Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

"Siheyuan Storm" With the smooth operation of the "Smart Siheyuan" project, the social attention and discussion it has aroused continues to rise. Many real estate developers have seen huge business potential and innovative directions, and have come to the Siheyuan community to seek cooperation intentions, hoping to promote this living model that integrates tradition and modern technology to more new community projects. Mr. Wang, an influential real estate developer, brought his team to the Siheyuan and had in-depth exchanges with the community leaders: "We admire the outstanding achievements of the Siheyuan in cultural heritage and technological application. We plan to develop a series of high-end smart communities, based on the Siheyuan's smart living concept, incorporating more modern architectural design elements and community supporting facilities. But we also face some challenges, such as how to ensure the depth and breadth of cultural heritage in large-scale construction, and how to flexibly adjust the application of smart systems in different geographical environments." Mr. Zhao from the Siheyuan community, as a senior cultural consultant, responded: "Cultural inheritance must not be superficial. When planning a new community, we must deeply study the local historical and cultural context. Just as the Siheyuan carries the centuries-old heritage of the capital, each place has its own unique cultural genes. For example, in the Jiangnan region, we can combine the characteristics of the water town, traditional garden culture and smart living to create a unique smart water town community. In terms of the application of smart systems, we must optimize them according to local climate, geography and other natural conditions. For example, the south is humid and rainy, so the smart moisture-proof and dehumidification system must be strengthened; the north is cold in winter, so the smart control of heating and insulation must be more precise." Xiao Li, the technical director of the developer, asked: "Then what experience can be learned from the interaction between community cultural activities and residents? Siheyuan has always done an excellent job in this regard, and the residents have a strong cohesion." Xiao Zhang, the organizer of community activities, replied: "We focus on digging out activity materials from traditional culture. For example, we regularly hold traditional handicraft production competitions, such as paper cutting, embroidery, pottery, etc., so that residents can feel the charm of traditional culture and enhance neighborly feelings in the process of participation. At the same time, we use the smart community platform to build an online communication community where residents can share their daily lives, organize interest groups, etc. In the new community, we can innovate the form of activities according to local cultural characteristics. If it is in an ethnic minority settlement, we can carry out activities such as ethnic song and dance performances and folk culture exhibitions, and use the smart platform to promote activities and manage registration to increase residents' participation." When discussing the layout of community buildings, the developer's architect said to Mr. Zhao: "We want to retain the enclosed space layout of the courtyard house in the design of the new community, but we must also meet the requirements of modern living for privacy and space utilization. Do you have any suggestions?" After thinking for a while, Mr. Zhao said: "On the basis of the enclosed layout, we can adopt a staggered architectural design and add some semi-private transitional spaces, such as small courtyards and corridors. This can not only ensure a certain amount of interactive space between neighbors, but also allow each household to have a relatively independent living environment. In terms of space utilization, we can learn from some design concepts of modern high-rise residential buildings, rationally plan indoor space, increase storage functions, etc. At the same time, use smart systems to manage public spaces intelligently, such as smart lighting, smart irrigation of courtyard greening, etc., to improve the overall living quality." As the intention of cooperation is gradually determined, the new smart community project begins to prepare for construction. During the construction process, some residents of the Siheyuan community went to the construction site as cultural heritage consultants. A resident said to the construction workers, "In terms of architectural decoration details, we must follow traditional craftsmanship and cultural connotations. For example, the carvings on the lintel cannot be just simple patterns, but must contain auspicious meanings, like bats symbolizing blessings, and peonies representing wealth. These traditional elements can make the community full of cultural atmosphere." The construction worker asked, "But traditional craftsmanship may take a long time. Will it affect the progress of the project?" The resident replied, "This requires a reasonable arrangement of the construction period. We cannot ignore quality and cultural heritage in order to catch up with the progress. Some key decorative parts can be prefabricated in advance and then installed on site. This can not only ensure the quality of the craftsmanship, but also improve construction efficiency." When the first new smart community based on the concept of smart living in a courtyard house was built and opened to the public, it attracted the attention of many home buyers. When visiting the model room, a home buyer said to the salesperson, "This community is really special. It has both modern convenient facilities and a strong cultural atmosphere. I can imagine living here, enjoying the comfort brought by high technology and allowing my children to be influenced by traditional culture from an early age." The salesperson smiled and said, "Yes, this is the new type of community we want to build. Here, you can also participate in various cultural activities through the smart community platform and establish good relationships with your neighbors, just like the harmonious neighborhood relationships in the Siheyuan." The successful construction and promotion of the new smart community has enabled the Siheyuan's smart living concept to be disseminated and applied on a wider scale, further promoted the deep integration of traditional residential culture and modern technology, continued the Siheyuan's glorious chapter in the field of residential culture innovation, and provided new ideas and examples for the transformation and upgrading of the real estate industry, allowing more people to have the opportunity to experience a high-quality living life that blends tradition and modernity.

"Siheyuan Storm" As new smart communities gradually take root in various places, the influence of Siheyuan culture has further penetrated into the field of education. A well-known university has keenly captured the rich culture and innovative practical value contained in Siheyuan, and decided to cooperate with the Siheyuan community to establish the "Siheyuan Culture and Modern Life Research Center". The center aims to deeply explore the diverse presentation of Siheyuan culture in modern society, and how to better integrate its wisdom into the teaching and research of contemporary urban planning, architectural design, community governance, humanities education and other disciplines, providing strong support for the cultivation of comprehensive talents with profound cultural heritage and innovative thinking. Professor Lin from the University's School of Architecture, as the main promoter of the project, held the first discussion with representatives of the Siheyuan community: "Siheyuan is a typical representative of China's traditional residential culture. Its spatial layout, architectural structure, and humanistic ecology contain endless wisdom. We hope to organize an interdisciplinary research team in the research center to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the Siheyuan. For example, from an architectural perspective, we can study how its architectural form adapts to different regional climates and cultural environments to provide reference for modern green building design; from a sociological perspective, we can explore the enlightenment of the Siheyuan neighborhood relationship model to the construction of interpersonal relationships in contemporary community construction; from a historical dimension, we can explore the development and changes of the Siheyuan to better understand the context of urban cultural inheritance." Uncle Li, a resident of the Siheyuan community, asked curiously: "Professor, is there any practical benefit for our Siheyuan community from your research? It can't just be studied in the university and have nothing to do with us ordinary people, right?" Professor Lin smiled and explained: "Uncle Li, this is very important. On the one hand, the research results can be directly fed back into the protection and renewal of the Siheyuan, allowing us to formulate more scientific protection strategies and improve the living quality and cultural charm of the Siheyuan. For example, through in-depth research on the architectural structure of the Siheyuan, we can develop more advanced repair technologies and materials to extend the service life of the Siheyuan. On the other hand, we will also bring some cultural popularization courses and practical activities in the research process to the community, so that residents, especially children, can have a deeper understanding of the connotation and value of Siheyuan culture, and enhance everyone's pride in and awareness of protecting local culture." During the course setting discussion at the research center, Mr. Zhang from the School of Education said, "We need to design targeted course systems for students of different majors. For students majoring in architecture, we can offer the course 'Siheyuan Architecture and Modern Architectural Language Transformation' to let them learn how to apply Siheyuan's architectural elements and design concepts to modern architectural creation, and cultivate their innovative design capabilities through field visits, case analysis, design practice and other links. For students majoring in sociology, the course 'Siheyuan Community Governance Model and Contemporary Social Change' is very necessary, guiding them to study the evolution of the governance model of Siheyuan communities in the process of the times, analyze the successful experiences and challenges faced, and provide references for modern community governance." Xiao Wang, a student representative from the university, asked a question: "Teacher, will these courses be too theoretical and lack practical operability?" Mr. Zhang replied, "No, Xiao Wang. We will pay great attention to practical teaching. For example, we will organize students to participate in the actual planning projects of Siheyuan communities, and test and apply the theoretical knowledge they have learned in practice. At the same time, we will work closely with the residents and staff of Siheyuan communities to carry out social surveys, community services and other activities, so that students can have a deep understanding of the actual needs of society and improve their ability to solve practical problems." As the research center gradually operates, some cutting-edge research projects have begun to be launched. In the research project on the integration of Siheyuan culture and artificial intelligence, Dr. Zhao from the School of Computer Science said to the team members: "We need to explore how to use artificial intelligence technology to better protect and inherit Siheyuan culture. For example, develop an intelligent cultural heritage protection system, use image recognition technology to monitor and warn the damage of Siheyuan buildings in real time; use natural language processing technology to build a Siheyuan cultural knowledge question and answer system to facilitate people to learn about Siheyuan cultural knowledge anytime and anywhere; and use artificial intelligence algorithms to optimize and simulate the spatial layout of Siheyuan, providing a scientific basis for the transformation and construction of Siheyuan." Team member Xiao Li asked: "Doctor, but will there be difficulties in data collection? After all, Siheyuan culture involves a wide range of content, and the data sources may be relatively scattered." Dr. Zhao replied: "This is indeed a challenge. We need to cooperate with cultural institutions, libraries, museums, and Siheyuan community residents to collect data extensively. At the same time, establish a strict data screening and sorting mechanism to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data. In addition, use big data technology to deeply mine and analyze the collected data, extract valuable information, and provide strong support for our research." When the interim research results of the research center were released at an academic conference, they attracted widespread attention from the academic and cultural circles at home and abroad. After listening to the report, a foreign scholar said to Professor Lin: "Your research is very innovative and forward-looking. The combination of Siheyuan culture and modern life provides new ideas and methods for solving the problems of cultural inheritance and innovation in global urban development. I believe that this interdisciplinary and cross-field research model will become an important direction for future cultural research." A domestic cultural expert also said: "The establishment of the research center not only injects new vitality into the inheritance and development of Siheyuan culture, but also opens up new areas for talent training and academic research in colleges and universities. Through close cooperation with the community, an organic combination of theory and practice has been achieved, which is of great significance to promoting the development of cultural and educational undertakings." The successful establishment and operation of the "Siheyuan Culture and Modern Life Research Center" has further expanded the value and influence of Siheyuan culture in modern society, set an example for the deep integration of traditional culture with modern academic research, education and teaching, and continued to write the glorious chapter of Siheyuan culture in the field of knowledge innovation and talent training in the new era. It has become an important engine for cultural inheritance and innovative development, and has inspired more colleges and universities and communities to work together to explore new paths for the sustainable development of traditional culture in modern society.

"Siheyuan Storm" While the "Siheyuan Culture and Modern Life Research Center" continues to exert its influence, the Siheyuan community has ushered in a new opportunity - an international cultural heritage exchange and cooperation project. UNESCO has taken a fancy to the outstanding achievements of Siheyuan in cultural heritage, community development, and the integration of tradition and modernity, and selected it as a key case of global cultural heritage exchange. It has invited Siheyuan representatives to participate in a series of international cultural heritage seminars and cooperation activities, aiming to share the successful experience of Siheyuan with countries around the world, while also introducing the concepts and technologies of protection and development of excellent cultural heritage in other countries, and promoting the diversified coexistence and prosperous development of global cultural heritage. The Siheyuan community has selected Mr. Chen, an experienced cultural ambassador, to participate in this international journey. At the International Cultural Heritage Seminar held by UNESCO, cultural heritage experts, scholars and community representatives from all over the world gathered together. Mr. Chen walked up to the podium and began to introduce confidently: "Siheyuan, as a treasure of traditional Chinese residential culture, is not only an ancient building, but also a way of life and a carrier of cultural heritage. Through years of hard work, we focus on the combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology in the protection of Siheyuan. For example, we use digital technology to conduct all-round mapping and archiving of Siheyuan buildings to ensure that the historical features are restored to the greatest extent during the renovation process; in terms of community development, we actively encourage residents to participate in cultural heritage activities. From the revival of traditional folk festivals to the rise of Siheyuan cultural and creative industries, all of these are inseparable from the enthusiastic support and innovative practices of residents." An ancient building protection expert from Italy raised his hand and asked a question: "Mr. Chen, you mentioned the application of digital technology in the protection of Siheyuan. This is a very interesting attempt. But in Italy, many ancient buildings have extremely complex architectural structures and exquisite artistic carvings. In the process of digital mapping, we often encounter problems such as inaccurate data collection and insufficient model restoration. How did you overcome these challenges?" Mr. Chen smiled and replied: "The question you raised is indeed critical. In the digital mapping of the Siheyuan, we first used high-precision laser scanning equipment, which can capture every detail of the building in detail. At the same time, combined with multi-source data fusion technology, the laser scanning data and photogrammetry data are integrated to improve the accuracy and completeness of the data. In addition, we have a professional technical team who have profound attainments in ancient architectural knowledge and digital technology. They can process the data in detail according to the historical background and style characteristics of the building, thereby constructing a highly restored digital model." During the tea break of the exchange activity, a French community development expert chatted with Mr. Chen: "Mr. Chen, I am very interested in the model of your Siheyuan community encouraging residents to participate in cultural heritage activities. In some historical communities in France, residents' attention to traditional culture has gradually decreased, and their participation is not high. How do you inspire residents' enthusiasm and creativity?" Mr. Chen shared: "We focus on community education and cultivate children's love for Siheyuan culture from an early age. For example, we offer special Siheyuan cultural courses in community schools, organize students to visit Siheyuan on-site, and participate in traditional handicraft production and other activities. For adult residents, we provide them with a platform to showcase their talents and creativity by holding cultural and creative competitions, folk culture festivals and other activities, and establish an incentive mechanism to commend and support residents who have outstanding performance in cultural inheritance and innovation. At the same time, let the residents feel the economic benefits brought by cultural inheritance. For example, the development of Siheyuan cultural and creative industries provides residents with employment opportunities and sources of income, so that they will participate more actively and proactively." As the exchange activities deepened, the Siheyuan community reached a number of cooperation intentions with cultural heritage projects in other countries. In the cooperation project with the traditional Machiya community in Kyoto, Japan, the two sides plan to carry out cultural exchange and mutual visits to learn from each other's experience in traditional building protection, community cultural inheritance and tourism development. The representative of the Kyoto Machiya community said to Mr. Chen: "Our Kyoto Machiya and Siheyuan have many similarities. Both have a long history and unique architectural style. We hope that through mutual visits, our residents can experience the charm of Siheyuan culture firsthand, and also show you the characteristics of Machiya. For example, we can organize exchanges among traditional building repair craftsmen to share their skills in wood structure protection and traditional material application; in terms of tourism development, we can recommend tourist routes to each other and promote the development of tourism on both sides." Mr. Chen readily responded: "This is a very good cooperation plan. We also look forward to in-depth exchanges with the Kyoto Machiya community. In terms of tourism development, we can jointly create some special cultural tourism products, combining the cultural elements of Siheyuan and Machiya, and providing tourists with a richer and more diverse travel experience." In the cooperation with the Luxor Ancient Ruins Protection Project in Egypt, the Siheyuan Community will provide it with experience in community sustainable development and cultural education promotion. The person in charge of the Luxor Ancient Relics Protection Project said to Mr. Chen: "We have world-famous ancient relics in Luxor, but we face many challenges in the development and cultural inheritance of the surrounding communities. Your experience in balancing cultural protection and improving residents' lives in the development of courtyard communities is very valuable to us." Mr. Chen introduced in detail: "We always adhere to the development concept of taking culture as the core and residents as the main body. In terms of improving residents' lives, we moderately introduce modern living facilities such as water and electricity transformation and network coverage without destroying the overall appearance of the courtyards. At the same time, through the development of cultural and creative industries, we improve the income level of residents. In terms of cultural and educational promotion, we use various forms, such as community lectures, cultural exhibitions, online platforms, etc., so that residents and tourists can have a deep understanding of the connotation and value of courtyard culture." The implementation of international cultural heritage exchange and cooperation projects has put the Siheyuan community at the forefront of global cultural heritage protection and development. It has not only spread its own successful experience to all parts of the world, but also absorbed excellent cultural heritage protection concepts and technologies from other countries, injecting new vitality into the further development of Siheyuan culture, continuing the glorious chapter of Siheyuan in the field of international cultural exchange and cooperation, and becoming a model for the diverse coexistence and coordinated development of global cultural heritage, inspiring more cultural heritage sites to actively participate in international exchanges and cooperation, and jointly promote the prosperity of human cultural heritage.