Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

"Siheyuan Storm" As the popularity of Siheyuan continues to rise in the international tourism market, many international education institutions have taken a fancy to the rich cultural and educational resources of Siheyuan and have come to seek cooperation opportunities, hoping to establish a long-term cultural exchange and educational practice base. One of the influential international education alliances has reached a cooperation intention with the Siheyuan community and plans to launch the "Siheyuan Cultural International Study Camp" project, allowing students from all over the world to go deep into the Siheyuan, experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture, and conduct cross-cultural learning and exchanges. Ms. Emily, the project leader of the International Education Alliance, came to Siheyuan to discuss the specific arrangements of the study camp with community educators. Ms. Emily said: "Our study camp will recruit students of different ages from all over the world. In terms of curriculum setting, we plan to design a series of distinctive courses by combining the architectural culture, folk culture, traditional handicrafts and other aspects of the Siheyuan. For example, we will offer a Siheyuan architectural structure analysis course to let students understand the wisdom and aesthetics of traditional Chinese architecture; organize folk culture experience classes, such as learning the customs of traditional Chinese festivals and participating in folk games; and traditional handicraft production courses, such as paper cutting, pottery, embroidery, etc., so that students can make handicrafts with Chinese characteristics by themselves." Teacher Zhang from the community asked a question: "Ms. Emily, students from different countries have very different cultural backgrounds. How can we ensure that they can understand and absorb the content of these courses during the teaching process?" Ms. Emily replied: "This is indeed a challenge, but we also have corresponding strategies. First of all, we will be equipped with a professional multilingual team of teachers who are not only proficient in Chinese and English, but also have rich experience in cross-cultural education. In the teaching process, they will use vivid teaching methods, such as multimedia presentations, on-site demonstrations, group interactions, etc., to help students better understand. For example, when explaining the Siheyuan architectural structure, you can use 3D models allow students to see the various parts of the building more intuitively; in the folk culture experience class, students are divided into groups to simulate festival customs to enhance their sense of participation and understanding. " In terms of accommodation arrangements, Director Li of the Siheyuan Community said: "We plan to arrange for students to stay in the renovated Siheyuan B&B so that they can experience the living atmosphere of the Siheyuan in all aspects. However, considering the safety and management of the students, we need to formulate some detailed accommodation regulations." Ms. Emily agreed: "Yes, safety is the first priority. We can arrange special dormitory managers to be responsible for the daily life management and safety of the students. At the same time, some public learning and communication spaces are set up in the Siheyuan B&B to facilitate students to conduct cultural exchanges and discussions after class. For example, the "Siheyuan Cultural Night" event is held to allow students to share the cultural characteristics of their own countries and enhance mutual understanding. " When the first batch of students from the "Siheyuan Cultural International Study Camp" arrived, the Siheyuan was full of youthful vitality and the atmosphere of multicultural integration. In the architectural structure analysis class, a student from Germany said to the teacher: "Teacher, I found that the architectural layout of the Siheyuan is similar to some traditional German buildings. Both pay attention to the use of space and functional zoning. However, the courtyard design of the Siheyuan is more exquisite, full of the harmonious beauty of nature and humanity. Does this reflect the unique understanding of nature in traditional Chinese culture?" The teacher smiled and replied: "You are very observant. In traditional Chinese culture, man and nature are interdependent. The courtyard of the Siheyuan is the embodiment of this concept. People can feel the changes of the four seasons here and have close contact with nature." In the folk culture experience class, a student from India encountered difficulties in learning traditional Chinese paper-cutting. He said to the folk artist Grandma Wang: "Grandma Wang, I always can't cut this pattern well. Can you show me again?" Grandma Wang taught him step by step: "Child, don't be anxious. Paper cutting requires patience and carefulness. Look, cut slowly like this, pay attention to the smoothness of the lines..." In the pottery class of the traditional handicraft production course, a student from the United States said excitedly: "I have never experienced making pottery. This is so interesting! I will take my pottery works back to show my family and friends so that they can also feel the charm of traditional Chinese handicrafts." With the smooth development of the study camp, the students have not only gained a lot in knowledge and skills, but also established deep friendships in cultural exchanges. At the end of the study camp, a student from Italy said with emotion: "This trip to the Siheyuan is the most unforgettable experience in my life. I have learned a lot about traditional Chinese culture here and met friends from all over the world. The Siheyuan is like a cultural bridge that connects people from different countries and regions." The successful holding of the "Siheyuan Culture International Study Camp" project has further enhanced the popularity and influence of Siheyuan in the field of international education, injected new vitality into the inheritance and development of Siheyuan culture, continued to write the glorious chapter of Siheyuan in the field of international cultural exchange and educational cooperation, and became an excellent example of cross-cultural education practice, inspiring more international education institutions to carry out in-depth cooperation with traditional communities and jointly promote the diversified development and prosperity of global cultural education.

"Siheyuan Storm" After the "Siheyuan Culture International Study Camp" project achieved remarkable results, the Siheyuan community began to think about how to further deepen cultural inheritance and innovation, so it turned its attention to the emerging field of cultural and technological integration - blockchain technology. The Siheyuan community intends to use the characteristics of blockchain that cannot be tampered with, traceable, and distributed storage to build a Siheyuan cultural digital asset protection and inheritance platform to ensure that all types of digital resources related to Siheyuan culture, such as historical documents, video materials, creative works, etc., are safely and efficiently preserved and inherited, and provide a solid data foundation and property rights protection for cultural innovation. The Siheyuan community invited a team of blockchain technology experts to discuss cooperation matters. Dr. Li, a technical expert, introduced the project concept in detail: "We will create a unique digital identity for each digital asset of Siheyuan culture on the blockchain platform, just like issuing them a unique 'digital ID card'. Whether it is old photos of Siheyuan, historical story texts, or modern digital artworks based on Siheyuan, their creation sources, modification processes, and copyright ownership information can be clearly recorded on the blockchain. For example, a digital painting with Siheyuan as the theme, from the painter's initial conceptual sketch to every version iteration with color adjustment and detail improvement, can be completely retained on the blockchain, and no one can tamper with it, which provides irrefutable proof of the authenticity and originality of the work." Xiao Zhao, a community cultural worker, asked doubtfully: "Dr. Li, this sounds high-end, but for us ordinary residents and cultural enthusiasts, how can we use this platform? Will it be complicated to operate?" Dr. Li patiently explained: "Xiao Zhao, the design of this platform will fully consider the convenience of users. Ordinary residents can simply register and log in to upload the relevant information of Siheyuan culture in their hands, such as old photos passed down by the family, audio of Siheyuan stories told by the elders, etc. When browsing and using these digital assets, the platform will provide a simple and intuitive interface, just as convenient as the social media platforms we usually use. For example, if cultural enthusiasts want to find pictures of the architectural style of Siheyuan in a specific era, they only need to enter relevant keywords in the search bar, and the platform can quickly and accurately filter out digital assets that meet the requirements, and display their detailed source information and related background stories." When discussing the incentive mechanism for cultural innovation, Director Sun of the Siheyuan Community said: "We hope that this platform can not only protect cultural heritage, but also encourage more people to innovate and create based on Siheyuan culture. In this regard, what role can blockchain technology play?" Dr. Li replied: "Director Sun, blockchain technology can effectively solve the problems of copyright protection and benefit distribution in cultural innovation. When creators publish innovative works based on Siheyuan culture on the platform, such as a piece of music that incorporates Siheyuan elements or a short video with Siheyuan as the background, the blockchain will automatically record key data such as the creation time and author information of the work, forming an unalterable copyright certificate. Once the work is used commercially or obtains other benefits, the platform can automatically distribute the benefits to the creator and related cultural heritage contributors according to pre-set smart contract rules. This will greatly stimulate people's creative enthusiasm and promote the innovative development of Siheyuan culture." As the construction of the platform gradually progressed, some cultural and creative enterprises also began to pay attention to and participate in it. Mr. Zhang, the general manager of a creative design company, said to Dr. Li, “Our company is very interested in developing creative products using Siheyuan cultural elements. Can this blockchain platform provide us with some valuable creative inspiration and material screening services?” Dr. Li said, “Of course. The platform can use data analysis technology to dig out popular elements, potential creative directions and other information in Siheyuan cultural digital assets, and push them to creative companies like you. For example, according to platform data, traditional door and window carvings in Siheyuan have been quite popular in cultural and creative product design in recent years. The platform can recommend relevant high-definition pictures, cultural connotation interpretations and other information to your company, helping you to grasp market demand more accurately and develop more attractive creative products.” When the Siheyuan Cultural Digital Asset Protection and Inheritance Platform was officially launched, it attracted the participation of many cultural enthusiasts, creators and researchers. A historian found a precious manuscript on the historical changes of Siheyuan on the platform. He said excitedly: "This manuscript has always been the missing link in my research. I didn't expect to find it on this platform. Blockchain technology ensures the authenticity and integrity of the manuscript, which is very helpful for my research work." After a young digital artist posted his Siheyuan-themed virtual reality work on the platform, he said: "This platform provides a broad display space and copyright protection for my creation. I believe that more people will know my work because of this platform, and more people will be inspired by Siheyuan culture to create more excellent digital art works." The successful construction of the Siheyuan Cultural Digital Asset Protection and Inheritance Platform marks a solid step forward for Siheyuan on the road of cultural and technological integration and innovation. It continues the glorious chapter of Siheyuan in the field of emerging technologies to help cultural inheritance and innovation, and becomes a model for the combination of traditional culture and modern blockchain technology. It provides valuable reference experience for other cultural heritage sites to use scientific and technological means to protect and innovate culture, and promotes the vigorous development of cultural inheritance and innovation in the digital age.

"Siheyuan Storm" With the stable operation of the Siheyuan cultural digital asset protection and inheritance platform, its influence has gradually radiated to a wider range of cultural industries. A well-known film and television special effects production company has keenly captured the huge creative potential contained therein and took the initiative to contact the Siheyuan community, hoping to deeply explore the rich Siheyuan cultural materials on the platform and integrate them into the special effects production of a large-scale costume TV series with ancient urban life as the background, so as to create a film and television work with a strong traditional cultural heritage and stunning visual effects, and further enhance the popularity and reputation of Siheyuan culture in the film and television entertainment industry. Mr. Chen, the creative director of the film and television special effects production company, led the team to the Siheyuan and had a lively exchange and discussion with the community's cultural consultants and platform technicians. Mr. Chen said passionately: "We plan to reproduce the appearance of Siheyuan in different periods of ancient times in the TV series, from the prosperous Siheyuan in the capital to the tranquil courtyards in the water towns of the south of the Yangtze River, all of which will be presented to the audience with the most realistic special effects. We will use the architectural structure data, historical documents and various image materials on the platform to construct a highly restored 3D model of the Siheyuan, and then use advanced special effects rendering technology to give it fresh vitality. For example, we will show the beautiful scenery of the Siheyuan changing with the seasons, with colorful flowers in spring, shady trees in summer, falling leaves in autumn, and snow-covered in winter; we will also simulate the life scenes in the ancient Siheyuan, such as family sacrifices, weddings and funerals, so that the audience will feel as if they have traveled through time and space and are in the ancient Siheyuan." Mr. Zhao, the cultural consultant of the Siheyuan community, expressed his concerns: "Mr. Chen, you must respect historical facts and the connotation of Siheyuan culture in the creative process, and you must not distort or exaggerate certain elements in pursuit of visual effects." Mr. Chen nodded quickly and said, "Mr. Zhao, don't worry. We have a professional historical and cultural research team, and they will work closely with the technical staff of the platform to ensure that every detail is in line with historical facts and cultural logic. When recreating the architectural style of the Siheyuan, we will strictly follow the architectural regulations and style characteristics of different dynasties. From the shape of the roof, the style of doors and windows to the layout of the courtyard, there will be no sloppiness. We will also conduct in-depth research on the cultural elements in the Siheyuan and accurately present them in the special effects. For example, in the scene of family sacrifice, we will present in detail the types of sacrifices, the process of sacrifice, and the costumes and ritual movements of the participants based on the information about ancient sacrificial rituals on the platform." When discussing the technical details of special effects production, Xiao Li, a technical backbone of the special effects company, said to the technical staff of the platform, "We need to obtain high-resolution Siheyuan architectural texture materials from the platform in order to present a more delicate and realistic effect in the special effects model. However, there may be some compatibility issues between the format of these materials and our production software. Can you provide some technical support?" The platform technician replied: "Xiao Li, we can convert and optimize the format of the material to ensure that it can be smoothly imported into your production software. At the same time, we will also provide some technical documents and sample codes on the use of materials to help you better use these materials for special effects production. If you encounter other technical problems during the production process, we will keep in touch at any time and solve them together." During the filming of the TV series, an actor said to the director: "Director, I don’t quite understand the life scenes of the character I play in the courtyard. I feel that I can’t grasp the atmosphere and emotions well." After thinking for a moment, the director said: "You can go to the platform to read more video materials and text records about courtyard life, and learn about the way people get along, daily activities and emotional expressions in ancient courtyards. For example, the neighborhood relationship in the courtyard is very close, everyone helps and cares for each other, and this emotion should be reflected in your performance; and the family concept in the courtyard is very strong, and the character’s status and responsibilities in the family will also affect his behavior and emotions. By studying these materials, you should be able to better interpret the role. "When this costume TV series was broadcast, it caused a strong response among the audience. One viewer left a message on social media: "The Siheyuan special effects in this drama are simply amazing! Every Siheyuan scene is like a beautiful painting, which gives me a more intuitive and profound understanding of the ancient Siheyuan culture. Moreover, the show's presentation of Siheyuan life scenes and cultural elements is very delicate, making me feel as if I have traveled back to ancient times and felt the life atmosphere of people in that era." A film and television critic also commented: "The success of this TV series is largely due to the in-depth excavation and wonderful presentation of Siheyuan cultural materials. The Siheyuan Cultural Digital Asset Protection and Inheritance Platform provides rich resources and solid technical support for film and television creation, allowing traditional culture to enter the audience's field of vision in a new and attractive way. This not only provides new ideas and examples for cultural innovation in the film and television industry, but also opens up a broader path for the dissemination of Siheyuan culture. "The successful combination of Siheyuan culture and film and television special effects production once again demonstrates the strong adaptability and unlimited creativity of Siheyuan in the process of cultural diversity and integration, continues to write the glorious chapter of Siheyuan in the field of film and television culture, and becomes a classic case of collaborative innovation between traditional culture and modern film and television technology. It inspires more film and television practitioners and cultural institutions to explore effective ways to deeply integrate traditional culture with modern film and television art, and promote the film and television cultural industry to develop in the direction of greater cultural connotation and artistic quality.