Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 22) With the successful development of the handicraft experience area, the cultural atmosphere of Siheyuan has become more and more intense, and tourists linger here and immerse themselves in the charm of traditional culture. However, He Luo and Lin Yue did not stop exploring. They always pay attention to the new needs of tourists and the new direction of the development of Siheyuan. One day, when He Luo was chatting with tourists, he heard some interesting feedback. A young tourist said, "It's really great here, but it would be better if there were some special food making experiences related to Siheyuan culture. I really want to know how the traditional food of Old Beijing is made." He Luo told Lin Yue about this idea, and Lin Yue's eyes lit up: "This is a very good suggestion! We can invite some chefs who are good at making traditional food in Old Beijing to teach tourists to make roast duck, fried noodles with soybean paste, etc." They immediately took action and began to look for a suitable chef. After inquiring from many sources, they found an experienced chef Wang. He Luo and Lin Yue personally visited Chef Wang and explained their ideas to him. He Luo said: "Chef Wang, we hope to carry out traditional food making experience activities in Siheyuan so that tourists can personally experience the charm of old Beijing food. Do you think you are interested?" Chef Wang smiled and said: "This is a good idea! The food culture of old Beijing is very profound. It is a good thing to let more people understand and experience it. However, food making requires special kitchen equipment, and the freshness and safety of the ingredients must be guaranteed." Lin Yue nodded and said: "Don't worry, we will prepare the right venue and equipment, and the procurement of ingredients will also be strictly controlled." With their careful preparation, the traditional food making experience area of ​​Siheyuan was quickly built. Chef Wang's first class in the experience area attracted many tourists. While showing the production process of roast duck, Chef Wang explained: "For this roast duck, the selection of ingredients is the key. It must be a duck with moderate fat and leanness. You see, the method of handling the duck is also particular..." The tourists gathered around, watching intently and asking questions from time to time. A tourist asked curiously: "Chef, why is the skin of this roast duck so crispy?" Chef Wang smiled and replied: "This is the skill of the heat and seasoning. You will know when you try it yourself later." The scene was very lively as the tourists made it by themselves. Some tourists accidentally sprinkled flour on the people next to them, causing everyone to laugh. "Oh, sorry, I'm too nervous." "It doesn't matter, this is also part of the experience." With the development of the food making experience area, Siheyuan has added another popular project. But at the same time, new problems have also emerged. Due to the increase in experience projects, the demand for water and electricity in Siheyuan has increased significantly, causing some facilities to be overwhelmed. Lao Zhang, who is in charge of logistics, found He Luo: "He Luo, the water and electricity problem has to be taken seriously recently. The wires are a bit aging and the water pipes often leak. This can't go on." He Luo realized the seriousness of the problem. After discussing with Lin Yue, he decided to carry out a comprehensive upgrade and renovation of the water and electricity facilities in Siheyuan. They found a professional water and electricity engineering team. After checking the situation of the Siheyuan, the engineer said: "This renovation project is not small. All the wires need to be re-laid, the water pipes need to be replaced with new materials, and the lines need to be reasonably planned to ensure the stability and safety of the water and electricity supply." He Luo said: "Safety is the first priority. You must ensure quality. In terms of construction period, we also hope to shorten it as much as possible to reduce the impact on the tourists' experience." During the water and electricity renovation, the Siheyuan had to suspend some experience projects, which caused dissatisfaction among some tourists. A tourist complained: "We came all the way here to experience these projects, why did it suddenly stop?" He Luo patiently explained: "I'm really sorry, we are upgrading and renovating the infrastructure so that we can provide you with a better experience in the future. We will complete it as soon as possible." In order to compensate tourists, the Siheyuan provided tourists with some coupons and special souvenirs for surrounding attractions. After a period of intense construction, the renovation of water and electricity facilities was completed. The new wires and water pipes make the operation of the Siheyuan more stable and efficient. At this time, Lin Yue proposed a new idea: "He Luo, we can use the roof space of the Siheyuan to create a sky garden, plant some common flowers and plants in old Beijing, and set up some leisure seats so that tourists can enjoy the panoramic view of the Siheyuan from above." He Luo thought this idea was very creative: "This will not only add a new leisure attraction, but also make the Siheyuan more distinctive. We can find a professional gardener to design it." After the gardener came to the Siheyuan, he designed an exquisite sky garden plan based on the actual situation of the roof. During the construction process, residents also actively participated and helped to carry flowers and soil. After the sky garden was built, tourists praised it. "Looking at the Siheyuan from here, it feels so different, so beautiful!" "These flowers are so beautiful, it's so comfortable to rest here." The Siheyuan continues to shine in the continuous development and innovation. He Luo and Lin Yue continue to lead the Siheyuan towards a better future and write their brilliant chapters.

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 24) The Spring Festival is getting closer and closer, and the Siheyuan is filled with a busy and festive atmosphere. He Luo and Lin Yue are fully committed to the preparation of the Spring Festival theme activities, striving to create a festive feast full of the flavor of the New Year and the characteristics of the Siheyuan for tourists. He Luo and Lin Yue gathered together the management team members, residents' representatives and some staff to discuss the specific details of the Spring Festival activities. He Luo spoke first: "The Spring Festival is our most important traditional festival, and this event must be lively. The temple fair will definitely be the highlight, and we have to plan the stalls so that tourists can taste all kinds of traditional snacks and buy special New Year's goods." Lin Yue went on to say: "Guessing lantern riddles is also a must. We can hang the lantern riddles in the yard and arrange them from the gate to the various rooms to create a mysterious and interesting atmosphere. Moreover, the content of the lantern riddles can include both traditional poetry and word riddles, as well as historical and cultural knowledge related to the courtyard house." Lao Zhang, who is in charge of logistics, asked: "Then if we set off fireworks, we have to consider safety issues carefully." He Luo nodded and said: "That's right, the fireworks setting off point must be selected in an open and safe place, and a dedicated person must be assigned to be in charge, and fire prevention measures must be taken in advance. In addition, we can prepare more handheld fireworks so that tourists can experience them in a safe area." A resident representative suggested: "How can the Spring Festival be without dragon and lion dances? We can invite nearby performance teams to have fun in the yard." Everyone agreed, and this proposal made the whole event more vivid. When preparing for the temple fair snack stalls, He Luo found several chefs who were good at making traditional Beijing snacks. He Luo said to a chef who made candied haws: "Master, you have to prepare more candied haws, which are the children's favorite. And we hope to make some special features, such as using different fruits, and the shape can be more creative." The chef smiled and replied: "Don't worry, I have prepared a lot of new styles, including hawthorn sandwiched with walnuts, and strawberries and grapes strung together. They are guaranteed to be beautiful and delicious." On the other side, Lin Yue was preparing lantern riddles with several staff members. "This lantern riddle is 'a family in a courtyard (guess a word)', and the answer is 'he'. How about it? It has both the elements of the courtyard and is interesting." Lin Yue said while holding the lantern riddle paper. Staff member Xiao Wang praised: "Sister Lin, this is good! We have to prepare more of this." As the Spring Festival approaches, the courtyard is decorated with a new look. Big red lanterns are hung high, colorful lantern riddle strips are swaying in the wind, and various snack stalls are ready, exuding tempting aromas. On New Year's Eve, tourists came to the courtyard early and were attracted by the lively scene here. A tourist said excitedly: "This place has a strong flavor of the New Year. It feels like I'm back to my childhood." The dragon and lion dance performance began. Amid the cheerful sound of gongs and drums, the golden dragon and silver lion rolled up and down, and cheers and applause continued to come from the crowd. After the performance, tourists flocked to the temple fair area to taste snacks and buy New Year's goods. A child held his parents' hands and stared at the candied haws stall: "Mom, I want the biggest candied haws." The parents smiled and said: "Okay, you can eat enough today." The lantern riddle guessing area was also surrounded by people, and everyone was racking their brains to guess the lantern riddles. A young tourist guessed a lantern riddle and happily ran to receive the prize: "Haha, I guessed it, this lantern riddle is so interesting." As night fell, the fireworks show officially began. The bright fireworks bloomed in the night sky, illuminating the entire courtyard. The tourists held fireworks in their hands, playing happily, with happy smiles on their faces. The Spring Festival theme event was a huge success, and tourists praised the event highly. But He Luo and Lin Yue were not satisfied with this, and they began to think about the follow-up development. After the Spring Festival, He Luo and Lin Yue took a walk in the yard and discussed new plans. He Luo said: "This Spring Festival event made me think that we can launch corresponding theme activities for each traditional festival, such as the Lantern Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moon-watching party." Lin Yue nodded and said: "Yes, each festival has its unique cultural connotation. We can dig deep and let tourists have new experiences at different times." Just as they were discussing, a tourist came up to them and said: "Your courtyard is really great. The Spring Festival event impressed me deeply. I hope there will be more experience projects related to traditional culture in the future, such as the ancient etiquette culture experience." He Luo smiled and replied: "Thank you very much for your suggestion. We are considering launching more special activities on different traditional festivals. The etiquette culture experience is also a very good direction." The suggestion of this tourist made He Luo and Lin Yue more determined to expand the traditional festival cultural experience project. They know that the cultural heritage of Siheyuan is still a long way to go, and every new idea may bring new vitality and vigor to this place. So, they started a new journey of preparation, working hard for the wonderful activities of the next traditional festival, and the story of Siheyuan will continue in these colorful activities.

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 25) After the tourists proposed the ancient etiquette and cultural experience, He Luo and Lin Yue began to prepare for the relevant matters without stopping. They knew that this would be another important part of the inheritance of Siheyuan's traditional culture. He Luo and Lin Yue first found a scholar who studied ancient etiquette culture and asked him how to carry out etiquette and cultural experience projects in Siheyuan. The scholar received them warmly and said, "The ancient etiquette culture is profound and extensive, and different occasions have different etiquette. If you want to carry out experience projects in the Siheyuan, you can start with some common and representative etiquette, such as the coming-of-age ceremony and the apprenticeship ceremony." He Luo asked, "What is the specific process of these etiquette? What props do we need to prepare?" The scholar explained in detail: "Take the coming-of-age ceremony as an example. The men's cap ceremony and the women's hairpin ceremony have strict procedures. It is necessary to prepare formal wear, crowns, hairpins and other clothing props, as well as sacrificial supplies such as sweet wine. During the ceremony, there are steps such as adding a crown or hairpin, taking a name, and each step has corresponding blessings." Lin Yue took notes carefully, and then said, "Then we have to find professional teachers to guide tourists to complete these etiquette and ensure the accuracy of the procedures." The scholar nodded and said, "Yes, the standardization of etiquette is very important. And in the process of explanation, the cultural significance behind these etiquette can be integrated, so that tourists not only know what it is, but also why it is." After a period of preparation, the ancient etiquette culture experience area was built in a quiet corner of the Siheyuan. They invited a professional etiquette teacher to host the experience activity. On the first day of the coming-of-age ceremony experience activity, many tourists came to participate. The etiquette teacher, dressed in traditional costumes, solemnly introduced to the tourists: "The coming-of-age ceremony is an important ceremony in the growth process of men and women in ancient times, marking that they have taken on the responsibility of adults from then on. Now, we will start the capping ceremony for this young man." The tourists gathered around and watched quietly and attentively. The etiquette teacher guided the tourists who played the "capper" to put on formal clothes, and then put on the caps one by one. Every time the caps were put on, the teacher had to recite the corresponding blessing. "On the auspicious day of the month, the first costume was put on. Abandon your childish ambitions, follow your virtues. May you live a long and healthy life, and enjoy your good fortune..." A tourist whispered to the person next to him: "These blessings are really culturally profound, and I feel that this ceremony is so sacred." When the capping ceremony was over, the "capper" who participated in the experience said excitedly: "This is a very special experience, which makes me have a deeper respect for ancient culture." With the development of the etiquette culture experience project, more and more tourists are attracted. But at the same time, some new problems have also emerged. Some tourists feel that the explanation of etiquette is too profound and difficult to understand. A young tourist said to He Luo: "These etiquette knowledge is too complicated. Can it be explained in a more popular and understandable way?" He Luo fed this question back to the etiquette teachers and scholars. After discussion, they decided to optimize the content of the explanation. In the subsequent explanations, the etiquette teacher began to use more modern language and examples to explain the ancient etiquette. "You can think of the cap ceremony as our current 18-year-old adult ceremony. It is a way to declare that you have grown up. And those complicated procedures and congratulations are like the blessings and expectations of our family and society for our adults." This way of explanation makes it easier for tourists to accept. After the etiquette cultural experience project gradually stabilized, He Luo and Lin Yue began to prepare for the Dragon Boat Festival. Lin Yue said to He Luo: "Dragon Boat Festival, we can hold a small dragon boat experience event in the pool of the quadrangle, plus traditional customs such as making rice dumplings and hanging calamus." He Luo agreed: "Okay, the dragon boat experience needs to prepare some small dragon boat models, so that tourists can compete in groups. For making rice dumplings, we can invite residents to teach tourists together, which is more interactive." They began to prepare dragon boat models and materials such as rice dumplings and glutinous rice. At the same time, calamus and mugwort were hung in the courtyard. On the Dragon Boat Festival, the courtyard was bustling again. By the pool, tourists wore life jackets and sat on small dragon boats, excitedly preparing for the race. "Come on! Come on!" The tourists on the shore cheered. In the rice dumpling wrapping area, residents patiently taught tourists the skills of wrapping rice dumplings. An old lady smiled and said to a young tourist: "Girl, it's not difficult to wrap rice dumplings. Look, fold the rice dumpling leaves like this, and then put in glutinous rice..." The young tourist learned very seriously: "Auntie, I learned it. It's really interesting." The successful holding of the Dragon Boat Festival activities has allowed the courtyard to take another solid step on the road of inheriting traditional culture. However, with the increase in tourists, the carrying capacity of the courtyard is once again facing challenges. He Luo and the management team began to discuss how to further improve the reception capacity and tourist experience without destroying the atmosphere of the courtyard. Xiao Wang suggested: "We can rent some more houses near the Siheyuan and transform them into temporary rest areas and cultural display areas to form an organic whole with the main body of the Siheyuan." Lao Zhang said: "We also need to optimize the tour routes to avoid tourists being overly concentrated in certain areas and to ensure smooth tours." He Luo and Lin Yue summarized everyone's opinions and started new planning and preparations. The development of the Siheyuan continues to move forward while constantly solving problems.