#siheyuan

[evilsment]

🪴 Siheyuan | 四合院 🪴

Is a historical type of courtyard residence that is commonly found across China. Designs differ in every region. For example, in the northwest where dust storms are strong, the walls tend to be higher. In the South the houses are built with multiple stories. In the northeast the weather is cold so courtyards are broad and large to increase the exposure to sunlight, and there are more open rooms inside the walls.

[jonnyparable]

Siheyuan 四合院

The sprawling traditional Chinese courtyard home, known as the Siheyuan features several buildings built around a series of courtyards.

The main door of the Siheyuan is usually located in the lower south corner of the house, and opens to a forecourt that leads to another centrally located doorway that leads to the house proper. This stops passersby from being able to look into the main spaces of the house.

This property, known as the Austere Official's Home, has been restored and given a modern facelift, while still in keeping to its classical roots. Much of the home's layout is based on ancient beliefs of how energy moves in a space, while the overall home itself represents the Chinese obsession with walled spaces, with a Siheyuan often consisting of walls within walls of walled yards, gardens and liminal spaces, connected by a covered walkway.

Contemporary Chinese interior design is a fascinating design niche, that can draw on design principles and material use anywhere from the Qing to the Han Dynasty, and Chinese aesthetics can be anywhere from ostentatious and overwhelming to refined and restrained.

Many associate Chinese interior aesthetics with red lacquer, silk furnishings, whimsical carpentry and gilded surfaces in excess but more often than not, classical Chinese interiors are more likely to feature more sedate tones of dark grey, black and deep brown, with hardwood furnishings in clear lacquer, with grey brick walls. or white plaster walls, as well as stone floors and granite paved exterior spaces.

The Austere Official's Home's makeover is based on a popular movement in Chinese interior design that draws on more consistent and refined use of materials and colours, with a recognisably Chinese aesthetic, while incorporating more contemporary ideas on the usage of space. A style popular with hotels in particular, being fairly accessible to international palettes while still being "Chinese" in feel.

Many Siheyuans require a lot of retro fitting and renovation to match our modern use of interiors, however. For instance, classical Chinese homes did not have living rooms, or dining rooms, or in fact, rooms at all. Chinese architecture typically does not rely on load bearing walls to support the structure, and as such, do not have the division of space seen in Western builds. Chinese spaces are therefore riddled with supporting wooden columns, which are joined by dividing screens and folding doors that create the "rooms" of a building, with the whole carpentry being held down by a wonderfully heavy and graceful roof. This actually makes them fairly earthquake resistant structures.

Typically this means a building in the Siheyuan is all encompassing in its function. It features a bedchamber, a study and a reception hall. Things like dining and ablutions are restricted to furniture and wherever they are placed. How this translates into a modern restored interior is interesting. For this build, much like a shell challenge I kept the structural pillars intact, while moving around the divider walls to reconfigure the space, while buildings can now be repurposed to house the rooms modern inhabitants would need.

Thank you for reading! 谢谢

[niteshade925]

An old Chinese saying:

"People don't cry until they've seen their coffin; people don't turn back until they've hit the southern wall."

“不见棺材不落泪，不撞南墙不回头”

(Source unknown; if anyone knows where this saying came from please let me know)

Note: the "southern wall" refers to yingbi/影壁 or zhaobi/照壁, which is a wall inside the front door of a traditional courtyard residence (ex: siheyuan) meant to block the inside of the residence from outside view. The wall may be highly decorated if the owner of the residence is wealthy or of high status. Because traditional residences often "sit in the north and face the south" (坐北朝南) due to fengshui considerations, meaning the front door opens to the south, this wall is also in the south, and if one tries to walk south out of the residence, if they just go straight forward they will hit the wall, hence this phrase.

Overall this phrase is used to describe people who do not heed advice, cautions, or warnings. Usually said in exasperation when one's advice is ignored.

Edit: this phrase is also used specifically in the case of criminals to mean "criminals won't feel remorse or change for the better until they've seen the (often legal) consequences of their actions".

[pastelcheckereddreams]

我做梦都想回去... Even in my dreams, I want to go back… The Untamed locations: Lotus Pier 莲花坞/Liánhuā Wù

It’s finally here! The third installment in my ongoing Chén Qíng Lìng drafting saga, Lotus Pier! As the residence of the Yúnmèng Jiāng Sect, Lotus Pier (莲花坞/Liánhuā Wù) is arguably one of the most important locations in the narrative of Mó Dào Zǔ Shī. Built among sprawling lotus ponds in the lazy shallows of a vast, meandering river, Lotus Pier shapes the halcyon days of the Jiāng siblings’ youth. It is a warm and lively place, its people welcoming and carefree. 

The complete diagram:

(Full set details/meta below.)

Part 1: The Jingshi Part 2: The Hanshi

Prints now available at ✨ INPRNT! ✨ You can also support me on Ko-fi ☕

Honestly, the few gifs I have used do not come close to showing you the huge scale, or the level of detail and care that has evidently been put into this set by the CQL production team.

Before I attempt to describe the place that shaped much of our main characters’ lives, let me first share with you the set layout with reference to some aspects of traditional Chinese architecture (and please bear in mind, I’m not an authority on the subject. Links to sources/appropriate references are provided).

Understanding the set layout:

The main compound of Lotus Pier is set out loosely following the typical, traditional layout for residences containing a courtyard.* Rooms are placed at the four cardinal points, creating a central axis and a secondary horizontal axis. With the courtyard facing south, the most important buildings are placed to the rear (north), such as the parents and grandparents’ bedrooms and the ancestral hall, while the siderooms (typically for the sons’ families) are placed to the east and west according to auspicious philosophies (like fēng shuǐ) and social hierarchy:

* At least, in the northern regions of China. Although Héngdiàn World Studios, where most historical and xiānxiá dramas are filmed, is located in Zhèjiāng, it seems a lot of the sets at Hengdian are based on northern designs.

In true “courtyard houses” (sìhéyuàn or sānhéyuàn, depending on whether the courtyard is fully enclosed), this quadrangle layout would then repeat along the central (N-S) axis if the residence contains one or more ‘inner courtyards’ (Fig.3 below):

However, I would not call Lotus Pier a true “courtyard house” as it is freer and more spacious in form than, say, the Hanshi’s courtyard design** and both sets are part of a larger compound anyway, rather than a standalone residence for a single family - so the comparison may be redundant. For instance, Lotus Pier’s stilt foundation and large, sloping roofs also bear an interesting resemblence to the wooden storied houses of Yúnnán, which is a completely different type of vernacular architecture.

** That being said, there is a wealth of research on the different variations in this type of vernacular architecture [x] [x], which does include differences in siheyuan design based on climate (wherein the buildings are quite generously spaced apart, and the courtyard much larger, to deal with the warmer climate in southern regions of China). 

Nevertheless, we can see the cultural and cosmic philosophies which influence these courtyard homes used at times in the design of Lotus Pier.

For instance, we see in episodes 14 and 18 that first Jiāng Chéng, and then Wèi Wúxiàn lived in the eastern room - both seperately and together - in their childhoods. (We can assume that Yànlí would have lived in a room nearer her parents, located in the back of the residence so as to lessen her appearance in public as an unwed daughter.)

(Although the two rooms have been dressed differently, the raised platform, reused props, and WWX’s running shot from the inside to the outside in episode 14 show that it is the same building. Additionally, you can head here for some ramblings on the interior of WWX’s room and some analysis on camera angles.)

You may also be able to see from these gifs that these siderooms are divided into three sections, which relates to the construction of traditional buildings in three or five ‘bay’ structures:

A ‘bay’ is the space between columns of a building. An even number of bays, or jiān/間, was thought to be unlucky, therefore the three bay structure was the basic layout of a commoner’s home, with additional bays added based on the need for space or the wealth of a family.

Interestingly, the room on the west side of the courtyard is shown to be Jiāng Fēngmián’s study, rather than another bedroom as I originally assumed - one that may have been for an older Jiang Cheng, although as the son and heir of the Jiang famly, his room would traditionally remain on the eastern side of the house (where WWX’s is). Then again, the main courtyard is an odd place for a bedroom in the first place, so perhaps we might be looking at a conflation of public and private spaces due to constraints on the set designers.

As a sidenote, JFM’s study appears to back onto a private lake, seen through the rear viewing window. I think this must be CGI, however, as I can find no angle of the set that shows this exists as part of the structure.

With all this said, let’s not forget that this is a xiānxiá drama: historical accuracy is not the goal. Instead, the producers took their time finding a ‘cultural location’ for each Sect, through which they could develop a more artistic aesthetic by drawing on the atmosphere and charm of their desired location. This brings us to the set’s design, and what it may represent about the people of MDZS’s Yunmeng.

The set’s design:

For the Yunmeng Jiang, producer Yáng Xià states in the link above that the showrunners drew inspiration from Húběi province, particularly the Jiānghàn plain that now lies in the heart of Wǔhàn. It is here the Hàn river joins the vast flow of the Yangtze as it meanders its way through the eastern provinces of Central China.

Just as Wuhan has been a major port city since the earliest dynasties of Imperial China, it’s fair to assume that the river that flows through MDZS’s Yunmeng has likewise influenced those living on its banks:

One of our first, and repeated, impressions of Lotus Pier and Yunmeng is how lively and welcoming this busy harbor and its people are. A major transport hub in its own right, with links to Lánlíng, Yumeng people are at home on the water.

The Jiang are unrestrained and easy-going, open-minded and generous. To reflect this, Lotus Pier was likewise built to be “broad and open”, the easy curves of the roofs and the wide, open walkways creating a sense of transparency and openness; the fluttering gauze curtains soften and compliment what otherwise might be an imposingly broad structure of warm-coloured wood:

The marketplace that sprawls from the main landing likewise tells us that Lotus Pier and the wider Yunmeng area is a place of trade and craftsmanship.

We see lotus seeds and pods harvested frequently, and as strong swimmers and talented fishermen, we might assume that the Yunmeng people are also skilled at weaving fishing nets and other such tools from the abundance of natural materials the fertile floodplains afford them.

As an aside, I do wonder why JFM decided to decorate his seat of power with rolls of reed matting/blinds.

I like to think they’re wares from the market, to display his peoples’ craftsmanship. You have to admit, the effect is impressive, immitating an unfurling lotus:

The one area that intrigues me the most in this main courtyard, however, is the kitchen. The private dock in the kitchen really exemplifies how the river has had such a huge influence on the design of Lotus Pier, by virtue of the waterborne livelihood it has curated among the Yunmeng people: 

I like to imagine that fresh produce from the market would arrive by boat early in the morning, and Yanli would be there to help unload the goods while she prepares breakfast for her family...

What struck me most, though, during the course of this whole study was the dreamy, almost fantastical quality to the set. As I said above, the xianxia genre allows much more creative license with the aesthetic of the Sects and their domains, as the genre does not need to replicate a time or place with rigid historical accuracy. As such, much care and ingenuinty has been taken by the show’s designers to merge the Pier with the river, giving the impression that, like the lotus flowers that give it its name, the Pier also floats on the water itself.

To that end, let’s lastly think about the lotus imagery we see around the set, and how it applies to the role of Lotus Pier as a place in the narrative.

The symbolism of the lotus

Revered for its beauty and much loved for its versitility in Asian cuisine and traditional Chinese medicine, the lotus holds significance in Chinese culture for many reasons. As one of the 'Flowers of the Four Seaons' (四季名花, Sìjì Mínghuā), the lotus flower represents summer, blooming through the season in the shallows of slow-moving rivers and river deltas. 

「出淤泥而不染 / chū yūní ér bù rǎn」, an idiom meaning “growing out of mud, but remaining untainted”, is often attributed to a poem by controversial Confucian and Neo-Confucian scholar Zhōu Dūnyí called 'On the Love of the Lotus' ( 爱莲说, Ài Lián Shuō). Zhou calls the lotus flower a "gentleman among flowers" (not to be confused with the Four Gentlemen) as, rising dignified from the mud, it exemplifies the cosmic and spiritual harmony all humans should aspire to achieve. As such, it represents a moral ideal of dignity and integrity for a Confucian gentleman. As Zhou writes, “I love only the lotus, for rising from the mud yet remaining unstained; bathed by pure currents and yet not seductive.”

We cannot wholly attribute this idiom to Zhou, however, as this metaphor of the lotus flower, symbollic of purity of mind and body as it rises out of the muddy waters of worldly affairs, actually has its roots in the religious teachings of Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra. In it, the sacred lotus symbolises spiritual enlightenment and self-actualisation, where one is able to detach themselves from worldly affairs and overcome personal sufferings.

N.B. 18/04/2023 Edits have been made to reflect more accurate context regarding the prevailance of Buddhist thought in China since its introduction in the Han dynasty, and how Zhou’s ‘On the Love of the Lotus’ drew upon its teachings. See here for the original text and a review of its inaccuracies, as well as further resources.

How can we relate this back to the setting, Lotus Pier, and the Yunmeng Jiang? I think the most obvious parallel has to be the burning of Lotus Pier.

The event is the catalyst for a number of tragedies that occur throughout the narrative, and the Jiang siblings' attempts to reconcile the many layers of guilt, blame and grief they each feel with the enormity of losing their entire Sect, their home, their bonds with each other - the lotus emblem of their Sect is perhaps a reminder that there is no happiness without hardship.

Of course, more important than its cosmic symbolism, for these siblings lotus ponds represent home, and are a way the three siblings can remain connected as they travel seperate paths in life, forming new families after the tragedy of their own:

In the scene pictured above - where WWX, after many months in self-imposed exile, succeeds in cultivating his lotus pond in the Burial Mounds - the pond represents his longing for Lotus Pier while also bringing him some comfort and connection to what he has lost. Just as Jīn Zixuān seeks to bring comfort to Yanli by planting a lotus pond for her, too:

(Bonus gif of a different type of "gentlemen rising from the mud”):

But as an aside, it's also interesting to note that WWX tells A-Yuan in that above scene, that the lotus seeds are not to be eaten because they are grown in the soil of the Burial Mounds. Instead, they are 'the perfect thing to protect from evil spirits'. This may be a simple child’s tale for WWX to discourage A-Yuan from eating the tainted seeds, or it may refer to the spiritual purity the lotus symbolises. But as an interesting coincidence, lotus plants actually have the potential to filter nitrogen, phosphorous, and heavy metals from watersources, so it’s possible they taste bad because they are literally cleansing the soil of the Burial Mounds.

It seems appropriate, then, that WWX is tied closely to this lotus motif, perhaps even moreso than Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng. This is especially poignant when we consider that the lotus is also symbollic of resurrection and rebirth: the blooms, closing and opening with the sun in a daily cycle, can be compared to the cycle of reincarnation.

A great deal of the narrative focuses upon WWX’s decision to forge his own path through life, a ‘single-log bridge’ that sweeps him away from convention and propriety that governs the rest of the cultivation world as he struggles to maintain his own integrity and compassion. He suffers for this choice, especially once he gives up his golden core and is thought to be actively choosing an ‘evil’ path. Yanli even dreams of him floating away from Lotus Pier, carried on the rapid current of the river:

After his resurrection, however, it seems WWX has been able to finally rise above the Sects’ biases and political machinations. Once the Yin Iron has finally been sealed away, and the mystery of the Fierce Corpse solved, he no longer has any obligation to stay in those muddy waters of the cultivation world. He is free to wander, as his parents did - the single log bride widening to encompass the whole world.

Although still tied to the world by his love for his family and friends, we could say that WWX is close to that enlightenment the lotus represents. He has risen from the mud and, despite all his suffering, has remained untainted.  

Bonus details!

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! This got... so long... But of course, I had to do Lotus Pier justice as such a beautiful and thematic set. As a final point, here are some small details you may have missed or that I couldn’t fit in the main analysis!

Here is a cute interior shot of WWX’s room, and a view of the rear courtyard that shows the moon gate entrance, which presumably provides access for boats to dock in the kitchen:

Also join me in appreciating how detailed the design on the door panels is! So much so that I couldn’t do the finer details justice in my sketch:

Special mention to the fish doorhandles on the main hall, as well. As a Pisces, this brings me joy.

And finally, some reference shots for the gate:

As always, thank you everyone for your continued support and encouragement - and your patience! Lotus Pier was a massive project, that has taken me over a year to complete. I am so proud to finally present it to you, and bring you the news that I have finally opened a print shop! As always, you can also buy me a coffee on kofi to show you support.

[plantsimgirl]

⛩️ Chinese Courtyardhouse (Siheyuan)

📽️ Speedbuild

Build info:

• Gallery name: Chinese Courtyardhouse

• Gallery id: plantsimgirl

• 50x50

• Mt.Komorebi

• 128 900$

• 6 beds, 2 bathrooms

[aanami-8]

Letters to Ningguang | a childe x reader fanfiction

Summary: You are a spy for the Qixing, working directly under the Tianquans commands. Having accomplished countless missions she believes you to be capable to spy on the fatui harbinger, Childe, and find out what he plans to do to Liyue, and stop him before destroying your nation. You have never failed a mission before, and you certaintly won´t now. On your path to succession however you encounter one problem that might lead to your innitial downfall and leads you to question the decision you made.

You can read the fanfiction on Ao3 "Letters to Ningguang" by Aanami

Prologue:Amor patriae

Heavy roars of thunder, along with heavy rain can be heard from outside as you make your way through dark hallways. The dim candlelight guides you to where you need to go. The place is unfamiliar, and with every step taken you fear to be caught.

Currently, you are secretly running in the hallways of a mansion belonging to a rich man and his family. The mansion is big, designed as a siheyuan, materialistically symbolizing the wealth of this family.

You hear faint sounds of laughter in a room not far away. You dread to be caught, if any of the people decide to leave the room for even just a moment, but from the description received from your informant, you have almost reached your destination.

Moving in the shadows, you find the door to the room of your target at the end of the dark hallway. Silently, moving towards it and pressing against it with your ear. As you hearken for voices inside the room, you can make out the sounds of the lit fireplace, as it crackles and pops.

Then, you hear your target. He´s talking, but you are unable to make out his words. His voice is the only one in the room, which leads you to believe he`s alone. You can hear the steps he`s taking and only his are to be heard, as he walks across his room and seems to sit down, as his steps stop.

For a moment you wait cautiously, to see if anyone is approaching the room you´re about to enter. Ever so carefully, you open the door, and just when it`s enough for you to walk through, you enter, carefully and silently.

The room is big and designed with great attention to detail, fitting for the image of a wealthy man. The walls are adorned with hand-painted murals depicting scenes from Liyuean scenery. In the middle of the room is a grand four-poster bed, adorned with fine silk sheets with delicate patterns, the headboard being embroidered with pearls.

Your target is unsuspecting. The man sits on an armchair, unaware and listening to the sounds of the cozy fireplace, which has been designed to fit into the scenery of a traditional liyuean bedroom. Your target seems to be tired from a day full of interactions, and slowly drifts off to sleep. You take that as your chance to strike. You take out your firearm and move quickly towards the man. He opens his eyes, alarmed by the quick footsteps, but before he can react to your sudden appearance, you aim at his head, and shoot. His body falls limp on the chair before you, and the light quickly leaves his eyes.

For him, there was no chance, no time to plead for his life, or to reason. This is how you preferably complete your job. The screams, the cries, along with the horrifying smell and blood of these acts are things you could never get used to.

You do not kill for no reason, and not by choice.

You are a spy for the Qixing, and this man was a traitor to his nation. It is not your job to judge these people. You simply carry out your orders as you´re told, nothing more, and nothing less.

You take a deep breath, taking in what you just did, though this is not new to you. Swiftly, after making sure no evidence of your presence is left behind, you leave the room through the open window, to escape before the other people gather in this room. You hear the voices from the outside, who were previously happily chatting and laughing with each other approaching the room of your target. Worried and alarmed by the sound of a gunshot, they hurry to the room.

Lucky for you, this whole house only has one story. It allows you to escape from the building through the window to carry your guilty being through the restlessness of this stormy night. The commotion from the people gathering in confusion can be heard from the mansion as you make your escape, but you went unnoticed.

´I am a spy. My work happens with no traces and no name attached. I will put my life on the line to serve my nation, even if no one will ever know of my sacrifices. I pledge, to dedicate my life, my existence, to Liyue, to act as a keeper of peace. So help me, Rex Lapis.´

That was the oath you took many years ago when you first became a spy. You have stayed true to this pledge ever since and will never go against it, even if it kills you. You have sworn to protect your nation and your people by any means necessary.

This was not your first mission, and if you must admit, not your first murder. However, you do regret. You feel no guilt towards the traitors, but towards their families. Like their parents, children, or friends, who were all unaware of the treacherous crimes of their loved one.

This man was not different. He lived together with his family; his wife and children, and coincidentally had guests over tonight. Now, they are left to find the bloody remains of their loved one, without knowing why or who shot him. They will not live to find out why he was killed, and all the people present will live to their life’s end with the image of his passing burned deeply inside of their mind, including his own children. The crimes of this man were hidden well to his family and friends, but not to the Qixing, and that is the price he had to pay for turning his back to his own Nation. The Qixing have eyes and ears everywhere, it is impossible to go unnoticed with shady or outright criminal activities.

Cruel that may be, but this is just reality. Of course, it is not given that everyone will be witness or on the receiving end of this dark side of life, but it is real, nonetheless. You have found your way to the secret side of Liyues government a long time ago. Dwelling deeply on the memories before your life in Liyue harbor hurts, and as Lady Ningguang advised to you, it might be better to not think about it too much. You could say that this work has given you a purpose in life, with Lady Ningguang herself being your savior.

Water pours down on you as you run through the cold night, having abandoned all hope to not get sick the next day. You make your way through a dark forest, careful not to trip over any twigs or stones that may be lying around. The wind howls while it flies through the leaves and branches of the many trees that stand closely together. It is very dark and hinders your view, though that doesn’t scare you. You stop for a second to catch your breath, leaning on one of the trees for support. As you breathe for air the rain stops, and the moon starts to become visible. The moon, coldly reflecting the light from the descended sun, shines down on the forest. Closely before your feet is a puddle, and as you look down on it, thanks to the small lightning gifted by the moon you can make out the reflection of your face, and most of your body. Most noticeable is the blood, which stains not only your hands, but your whole being. Eager to get home and clean yourself up you keep walking forwards. On the horizon you see the lights of Liyue harbor, your home, and you know it is not far anymore.

You make your way through the empty streets, still being very careful not to slip on the wet stones. All carriages seem to have reached their destinations for today. Different from the forest however, you are accompanied by the light of the streetlights which stand on either side of the street, always only few meters apart. However, every now and then there is a guard standing, keeping the outside parts of the Harbor safe. It is not uncommon for treasure hoarders or other thieves to rob carriages and salesmen when they leave the highly watched over harbor, which is why the guards have been deployed here. The Qixing have their eyes and ears all over the harbor, but once you left the city it is left to you to keep yourself and your belongings safe. You leave the road and cover your face, in case any of the guards should notice you, and swiftly walk over the uneven and unpaved ground to the harbor.

Above the houses, the moon in all its glory is visible, shining its cold light down on the city.

The streets are empty, and each window on the houses darkened. The merchants have stopped trying to sell their goods hours ago and all the shops are also closed by now. No business is being attended to at this hour, except for yours. You encounter no problems as you make your way to your home, a small apartment in the city center. You unlock the door, greeted by total darkness before you turn on the lights. Now calmly, you take off your bloody clothes, preparing to wash them after you cleaned yourself off the blood of your newest victim. Once done you change into a different set of clothes and make your way to the last stop for today; the jade chamber, to report back to Ningguang, as she instructed. Now that you are not stained by blood anymore, you can carelessly walk to up to the guide of the Jade Chamber. The guide stands there as always, keeping an eye on the platform which takes you to the great Jade Chamber. Be it day or night, blizzard or breeze, you can trust he will be there and focus only on his job.

“Good evening, do you sell the moon here?” You ask.

“Yes. How many would you like?”

“It is not convenient to speak of numbers here.”

“Well said, (Name). Use the platform to ascend to the Jade Chamber.”

You do this every time you go to the Jade Chamber, even though Mr. Bu´yun is by now very familiar with you, but those are just the safety measures he was instructed with.

Once arrived on top you go inside, searching for Lady Ningguang.

You walk around in the big rooms of the Chamber and see some of Lady Ningguangs assistants standing together and talking, slacking off from work.

“Good evening. Excuse me, but do any of you know where Lady Ningguang is at the moment?” You ask into the group of assistants. They look at each other for a brief second before one of them answers.

“Lady Ningguang is currently in her office.”

“I see. Thank you for telling me. I wish you all a good night.” Her office was your first thought too, but with her changing schedule, it`s difficult to keep up with her location. You walk past the assistants, down the spiral stairs, and then heading towards Lady Ningguangs office.

She sits there ever so elegantly, in her room designed with such attention to reflect the grace and class of the Tianquan; the finest wood having been used to carefully craft every furnature, big, fancy vases painted with the beautiful scenery of Liyue, the symbol of the Tianquan on the green parts of the wall behind her desk with leaves drawn on them to compliment the juniper green hue used to decorate the walls. Lady Ningguang sits in her fancy chair by her long table, with her neatly stacked scrolls of her duties before her, deeply focused on her work. Her chair, plated with golden patterns makes Lady Ningguang look like an empress seated on her throne made of gold, resembling the amount of wealth and power she possesses. Carefully reading the laid-out scrolls before her, Ningguang speaks to you.

“Ah, (Name). You have returned from your mission, I see.”

Lady Ningguangs is focused on her work, not even tilting her head up to look at you, and her voice is lower than usual, presumably tired from a day full of work which seems to be extending into the night. You´re all too familiar with that.

“Greetings, Lady Ningguang. Yes, I have just returned, and my mission was a success. I was able to eliminate my target without difficulties.”

“Did you make sure you left no traces?”

“Yes. I completed my mission swiftly. He was not able to show any signs of a struggle, and I did not leave a trace of myself on the scene. I left unnoticed.”

“Good. Well done, you may leave now. I`ll see you when we need your service again.”

“Thank you, Lady Ningguang. I wish you a pleasant night.”

Your reports always go like this. They are quick with not much talking involved. Lady Ningguang does not have much time on her hands, and you are aware of that. She is a busy woman, and your work needs not much recognition.

´A spy finishes his work without the world knowing. We do not get praise for the type of work we do. Even if it saves a life, even if it secures the safety of a whole nation, the public shall not know of it. ´

You have accepted that, having come to terms with the type of work you do. It cost you your identity, but you are able to keep the people of Liyue safe, and that is what is supposed to matter to you most. You have saved many lives without those saved ever knowing of your service.

Officially, you are not a registered person anymore. Therefore, you only have a first name, and no family name which would carry your history. Your past is irrelevant. Only a fragment of the person you once were before devoting yourself to the Tianquan and your nation. You did not grow up in Liyue harbor, so that is not a problem. There is no one here that knows you. That makes abandoning your old self partially very easy.

You have many identities. For each mission that requires you to engage with your targets or surroundings, you use a different Identity.

A different name, a different face… As far as you can go.

´One small sacrifice is nothing if it serves the greater good. ´ Is a phrase you tell yourself often. You may have to give up parts of a normal life, but with that you’ll secure the well-being of many citizens. In comparison, it’s only a small price to pay, is it not?

By now, you have left the Jade Chamber and are on your way back home. It is a short walk, and you soon arrive at your small apartment. You unlock the door with your keys, and once the door opens, you are greeted by darkness, with no one awaiting your return.

´One small sacrifice is nothing if it serves the greater good. ´

[geneticcatalyst]

ok i know someone has probably already done this nif commentary since the drama's nearly 10 years old but the snow motif is everything and i was really watching for it on my rewatch and of all the snow scenes the iconic argument in ep33 goes so hard.

so i was reading cyn-lynn.blogspot . com 's nif recap and review and it defines the snow as a symbol of 'corruption'. i agree. but to expand on that, the snow is a bad omen- it covers things up, it sows confusion, things are lost or unseen because of it. it conceals truth and buries justice. episode 33 is almost a breaking point in the relationship between mei changsu and prince jing, because they can't communicate openly, and feel that the other doesn't understand. the true feelings can't be unburied, they are going unseen. and the way that the characters move through the setting- the snow- is amazing.

mei changsu waits outside prince jing's mansion, surrounded by snow, insisting on speaking with him. prince jing is inside, mei changsu stands under… the shelter of a doorway into the courtyard? not sure what the terminology is here, i was reading about siheyuan trying to figure it out but no luck. it is snowing all around mei changsu (and zhen ping)- the establishing shot shows snow both falling in front of and behind them in this view through the shelter. it is snowing between mei changsu and prince jing (in the main building across the courtyard). each in their little bubbles of shelter, but separated by the snow, and the current bad blood.

finally- after lie zhanying has crossed between them as a mediator- prince jing leaves the main house, goes out into the snow, and then out of the snow again- entering mei changsu's shelter. he has taken the initiative (after some prodding) to make an effort to clear the confusion away and make himself understood. the snow still falls all around them, but now they are together in the shelter to talk. however, there's still discord. prince jing insists that mei changsu understand that he intends to save wei zheng. mei changsu acquiesces in spite of- because of- a major piece of concealed miscommunication: prince jing believes it is what lin shu would want. that one stays buried in the snow for now. but prince jing refuses his terms (that jing manor cannot be involved) because he doesn't trust mei changsu not to let anything happen to wei zheng- not approving of the handling of the duchess' assault and his mother's punishment, prince jing's understanding of mei changsu's whole character is corrupted. confused. concealed by the snow.

after making this opinion clear, and suggesting they end their relationship, prince jing turns and strides out into the snow. they attempted communication and clarity together in the sheltered space, but didn't quite get there. prince jing's corrupted image of the truth remains as he walks into the snow again. mei changsu follows him without hesitation, unwilling to let the misunderstanding continue. he needs to make prince jing see and accept that if prince jing attempts the rescue on his own it will be a disaster and only spill more blood (and then how will he face lin shu?). this is the absolute truth. prince jing knows it when he hears it and turns away to step out of the snow- back into shelter (with convenient pillar to hit), back into clear-eyed understanding of the situation. mei changsu is right behind him, offering up, finally, that he understands prince jing's strong feelings on the matter (wanting to make up for his inability to help at meiling). and that's the key- mei changsu joins him, mostly out of the snow again, and promises his sincerity again. this time, prince jing can accept both his sincerity and that he will need mei changsu to save wei zheng. leaving the corruption and confusion of the snow behind them, they finally go inside to talk.

the snow is a bad sign. it's what buried truth and justice for 13 years, what covers up the current corrupt dealings at court, and what almost derails the fight to uncover the chiyan case and bring it back into the light- certainly if prince jing had never spoken to mei changsu again- if he also got caught and confused by the snow- meiling would have stayed buried forever. but instead, they found their way out of the snow together, even without the help of mei changsu's concealed identity. if all of that symbolism is intentional in the set- the buildings, the courtyard- and knowing this drama i think it is- it's exquisite.

[daenystheedreamer]

just wanna say as an asian asiansoiaf is very dear to me .. not just the people + fashion but ARCHITECTURE omg..the great Wall when..

YES like when i think of the red keep i think of vermillion lacquer and carvings... if anyone knows the layout of traditional chinese architecture (siheyuan) with an inner courtyard that's how i imagine winterfell but on a massive scale LOL like the forbidden city. also hightower with an onion dome... yeah 😈

[worldsquietestjojosfan]

wait so ok hypothetically i decided to model unclean realm in three.js no good reason

what do i need? rocky terrain. rocky mountain, military gates. Siheyuan style house somewhere, and then?

thats for like a low accuracy first draft. thats what it looks like right?

im kinda confused

are those outpost towers? they kinda look like it but kinda not. what is that?

im really not understanding whats going on over here. what is this layout?

there seems to be a good amount of foliage

is it really that much? i remember more rocks there. but also thats untamed concept art.

that and i dont remember shit

so my plan right now is to use models from online. either buy or free ones. and then as i start refining the area, ill start learning how to make my own for the specifics

and the aim is to go for as much realistic lighting/shading i can manage. i should aim for cartoon but i really dont know the fundamentals of light and color enough to stylize. making shaders or whatever shouldnt be too bad

[frostedclock]

Shadows Under the Peach Tree

Warnings: Female Reader, Reincarnated Reader, Yandere Behavior (in later chapters) , Past life relationships, manipulative tactics

Chapter One: Peach Thief

__________________

You never really thought you were special, you had a quiet childhood on a peach orchard your family owned outside of Megapoilis. You only went in town to sell your fruits and herbs you gathered yourself. That's what your life was for a long time.

 

Gather peaches and herbs in the morning.

Walk to town before the market opened.

Sell what you could to pay for food and the little bit of bills you had.

Go home. Well and occasionally stop by the noodle shop to break the monotonous routine.

It had started to bore you to be honest.

 

It seemed like it would be another boring day to you when you woke up.

 

You put on your black and jade green plaid skirt and slid on your black tshirt that had faded from wear to more of a grey instead of black, your usual jade pendent carved into a small monkey around your neck. You had this pendent ever since you were a kid, your mom had said it was passed down through the family for generations.

 

It was the only real thing your family had besides the orchard

You served yourself some tea, Sandy had basically shoved into your hands and looked at you with those big blue face and sparkling eyes. You took with a smile and drank it in the mornings instead of your usual sweetened milk. This morning you ate leftover noodles -from your usual haunt Pigsy's Noodles, you reheated for breakfast, a break from toast and peach jam at least.

 

You had slid on your shoes like you always did, a pair of jade sandals that were dirty from walking the dirt road that lead from your home to Megapoilis.

 

You picked herds from the center of your small siheyuan-style cottage, a very small courtyard that you decided to fill with herbs and green onions when you had them. With a basket full of herbs set waiting you headed out to what remained of a family orchard. It was only about ten trees now, but your mother said it used to be hundreds.

 

You reached the tree you normally started, and instead of birds that usually flutter away at the sound of your footsteps you find someone eating peaches and laying in one of the branches. It felt so different then. But also. For some reason felt so familiar to you.

 

Words came to you before you even thought to speak them.

 

" I've never seen someone like you before. "

 

The person. No monkey? Both? Turned their head in your direction with their cheeks puffed out and filled with what you assumed was a peach. They looked at you with golden eyes and swallowed the fruit down in loud gulp. The monkey person -man? - wore what looked like traditional Chinese garments and their tail was waving around in a wild manner. He slid off the branch and gracefully landed on his feet in front of you.

 

Man some serious deja-vu.

 

" Oh! Crap were these your peaches? " He said, wiping the juices from his chin and lips, tossing the other fruit he hand around in his hand like a ball. "My bad, they just looked so good. "

 

His eyes finally looked at you fully and the fruit missed the mark of his hand by a few inches and it tumbled across the grass and wild flowers beneath your feet. You put your hand on your hip before bending over and picking up the fruit.

 

" Well, I guess I don't mind. As long as you actually eat them. I don't like seeing rotten peaches laying around you know. " You said with a slight huff as you place the peach back in his hands, looking up to what seemed to be a searching look.

 

His fingers wrapped around the peach almost tightly. His eyes lever leaving you and your face. It was starting to be a bit weird. What was he even thinking? Who was this guy?

 

He looks so familiar. But I would remember a monkey man. Right? Right. So he's just some mischievous spirit that wondered his way into my orchard. That's all. Yeah.

 

You sigh gently and cross your arms, " So who are you anyway? It's a little rude to just stare. "

 

He looked like he had been shaken out of a trance and he cracked a big and almost goofy looking grin. " Oh right!" He then took the peach in his hand and tossed it in the air and caught it before posing like a hero might on a cartoon. You held in a laugh finding it a little endearing.

 

" I am Sun Wukong! Monkey King! Equal to Heaven!" He looked at you expecting something as he introduced himself in way to excessive of a manner.

 

" The Monkey King huh? " You say, kinda not believing him but not wanting to be completely rude to a spiritual being.

 

Wukong sighed as he stood back normally, seemingly disappointed about something. But right after, his chipper tone and playful grin was back. " Yep! You better believe it. So what is a maiden like you doing here?"

 

You make a snort of a laugh and your tension you were carrying in your shoulders releases. " I'm not a maiden. Who even calls a lady that anymore? Just call me Y/N. " You tell him with a laugh.

 

His gold eyes seemed to gleam for a moment, but you think it must just be the morning light reflecting in them. " Yeah that suits you! "

 

You tilt your head. That was something odd to say about someone's name. But you guessed Wukong was just. Odd. You were about to ask him what he was even doing here in your peach trees when there was a sudden rumble in the ground. You made a startled noise as you brace yourself on the nearby peach tree, the ripe fruit fruit tumbling out of the trees and hitting the ground. You look over to Wukong, he had his eyes on the city just a few miles away, the whole town look like it was shaking.

 

But you don't get many earthquakes here.

 

" Whoops looks like I'm running late! Sorry maybe I'll see ya around y/n!" He said before he hopped into the air.

 

Your cover your eyes just in time for a golden flash to blind the surrounding wildlife. When you looked back to where Wukong had been, there was a golden bird flying off into the sky. You stood there wondering what the hell just happened before another sudden quake nearly brought you to your knees. Your eyes go up as what looked like a golden wave of energy get released in a boom across what was a beautiful sky.

 

It was kinda beautiful.

 

That was when the Demon Bull King was released back into the world. That small meeting with Wukong seems to have been a mark of a new kind of normal in your city and the friends you had in the city. When you returned to the city, and more specifically the noodle shop you spent most of your afternoons, you were greeted by quite a scene.

 

Almost pure chaos was what might have come to mind. There was a table broken in half with a red pole staff crushing it and MK, the lovable guy who you watched grow up was holding the other end of it with a cheeky grin on his face. Pigsy looked like he was going to have a stroke right then and there, his hand clutching at the area around his heart and his eyes were glaring stubbornly at MK. Mei was laughing and banging on a non-damaged table, saying something incoherent through her fits of laughter. Your eyes finally settle on Tang. Unsurprisingly eating noodles.

 

Ah . The universal constant.

 

"So.... What happened to you guys?" You manage to ask, setting the basket of peaches and herbs you didn't sell from the day on the counter for Pigsy.

 

They all spoke at once. Some angry and worried - Pigsy- others excited and so much that it was like hearing a pack of dogs when their master got home. You hold up your hand and try to shout over their collective noise.

 

" Alright ! Hey! Not all at once damn. " You hold in a laugh and try to keep a Stern face. " Now. MK it's obvious you will explode if you don't tell me so go ahead." You cracked a teasing smile.

 

Then he went into a long and sometimes reinacted bits of his fight with Demon Bull King and how he got the staff. His eyes got so full of excitement when he said that he had met the Monkey King. " I mean THE Monkey King! Sun Wukong himself! He said he was going to train me to use the powers and how to be a real hero! Isn't that awesome!?"

 

So the spirit from earlier hadn't been lying. Not that you really believed it was a lie. Somewhere inside you, you knew it had been true.

 

" Really kid, you should be more worried. I mean come on, some random monkey guy said he was the Monkey King but what if he's just like the other demons that you had to fight. " Pigsy had said, using the ladle in his hand to punctuate his sentence toward MK. " I just want you to be careful. An do your damn job!" He added the last part quickly and in angry tone.

 

Tang sat his bowl of noodles down and pushed up his glasses. " Well from what I can tell from the staffs properties and the examples of powers MK is displaying," he pulled out his big 'diary' as Pigsy had called it several times, " See here! "

 

He pointed out the Monkey King and his companions, the staff depicted inside was a near exact to the one MK was swinging around. You look over the drawings and you stare a long time at Wukong, almost not hearing Tang's long lecture on the seventy-two transformations and other powers he was known for.

 

MK bounced excited and he started to twirl the staff around. " Yeah! So I'm basically invincible. Well kinda. " He laughed and then looked at you with bright shining brown eyes.

 

" Well I guess if you ever need help you can let me know. " You tell him with a small laugh. " I can't do much but I'd hate for you and your friends to be jumping into this alone. " You made the excuse easier then you thought you would.

 

You really just wanted to change up your boring life and this was the perfect chance.

 

"Of course! Mei and the others are helping too! I can't do it without my friends." MK said it with such conviction and determination. " And you're one of my friends too!"

 

You let out a laugh and a smile as the other ones chimed in that he was right. " Alright alright. I guess I'll be hanging around more then just for noodles now. "

 

Yeah. Life is about to get very interesting.

[jonnyparable]

Kaffir Street Tour

This stretch of Shophouses, located at Kaffir Street, are typical of the many homes of the rich merchant classes in colonial Singapore (1819-1941). Shophouses in a way, are a condensed expression of the sprawling Chinese courtyard estate known as the Siheyuan. Shophouses, however, are multi storey, built wall to wall, opening to the street, and often have ornate, colourful facades, showcasing the best of regional craftsmen who worked with plaster, porcelain and wood carving to create the iconic Shophouse fronts, often festooned with mythological friezes, auspicious symbols and art.

While called shophouses, many were in fact purely residential, and are more or less townhouses. The front, ground floor of the Shophouse features a sheltered corridor that links the shophouses together, known as the Five foot way. These walkways served as a way for pedestrians to stay out of the rain and sun, and in quieter residential areas, also doubled as a kind of verandah.

The entrance to the home leads to the main reception room, where guests and business associates are recieved and entertained. The standard layout for this room features a central round table with stools or chairs, and with traditional Chinese hardwood chairs flanking the walls on either side. This is typical of a Chinese style reception hall where guests sit side by side, with chairs divided by side tables.

The reception hall is decorated with the very best objects and art to showcase the household's refinement and values, or portraits of the family's many predecessors, to highlight the family's lineage. The more domestic hind quarters of the home are separated from the more businessy reception hall by a large, ornate wooden screen, in front of which is usually the family's altar.

Beyond the divider screen lies the heart of the home, the courtyard. Due to a tax imposed on the width of a house, shophouses became fairly narrow, but were very deep. The courtyard, or airwell, was an important feature to allow light and air into the deep recesses of the home, and served as a form of air conditioning, helping to cool the interiors by circulating air.

In many homes, it became a living and dining area, where more intimate guests were invited to join in family meals. The courtyard is also where the main, or only staircase is located. Because of water's symbolism in Chinese culture for wealth and abundance, the courtyard is also an important symbolic feature, where rainwater pools, symbolising the accumulation of wealth for the home. The rainwater is also collected and used for washing. It was also important to have plants and nature in the courtyard, better still, symbolically significant plants.

While many inhabitants of the Shophouse were Chinese or Peranakan, and the home is laced with Chinese sensibilities, symbolism and aesthetics, the Shophouse at its peak, was essentially a Victorian/Edwardian era home. Many homes featured trendy electrical or gas light fittings, European furniture and the very latest technology of the time.

Upstairs lies the bedrooms and private spaces of the house. Typically there are several rooms that feature more traditional Chinese-style beds, that is, raised beds covered by a canopy structure. As usual, these bed chambers are covered in auspicious motifs and symbols, and are usually assigned to a newly married son and his wife, in the hopes that they may produce an heir, as many of these homes were multi-generational. In keeping with the times, however, many shophouses also had more contemporary bedrooms, done up in a more European style. Including such novelties as metal bed frames, lace, linen, European style desks and the like.

The back of the house usually features another courtyard, and a partially open air space, in which is usually built a kind of outhouse, as well as where the washing and cooking is done. Individual inhabitants of the home usually washed and performed ablutions in their rooms with tubs and chamberpots. Servants often just resided in this back portion of the house, as this is where most of their lives took place.

[teaandinanity]

trying to make a siheyuan in the Sims 4 and WOW

I’m normally mediocre at building but it turns out I am EXPONENTIALLY WORSE at large-form building holy shit

I will try again in a few hours maybe

[gcldfanged]

Jae lives in Sector One, in a cluster of apartments similar to Chinese siheyuan & hutongs. There’s a communal courtyard and water source everyone uses, some residents even run their businesses out of their apartments such as barber shops and fortune telling.

[plantsimgirl]

WIP Beijing courthouse - Siheyuan

[hondana]

#15 The Wedding Party - Lin Xinwu | China | historical fiction | 399 pages

On a December morning in 1982, the courtyard of a Beijing siheyuan—a lively quadrangle of homes—begins to stir. Auntie Xue’s son Jiyue is getting married today, and she is determined to make the day a triumph. Despite Jiyue’s woeful ignorance in matters of the heart—and the body. Despite a chef in training tasked with the onerous responsibility of preparing the banquet. With a cross-generational multitude of guests, from anxious family members to a fretful bridal party—not to mention exasperating friends, interfering neighbors, and wedding crashers—what will the day ahead bring?

Set at a pivotal point after the turmoil of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Liu Xinwu’s tale weaves together a rich tapestry of characters, intertwined lives, and stories within stories. The Wedding Party is a touching, hilarious portrait of life in this singular city, all packed into a Beijing courtyard on a single day that manages to be both perfectly normal and utterly extraordinary at the same time.

from: Goodreads

[fmp-blog-yan]

Designed by Xiangyu Xiangyuan B&B Siheyuan, The project was composed of 3 ancestral houses of different ages and 2 new buildings.

All three of the original ancestral houses had collapsed, so the designers used “implanted geometry “and “implanted steel frame” in their renovation.