Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 3) After the successful conclusion of the Siheyuan Cultural and Creative Competition, He Luo and Lin Yue immediately began to work with companies to transform outstanding creative works into actual products. They knew that this was a key step in further promoting Siheyuan culture to the market and into the lives of the public. He Luo and Lin Yue first met with a well-known cultural and creative product development company. He Luo showed the other party some of the outstanding design works of the competition and introduced them: "These designs are cleverly integrated with the cultural elements of Siheyuan and have high commercial development value. For example, this series of jewelry designed with the wood carving patterns of Siheyuan doors and windows as inspiration is both fashionable and full of cultural heritage." Mr. Wang, the head of the cultural and creative company, looked at the design drawings carefully and nodded in praise: "These designs are indeed wonderful. However, when turning them into products, we need to consider cost control and market positioning. The material selection of jewelry products is very important. We must ensure quality and meet the cost budget." Lin Yue responded: "We can discuss the choice of materials together. Maybe we can try some new environmentally friendly materials, which can reduce costs and reflect modernity. For market positioning, I think it can be aimed at young consumers who are interested in traditional culture and pursue individuality and cultural connotations." When discussing the cooperation of film and television adaptation of novels with Siheyuan as the background, Mr. Zhao of the film and television production company expressed his own views: "The story of this novel is very attractive, but the film and television adaptation needs further polishing of the script. We need to consider how to enhance the visual effects and rhythm of the story while retaining the cultural characteristics of Siheyuan." He Luo suggested: "We can invite the original author to participate in the script adaptation to ensure that the core of the story remains unchanged. At the same time, we can use more Siheyuan elements in the scene design to show the unique spatial beauty of the Siheyuan." During the product development process, some technical difficulties were encountered. The craftsman in charge of jewelry production said to He Luo: "This jewelry inspired by wood carving patterns is challenging in production technology. To present the pattern in detail, special molds and carving techniques are required." He Luo contacted relevant technical experts. After looking at the design, the experts said: "We can use D printing technology to make molds, so that the details of the pattern can be accurately restored. Then use hand carving to make some modifications to ensure the texture of the jewelry." For film and television projects, there are also different opinions at the casting stage. The director hopes to find actors who are well-known and whose image fits the role, while the producer considers cost factors. The director said to the producer: "This protagonist needs to have strong acting skills and unique temperament. Although the actor I chose has a higher salary, he can interpret the role well." The producer hesitated: "Our budget is limited. If we choose him, the investment in other aspects may be affected. We can consider some new actors with potential, who are more cost-effective." During the discussion, they decided to conduct an open casting to find the most suitable actor. In a casting interview, the director said to a young actor: "What do you understand about this role? This character grew up in a courtyard house and has a deep affection for the courtyard culture. You have to show that kind of delicate emotion." The young actor replied: "I think he is like an old tree in the courtyard house, rooted here, witnessing the changes of the courtyard house. Every look and every movement of his should reveal his attachment to this land." With the advancement of product development and film and television projects, publicity and promotion work also began to be prepared. The team responsible for publicity proposed: "We can first release some product design sketches and concept posters of film and television projects through social media to attract public attention. At the same time, we can hold some offline experience activities, such as showing the jewelry making process, novel reading sessions, etc." Lin Yue agreed: "These activities can allow the public to have a deeper understanding of our project. We can also invite some cultural bloggers and Internet celebrities to participate and expand the scope of publicity." In an offline jewelry making experience activity, a participant said to the craftsman: "It turns out that there are so many crafts and cultural connotations behind this jewelry. I think such a product is very meaningful and I will definitely buy it." At the novel reading session, the audience was attracted by the wonderful clips. An audience member said to the author: "You wrote so well and portrayed the story of Siheyuan so vividly. I can't wait to see the film and television works." After the efforts of all parties, Siheyuan's cultural and creative products and film and television projects were successfully launched. The jewelry series was very popular in the market, and the film and television works also received good ratings and reputation after being broadcast. A young girl who bought jewelry said: "This jewelry is not only beautiful, but also allows me to feel the charm of Siheyuan culture. I like it very much." Movie and TV viewers commented online: "This drama gave me a new understanding of Siheyuan. Every scene is full of cultural atmosphere." He Luo and Lin Yue looked at these achievements and felt a sense of accomplishment. They know that there is still a long way to go in the inheritance and development of Siheyuan culture, but they have found a promising path and will continue to move forward along this path to create more glory for Siheyuan culture.

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 42) With the hot sales of Siheyuan cultural and creative products and the success of film and television works, the popularity of Siheyuan has skyrocketed, attracting tourists from all over the world and more business cooperation opportunities. He Luo and Lin Yue know that they cannot be satisfied with the status quo and must continue to explore the potential of Siheyuan culture and expand its commercial and cultural value. He Luo and Lin Yue began to discuss cooperation with an international travel company and planned to launch an international cultural tourism route with Siheyuan as the core. Tom, a representative of the travel company, said to He Luo, "The cultural charm of the Siheyuan is also very attractive internationally. We can combine it with other famous attractions in Beijing to create a high-end international tourist route to attract foreign tourists." He Luo responded, "This is a good idea, but we must ensure that international tourists can truly understand and appreciate the essence of Siheyuan culture. We can arrange professional bilingual tour guides to provide tourists with detailed and in-depth explanations." Lin Yue added, "Yes, you can also add some experiential cultural activities to the tour route, such as allowing tourists to personally participate in the celebration of Siheyuan traditional festivals, or learn simple traditional handicrafts." In the process of preparing international tourist routes, the training of bilingual tour guides became key. The training teacher said to the tour guides: "You must not only be proficient in English, but also be able to accurately convey the connotation of Siheyuan culture in English. For example, the architectural layout of Siheyuan, terms such as 'back house' and 'hanging flower gate' must be explained clearly in simple and easy-to-understand English." A tour guide asked: "Teacher, what about the folk culture of Siheyuan, such as wedding and funeral customs, which is very rich in content. How can we make foreign tourists understand it in a limited time?" The training teacher replied: "You can select some representative links to focus on, such as the sedan chair welcoming the bride and jumping over the fire basin at the wedding, and present them to tourists through stories and performances." At the same time, in order to meet the accommodation needs of international tourists, homestays around Siheyuan also need to be upgraded. Mr. Li, the owner of the B&B, said to He Luo, "We have to improve the facilities and services of the B&B to meet international standards. The room layout should be more warm and comfortable, and international dining options should be provided." He Luo suggested: "We can add some dishes with Chinese characteristics but in line with international tastes, such as a modified version of Kung Pao Chicken and roast duck pancakes. The decoration of the room can include some Chinese and English translations of the courtyard culture." After the international tourism route was launched, the first batch of international tourists arrived. Xiao Li, a tour guide, took a group of foreign tourists to visit a Siheyuan and introduced enthusiastically: "Welcome to the traditional Chinese quadrangle courtyard. This is the 'Siheyuan', which has a history of hundreds of years." A foreign tourist asked curiously: "What's the meaning of this structure?" Xiao Li replied: "The layout of the Siheyuan reflects the traditional Chinese family culture. The main house in the middle is for the elders, and the side rooms are for the younger generations. It shows respect for the elders and the unity of the family. " In the traditional handicraft experience activity, foreign tourists learned paper cutting with great interest. A foreign lady held her crooked paper-cut and said to the instructor with a smile: "This is so interesting. I never thought I could make something like this." The instructor encouraged: "Yes, you did a great job. Chinese paper-cutting has a long history." However, in the process of international tourism operations, some problems caused by cultural differences have also emerged. For example, in terms of catering, some foreign tourists are not used to the taste of some traditional Chinese dishes. A foreign tourist said to the owner of the homestay: "I'm sorry, but I don't really like the taste of this dish. Is there any other option? " The owner of the homestay, Mr. Li, quickly said: "Of course. We have some Western-style sandwiches and salads if you prefer." In terms of travel itinerary arrangements, some foreign tourists feel too tight and a little tired. After listening to the tourists' opinions, tour guide Xiao Li said to He Luo: "We have to adjust the itinerary to give tourists more free time so that they can experience the Siheyuan culture at their own pace." He Luo agreed: "You are right. We must optimize the tour routes in a timely manner based on tourists' feedback to improve tourists' satisfaction." After continuous adjustments and improvements, international tourist routes with Siheyuan as the core are becoming more and more popular with international tourists. The culture of Siheyuan has also spread to all parts of the world with these international tourists, attracting more international attention. Seeing the positive role played by Siheyuan in international cultural exchanges, He Luo and Lin Yue are more confident in future development. They plan to further expand international cooperation and let Siheyuan culture shine more brightly around the world.

# Rebirth of Siheyuan: Brilliant Life (Continued 43) As international tourism routes gradually mature, Siheyuan has become a bright name card for international cultural exchanges. He Luo and Lin Yue decided to build on their success and further deepen the influence of Siheyuan in the international cultural field. They began to prepare for an international Siheyuan cultural seminar, inviting cultural scholars, architectural experts, and tourism industry elites from all over the world to discuss the inheritance, development, and international promotion of Siheyuan culture. He Luo and Lin Yue discussed the details of the preparations for the seminar with their team members. Lin Yue said: "This seminar is of great significance. We must ensure that we invite authoritative figures in various fields. We can contact the Sinology Research Centers, Schools of Architecture, etc. of internationally renowned universities and ask them to recommend suitable candidates." Team member Xiao Wang responded: "Yes, we can also publish information about the seminar on the international cultural exchange platform to attract more interested experts to sign up. The agenda setting of the seminar should cover many aspects of Siheyuan culture, such as the historical origins of Siheyuan, its architectural and artistic value, and its status in contemporary international tourism." In the process of contacting international scholars, He Luo got in touch with a famous British architectural historian: "Hello, professor. We are preparing a seminar on Siheyuan culture. Your outstanding achievements in the field of architectural history and your research on oriental architectural culture make us very much hope that you can attend and share your insights on Siheyuan architectural art." The professor responded on the other end of the phone: "Siheyuan is a very unique architectural form, and I am very interested. I have also recently been studying the inspiration of traditional oriental architecture on modern architectural design, and Siheyuan will be a good case." At the same time, the venue layout of the seminar is also being carefully prepared. When the staff were discussing the decoration of the venue, someone suggested: "We can display some exquisite pictures and architectural models of Siheyuan around the venue to create a strong cultural atmosphere. At the same time, set up some multimedia display areas to play documentaries and related cultural introductions of Siheyuan." Another staff member suggested: "In the seating arrangement, we should consider the convenience of communication. We can adopt the form of round tables or small groups sitting around, instead of the traditional sitting in rows, which is more conducive to the interaction of scholars in the discussion session." On the eve of the seminar, all preparations were carried out in an orderly manner. However, there were also some minor episodes. A Japanese folklore expert who had originally agreed to attend was unable to come due to something, but he recommended one of his outstanding students to replace him. He Luo communicated with the student: "Although it is a pity that your teacher cannot come, we are very happy that you can represent him. I hope you can share your research on the similarities and differences between Japanese traditional architecture and Siheyuan culture at the seminar." The student said modestly: "I will try my best. I am also very interested in Siheyuan culture. This opportunity is rare. I have prepared a lot of information." On the day of the seminar, experts and scholars from all over the world gathered in Siheyuan. At the beginning of the meeting, He Luo, as the representative of the organizer, gave a speech: "Welcome to the Siheyuan to participate in this international seminar. As a treasure of Chinese traditional culture, the Siheyuan carries rich historical and cultural connotations. Today, we gather here to jointly explore new opportunities and new developments of Siheyuan culture in international cultural exchanges." In the keynote speech session, a British architectural historian took the stage: "The architectural layout of the Siheyuan is a manifestation of wisdom. Its combination of closedness and openness not only ensures the privacy of the family, but also has a good interaction with the external environment. This design concept has important reference significance for community planning in modern architecture..." The scholars in the audience listened carefully and recorded the key points from time to time. In the discussion session, the atmosphere became even more enthusiastic. An American tourism industry expert said: "Siheyuan has great potential in the international tourism market, but we need to better solve the problems caused by cultural differences. For example, how to make foreign tourists better understand some abstract concepts in Siheyuan culture, such as 'feng shui', is a challenge." A Chinese scholar responded: "We can make foreign tourists understand through some practical cases and scientific explanations. For example, the relationship between the orientation of Siheyuan buildings and lighting and ventilation is consistent with some contents of the 'feng shui' concept." During the tea break of the seminar, scholars also exchanged their ideas with each other. A French cultural scholar said to a Chinese architecture expert: "The decorative art of Siheyuan is very charming. Those wood carvings, brick carvings and stone carvings all have profound meanings. In my research, I found that they have similar cultural expressions with French medieval architectural decorations in some aspects, both of which are the yearning for a better life." The Chinese architecture expert smiled and said: "Yes, although the cultural backgrounds are different, there are many commonalities in the pursuit of beauty and the expression of cultural meanings in architectural decoration." With the successful conclusion of the seminar, a series of valuable views and suggestions came into being. This seminar not only raised the popularity of Siheyuan in the international cultural community, but also provided rich theoretical support and practical direction for the further development and international promotion of Siheyuan. With these valuable gains, He Luo and Lin Yue began to plan a new development path. They hope to integrate Siheyuan culture more deeply into the international cultural stage.