance in the courtyard: "Watching opera in this quaint courtyard is more interesting than in a modern theater. The performances of the actors and the environment of the Siheyuan complement each other. I hope there will be more such activities in the future. The successful transformation of Siheyuan into a modern public cultural service space has once again provided an innovative example for the development of traditional architecture in modern cities, continuing the glorious chapter of Siheyuan in the field of urban cultural construction and revitalization of traditional architecture. It has become a shining pearl in the city's public cultural service system, inspiring more traditional architecture to explore new paths of integration with modern public cultural services, and contributing to the diversified prosperity of urban culture.

"Siheyuan Storm" The successful operation of Siheyuan public cultural service space has attracted the attention and reports of many media. A well-known travel magazine even used Siheyuan as its cover story and conducted an in-depth special report. This report is like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves, making Siheyuan a tourist destination that domestic and foreign tourists yearn for. The rise of the tourism boom has also prompted the Siheyuan community to cooperate with professional tourism operation companies to jointly develop a "Siheyuan cultural in-depth experience tourism line." Manager Sun, the project manager of the tourism operation company, met with Director Chen, the tourism director of the Siheyuan community, to discuss specific matters. Manager Sun said: "We plan to design a variety of special tourist routes to meet the needs of different tourists. For example, there is a 'Siheyuan Origin Tour' for history and culture enthusiasts. Under the guidance of professional tour guides, tourists will have a deep understanding of the historical changes of Siheyuan, the evolution of architectural styles and the stories of historical celebrities related to it; there is also a 'Siheyuan Folk Customs Tour' for folk culture seekers, arranging tourists to participate in traditional Siheyuan folk activities, such as paper cutting, making traditional food, experiencing traditional wedding customs and etiquette, etc., so that they can personally experience the charm of Siheyuan folk culture." Director Chen expressed his concerns: "Will such large-scale tourism development cause damage to Siheyuan buildings and residents' lives? We must ensure that while developing tourism, we protect the original flavor of Siheyuan." Manager Sun nodded quickly: "Don't worry, Director Chen, we take this issue very seriously. In terms of tourist route planning, we will strictly control the flow of tourists to avoid damage to buildings caused by overcrowding. At the same time, we will carry out publicity and education on civilized tourism for tourists, requiring them to abide by the visiting regulations of the Siheyuan and not to touch or damage the buildings and cultural relics at will. As for the lives of residents, we will arrange the time of tourist activities reasonably, try to avoid the residents' rest time, and establish a good communication mechanism with the residents to solve possible problems in a timely manner." During the tour guide training session, a senior tour guide said to the trainer: "I have a certain understanding of the architecture of the Siheyuan, but I am not very clear about the details and the meaning behind some folk culture. For example, the meaning of certain specific decorative patterns in the Siheyuan, can you tell me in detail?" The trainer patiently answered: "Of course you can. Take the plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum patterns commonly seen on the doors and windows of siheyuan courtyards. The plum blossom represents nobleness and strength; the orchid symbolizes elegance and virtue; the bamboo implies humility and restraint; and the chrysanthemum represents longevity and seclusion. These patterns are not just a decoration, but also a reflection of the character and pursuits of the siheyuan owner. In the process of explaining, you have to convey these cultural connotations to tourists so that they can better understand the siheyuan culture." With the official opening of the special tourist line, tourists flocked to the city. At the "Siheyuan Folk Customs Tour", a foreign tourist said to Aunt Liu, a resident who was teaching paper-cutting: "This is amazing! I have never seen such exquisite paper-cutting. Can you teach me how to make it?" Aunt Liu smiled and responded in simple English: "Sure. First, you need to fold the paper like this..." During the "Siheyuan Origin Tour", the tour guide introduced to the tourists: "This Siheyuan was once the former residence of a famous writer. He created many poems and articles here that have been passed down through the ages. Look at the old locust tree in the courtyard. It is said that it was planted by him personally, witnessing the vicissitudes of time and the inheritance of culture." The tourists expressed their admiration. One tourist said: "It is a rare experience to be able to travel in such a place full of historical and cultural atmosphere. I feel as if I am having a dialogue with history." The tourism operation company also continuously optimizes travel routes and service content based on tourists' feedback. For example, night tourism projects have been added, such as the Siheyuan light show, which shows the unique charm of Siheyuan at night through the coordination of lights and music; the "Siheyuan Cultural Study Tour" has also been launched, which is specially designed for students, so that they can learn about history, culture, architecture and other aspects during the tour. The successful operation of the Siheyuan Cultural In-depth Experience Tour has not only brought considerable economic benefits to the Siheyuan community, but also further enhanced the popularity and influence of Siheyuan culture at home and abroad. Siheyuan has once again written a brilliant chapter in the field of cultural tourism integration and development, becoming a model for the development of cultural tourism in traditional communities, providing valuable reference experience for other communities with distinctive cultures to develop tourism, and promoting the innovation and prosperity of the cultural tourism industry.

"Siheyuan Storm" With the vigorous development of the Siheyuan cultural in-depth experience tourism line, its unique position in the tourism market has become more and more solid. This success has attracted the attention of the International Tourism Organization, who decided to include Siheyuan in the "Global Characteristic Cultural Tourism Destination Promotion Plan" to promote Siheyuan, a unique place that combines the essence of Chinese traditional culture with modern tourism innovation elements, to the world more widely, and further enhance its international reputation and global influence. Mr. Mark, a representative of the International Tourism Organization, came to the Siheyuan community and had in-depth exchanges with community leaders and relevant tourism partners. Mr. Mark said excitedly: "The tourism model of Siheyuan is simply a model of the perfect combination of culture and tourism! We hope that through our global promotion plan, more tourists from different countries and cultural backgrounds can come here and experience the charm of Siheyuan for themselves. We plan to focus on promoting Siheyuan at major tourism exhibitions around the world and produce exquisite promotional materials, including multilingual brochures, shocking promotional videos, etc., to fully display the architectural beauty, cultural charm and rich and diverse tourist routes of Siheyuan." Xiao Wang, the head of community tourism, asked with some concern: "Mr. Mark, we are very grateful for this promotion opportunity, but tourists from different countries have different travel habits and cultural taboos. How can we better receive and serve them?" Mr. Mark smiled and replied, "This is a very critical question. During the promotion process, we will provide detailed explanations on the characteristics of tourists from different regions so that tourists can be mentally prepared in advance. At the same time, we will also suggest that the Siheyuan Tourism Service Team conduct cross-cultural communication training for employees to understand the common cultural customs and taboos of various countries. For example, if we know that tourists from some countries have special dietary requirements, we can provide corresponding options in catering arrangements; for tourists from some countries with strict religious beliefs, we must fully respect their religious habits when arranging accommodation and activities." When discussing the production of the promotional video, the director of the video production team said to Mr. Mark, "We want to add some real experience sharing of tourists in the video, which will be more touching. What do you think?" Mr. Mark nodded and praised, "This is a great idea! Tourists' personal experiences and feelings are the most convincing promotion. We can interview tourists of different ages and nationalities and let them tell us about the unforgettable moments during their travels in the Siheyuan, such as the joy of participating in traditional folk activities and the amazement of the architectural details of the Siheyuan. Through their stories, more potential tourists can resonate." As the global promotion plan gradually progresses, Siheyuan has welcomed all kinds of tourists from all over the world. At the Siheyuan Visitor Reception Center, a tourist from France said to the staff: "I have always been fascinated by traditional Chinese culture, and this time I came here specifically for the Siheyuan. I heard that there are traditional Chinese medicine health experience projects here, and I would like to learn about the specific content." The staff responded enthusiastically: "Hello, our Chinese medicine health experience projects include Chinese medicine massage, moxibustion, Chinese herbal tea tasting, etc. Under the guidance of professional Chinese medicine practitioners, you can feel the unique charm of traditional Chinese medicine health culture, relax your body and mind, and relieve travel fatigue." In the traditional handicraft production experience area of ​​the Siheyuan, a tourist from Japan said to the folk artist Master Li: "Your craftsmanship is so exquisite! I am very interested in this wood carving craft. I have also learned some wood carving in Japan, but the style is very different from here. Can you tell me the difference?" Master Li patiently explained: "Japanese wood carvings have their own unique delicacy and exquisiteness, while our Chinese Siheyuan wood carvings pay more attention to the integration with the overall style of the building, and pay attention to the expression of meaning and cultural connotations. For example, the dragon and phoenix patterns on this wood carving symbolize good luck and prosperity in Chinese culture." During a peak tourist season, a tourist from Brazil had his itinerary disrupted due to a flight delay. He anxiously found the tour coordinator and said, "I missed the scheduled visit time. What should I do? I don't want to miss the wonderful part of Siheyuan." The tour coordinator immediately comforted him, "Don't worry, we will readjust the itinerary according to your situation to ensure that you can fully appreciate the charm of Siheyuan. We will give priority to visiting some popular projects for you to minimize the impact of flight delays on your trip." Thanks to the vigorous promotion of international tourism organizations, Siheyuan has become famous in the international tourism market. Travel bloggers from all over the world have come to Siheyuan to check in and share their travel experiences on social media, which has aroused more people's yearning for Siheyuan. A well-known travel blogger wrote in his blog: "Siheyuan is a place full of surprises and touching moments, with historical and cultural treasures hidden in every corner. The tourism services here are considerate and thoughtful, and can meet the needs of tourists whether it is cultural experience or leisure and entertainment. It is not only a tourist destination, but also a journey of the soul." With the help of the promotion platform of the International Tourism Organization, Siheyuan has successfully stepped into the center of the world stage, continuing to write a glorious chapter in the field of international cultural tourism exchanges and cooperation, and becoming a dazzling star in the global multicultural tourism landscape. It has provided a successful example for reference for the international development of cultural tourism in other traditional communities, and has effectively promoted the dissemination and promotion of Chinese traditional culture around the world.