Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

After the "Siheyuan Culture into Campus" activity achieved remarkable results, the residents of Siheyuan did not stop the pace of innovation and development. They realized that with the changes of the times, digital communication will become an important way to inherit and promote culture. Therefore, Siheyuan decided to build its own exclusive cultural digital platform. A young man working in the Internet industry took the initiative to offer advice on the construction of Siheyuan's digital platform. He told the residents: "This digital platform can include an official website, mobile application and social media accounts. On the official website and mobile application, we can set up a virtual panoramic tour of the Siheyuan, so that those who cannot come to the Siheyuan in person can also experience its charm in person. At the same time, we can also upload some in-depth interpretation articles and video lectures about Siheyuan culture, as well as residents' life stories." Xiao Ming asked: "What is the social media account mainly used for?" The young man replied: "Social media accounts play a big role. We can regularly release the latest activity information and cultural exhibition previews of Siheyuan. We can also carry out online interactive activities, such as Siheyuan cultural knowledge quizzes, photography competitions, etc., to attract more netizens to pay attention to Siheyuan culture. Moreover, through the sharing and dissemination of netizens, the influence of Siheyuan can be rapidly expanded." During the platform construction process, everyone had an in-depth discussion on how to present the cultural characteristics of Siheyuan. A resident said: “We have to showcase the unique traditional customs of the Siheyuan, such as the Kitchen God worship ceremony during the Chinese New Year and the moon-watching and worship custom during the Mid-Autumn Festival, so that everyone knows that the Siheyuan culture is not just about architecture, but also about these colorful folk activities.” Another resident added: “Yes, and the traditional Siheyuan food cannot be left out. We can invite several residents who are good at making traditional food to record cooking videos, such as noodles with soybean paste, donkey rolls, and Aiwowowo, so that everyone can learn about the Siheyuan culture while also learning about these foods.” After the digital platform was built, the Siheyuan held an online live broadcast event, leading netizens to “travel” around the Siheyuan. The anchor walked around every corner of the courtyard house while introducing: "What you are seeing now is the main house of the courtyard house. This is where the elders of the family lived in the past. The placement of the furniture in the house is strictly controlled, reflecting the traditional Chinese etiquette culture." A netizen left a message in the barrage: "This courtyard house is really charming. I have only seen it on TV before, and I didn't expect there is so much knowledge in it." During the live broadcast of the traditional food making session, Aunt Zhao, who is good at making noodles with soybean paste, said to the camera: "The key to this noodles with soybean paste is the soybean paste. First, cut the fat and lean pork into small cubes, put a proper amount of oil in the pot, add the scallions, ginger and garlic after the oil is hot, then add the diced meat and stir-fry, add the yellow paste after the diced meat changes color, and simmer over low heat, and the fragrance will come out." Netizens gave thumbs up one after another. One netizen said: "I'm drooling just looking at it. I must make it once according to Aunt Zhao's method." With the operation of digital platforms, the popularity of the courtyard house has further increased, attracting the attention of many cultural institutions and enterprises at home and abroad. An international cultural exchange company contacted Siheyuan and expressed the hope to cooperate in international cultural exchange projects. The company representative told the residents: "We can organize foreign cultural enthusiasts and student groups to come to Siheyuan for on-site exchanges and learning. At the same time, we can also bring the cultural display of Siheyuan abroad, such as holding Siheyuan cultural exhibitions and cultural performances abroad, so that more international friends can understand China's Siheyuan culture." The residents readily agreed, knowing that this is a great opportunity to promote Siheyuan culture to the world. In the process of preparing for the international cultural exchange project, the residents carefully selected some representative Siheyuan cultural elements, such as traditional Peking Opera performances, calligraphy and painting works, and handicrafts, ready to show to the world. A resident who participated in the preparation work said: "We must show the best side to international friends and let them feel the breadth and depth of Siheyuan culture." Through the construction of digital platforms and the development of international cultural exchange projects, Siheyuan has successfully crossed the boundaries of region and culture and become an important carrier for global cultural exchange and sharing. It continues to adapt to changes in the tide of the new era, and with the help of modern technology and international cooperation, it continues to write glorious chapters, allowing the Siheyuan culture to shine brightly on the big stage of world culture. In this process, the residents have also become messengers of cultural communication, bringing the story of the Siheyuan to all parts of the world.

After the construction of the Siheyuan Cultural Exhibition Hall, it has become a core area for tourists to gain a deeper understanding of Siheyuan culture. In order to further enrich the content and form of the exhibition hall, the residents decided to invite some cultural scholars and artists to jointly plan a series of special exhibitions and cultural activities. A well-known scholar of folk culture was invited to the Siheyuan. After visiting the exhibition hall, he put forward his ideas to the residents: "Although the exhibition hall currently has rich exhibits, the display format is relatively traditional. We can add some multimedia interactive display areas, such as making some animated shorts about the historical changes of the Siheyuan. Through vivid pictures and sound effects, tourists can more intuitively feel the changes in the style of the Siheyuan in different eras. In addition, an interactive experience area can be set up to allow tourists to wear traditional costumes and simulate some important ceremonies in the Siheyuan, such as weddings and funerals. This can greatly enhance the sense of participation of tourists." After hearing this, Xiao Ming thought it was very creative and asked: "Will the production of these multimedia displays and interactive experiences be complicated? Do we need to find a professional team to help?" The scholar replied: "It does require the assistance of a professional team, but this will bring new vitality to the exhibition hall. We can contact some local cultural and creative companies, who have rich experience in this area. Moreover, this form of display is more in line with the needs of modern tourists, especially young tourists, who prefer this kind of interactive and interesting cultural experience." After discussion, the residents decided to adopt the scholar's suggestions. When communicating with the cultural and creative company about cooperation, the person in charge of the creative company said: "We will tailor the multimedia display content according to the characteristics and cultural connotations of the Siheyuan. For example, in the animated short film, we will incorporate the architectural characteristics, traditional customs and historical stories of the Siheyuan, so that tourists can have a comprehensive and profound understanding of the Siheyuan in just a few minutes. For the interactive experience area, we will carefully design the scenes and props to ensure that tourists can experience the traditional rituals of the Siheyuan in person." During the preparation of the special exhibitions and cultural activities, the Siheyuan also welcomed a group of special guests-cultural heritage protection volunteers from all over the country. They admire the protection and inheritance of the Siheyuan very much, and hope to carry out a cultural heritage protection knowledge popularization activity here to publicize the importance and methods of cultural heritage protection to tourists and residents. Volunteers set up promotional display boards in the courtyard of the Siheyuan. A volunteer explained to passing tourists: "Siheyuan, as a traditional architectural form, carries rich historical and cultural information. Each of us has the responsibility to protect it, such as not touching ancient buildings when visiting, not throwing garbage at will, and jointly maintaining the cleanliness and safety of the Siheyuan." A tourist asked: "In addition to these daily behavioral precautions, what else can we do to protect the Siheyuan?" The volunteer replied: "You can actively participate in the cultural dissemination of the Siheyuan, introduce the charm of the Siheyuan to your friends and family around you, and let more people pay attention to and support the protection of the Siheyuan. In addition, if any behavior that damages the Siheyuan is found, it should be reported to the relevant departments in a timely manner." With the successive development of special exhibitions, cultural activities and cultural heritage protection knowledge popularization activities, the cultural atmosphere of the Siheyuan has become increasingly strong. Not only has the number of tourists continued to grow, but the quality of tourists has also improved significantly. An old tourist who often visits Siheyuan said to the residents: "I feel that Siheyuan is becoming more and more culturally rich. Every time I come here, I can make new discoveries and gains. These activities have allowed us to have a deeper understanding of the value of Siheyuan and have made us cherish every plant and tree here more." The residents were also very pleased. They realized that the development of Siheyuan is not only about the renovation of buildings and the development of business, but also about the inheritance and promotion of culture. With the joint efforts of everyone, Siheyuan is gradually becoming a comprehensive cultural landmark integrating cultural display, education popularization, tourism and leisure. It continues to write its unique and glorious chapter, shining in the long river of time, attracting people from all over the world to explore its mystery and charm, and becoming an important platform for cultural exchange and integration.

As Siheyuan has steadily moved forward in the path of cultural heritage and tourism development, residents have begun to think about how to expand the influence of Siheyuan to a wider range of fields, especially in education, so that more young people can deeply understand the charm of traditional culture. As a result, Siheyuan has reached a cooperation intention with several local schools and plans to carry out the "Siheyuan Culture into Campus" activity. At a seminar with school leaders and teachers, Xiao Ming put forward his own idea: "We can organize Siheyuan residents and some cultural experts to come to the campus, hold lectures, exhibitions, and even carry out some practical courses, so that students can experience Siheyuan culture up close. For example, we can offer traditional building construction courses and let students build Siheyuan models with simple materials by themselves, so as to deepen their understanding of Siheyuan architectural structure and cultural connotation." A school teacher agreed: "This is a very good idea. Today's students have a limited understanding of traditional culture. Such activities can enrich their knowledge reserves and cultivate their interest in traditional culture. However, in terms of practical courses, we may need some professional guidance and safety measures." Resident Lao Li volunteered: "I have some experience in carpentry. I can assist teachers in the building construction course to ensure the safety of children's operations. We can also prepare some pictures and video materials of Siheyuan buildings so that students can have an intuitive understanding before they can practice." After the event was officially launched, at a Siheyuan cultural lecture, a cultural expert held up an old photo of the Siheyuan and said to the students: "Students, look at the layout of this Siheyuan, it contains the traditional Chinese family concept and etiquette culture. The main house is usually occupied by the elders, which embodies the principle of order of seniority. The flowers, plants and trees in the yard also have their own meanings, such as pine trees symbolize longevity, and bamboo represents purity." A student asked curiously: "Is there anything special about the gate of the Siheyuan?" The expert smiled and replied: "There are many things to pay attention to about the gate of the Siheyuan. From the style and color of the door to the material of the door knocker, it can reflect the identity and status of the owner. For example, red doors are usually for wealthy families, while black doors are more ordinary. There are also many styles of door knockers, such as lion head door knockers, which have the meaning of warding off evil spirits." In the traditional building construction course, Lao Li patiently instructed the students: "Children, first splice these wooden strips at this angle. This is the beam frame of the Siheyuan. Note that the joints must be tight, otherwise the house will not be solid." The students worked diligently. One student said, "Grandpa Li, it turns out that building a house is not easy. The ancient craftsmen must have been very good." Old Li nodded and praised, "Yes, children, this traditional architecture embodies the wisdom and hard work of the ancients. You must pass it on well." In addition to lectures and practical courses, the Siheyuan also held a cultural exhibition in the school. The exhibition displayed the traditional costumes, handicrafts, old objects, etc. of the Siheyuan. A school leader said to Xiao Ming when visiting the exhibition, "This exhibition is very meaningful. It allows students to see and touch these traditional things with their own eyes, which is more vivid than the knowledge learned from books." Xiao Ming replied, "We hope that through these methods, traditional culture will take root in the hearts of children. In the future, we can also organize students to visit the Siheyuan on site to let them feel the charm of the Siheyuan more comprehensively." With the in-depth development of the "Siheyuan Culture into Campus" activity, more and more students have developed a strong interest in Siheyuan culture. They began to take the initiative to study the history, culture and artistic value of the Siheyuan. Some students even created paintings, calligraphy, essays and other works with the theme of Siheyuan in the school's club activities. A student took his own painting of a Siheyuan and said to the teacher: "Teacher, I painted the Siheyuan in spring, summer, autumn and winter. I want to show its beauty in different seasons." The teacher said with satisfaction: "Your painting is great, which shows that you have a deep understanding and feeling of Siheyuan culture." Through cooperation with the school, Siheyuan has successfully sowed the seeds of traditional culture in the hearts of the younger generation and injected new vitality into the inheritance of traditional culture. The Siheyuan itself is also constantly exploring and innovating, continuing to write its wonderful chapter in the field of cultural inheritance and education, becoming a cultural bridge connecting the past and the future, tradition and modernity, and blooming with more splendid brilliance in the tide of the times.