Composition on the story of the old house in Huishan Ancient Town, Wuxi

Located in Huishan Ancient Town, Huiquanfang, the prosperity when it opened has become a thing of the past.

Tourists came here because of its reputation and found that General Tie was already guarding the door.

Peering in through the dusty glass door, the originally elegant lobby looked depressingly deserted.

No coincidence.

Banshan Huisuo, located next to Longtou River, is also currently closed.

This hotel with a quiet environment caused strong dissatisfaction among the original residents of the ancient town when it opened: "We were moved out of the ancient town, but a hotel club was invited.

" What the residents said This hotel, which “had leaders coming and going from time to time,” closed down as early as last year.

Jiangnan gardens are a good story in the history of architecture.

The clever borrowing of scenery and real mountains and waters are the characteristics of private gardens in Wuxi.

Once upon a time, the old Wuxi house with its small bridges, flowing water, pavilions and pavilions, with its antique atmosphere and relatively private environment, became the main place for official receptions and high-end business banquets.

With the implementation of the central government's "eight regulations", most of these clubs and hotels are operating in a lackluster condition.

"After the old houses in Wuxi were restored and put into use, more than 90 years ago they became club-type hotels.

" Yang Jianmin, a cultural preservation expert, said that although the combination of protection and utilization of old houses is encouraged, The sole purpose of catering is not the direction of sustainable use.

Here comes the question: When the "club economy" bubble bursts, where will the old house in Xicheng go?

Old houses with stories,

cannot just be “catering”

Every old house has its own story.

Among the many old houses in Wuxi, Xue Fucheng’s former residence is more famous.

This is the residence of Xue Fucheng, an important minister of the late Qing Dynasty. The plaque of "Imperial Envoy" inscribed by Guangxu on the door still remains. It is one of the largest modern bureaucratic residences in Jiangsu Province.

Since its establishment, Xue Family Garden has experienced more than 100 years.

Walking into this old house, the carousel building, library, billiard room, warehouse hall and flower hall stage still look the same.

In the past, several rooms were set aside in the back garden of Xue Fucheng's former residence for dining and tea rooms.

Walking on the creaking floor, through the purple-red gauze curtains, accompanied by the melodious sound of the guzheng, it seems very cultural and tasteful compared with the overly commercial noise of the hotel.

This place became the first batch of old houses used for catering in Wuxi.

Xue Family Garden, with its quiet environment, good privacy and rich cultural atmosphere, has become the first choice place for official receptions.

With the completion of the restoration of five major historical districts, there are suddenly more old houses in Wuxi that can be reused.

But whether it is the former residence of Zhu Dachun, the "Electric King", the Sikkim Guild Hall, a gathering place for businessmen in the past, or the Miao Mansion, the former residence of the great traitor Miao Bin, old houses of all sizes are being built one after another. FOOD.

“Every old house has its own story.

Looking at the old houses in Wuxi, in addition to being an exhibition hall and museum of celebrities’ former residences, they also tell the same story of catering , This is not conducive to sustainable development.

"An anonymous cultural person believes that although the old houses are to be used, all of them will be used for catering, which will not only create homogeneous competition in the market, but also What's more serious is that it destroys the cultural connotation of these houses.

Reuse of cultural resources,

The creative economy can play the "protagonist"

"The cultural department has no right to strictly prohibit the opening of hotels and clubs in old houses, but it is absolutely not encouraged. .

"The person in charge of the Municipal Culture, Radio and Television Bureau believes that returning the restored old house to its original purpose is the best use of it; if this requirement cannot be met, it should be used as much as possible. Respect the cultural connotation of the building.

"In the third national cultural relics census, Wuxi *** registered 2,000 old houses. In addition to a large number of residential buildings, there are also culturally protected buildings and historical buildings.

From the perspective of building property rights In terms of ownership, they are divided into domestic and non-domestic.

Among the more than 2,000 old houses, the majority are non-domestic and are still used for residential purposes.

Those that have been restored are domestic. In Laozhaizi, people over 90 started catering.

"Yang Jianmin believes that the investment in catering is not large and the funds return quickly, so everyone likes to engage in catering, but the catering economy is not unique to Laozhaizi.

Looking at Shanghai, old houses with stories have more than just a catering function.

Every old house is filled with new cultural life.

In Tianzifang alone, there are more than 100 creative companies from 22 countries and regions including Australia, the United States, France, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as domestic ones.

Among the old houses in the alley, there are the former site of Chen Yifei's Studio, Er Dongqiang Art Center, Zhang Yi and Yang Huishan Glass Art Museum, Chen Haiwen Photography Studio, He Youzhi Calligraphy and Painting Society, Zheng Wei Lotte Pottery Society, Chen Ruiyuan Photography Studio, Li Shoubai Paper Cutting, Art Hall Edition and other cultural venues.

In contrast, Wuxi is rich in historical and cultural resources, but it lacks innovation and imagination. "Reconstruction is neglected, and construction is neglected." There are many treasures in the collection hidden in the boudoir. , Laozhaizi uses "catering thinking" to dominate the world, and the marketing activities of cultural scenic spots are rarely grand...

In interviews, many people in the cultural circles in Xicheng believe that the creative economy should become the profit of Laozhaizi main body.

When the "club economy" came to an end, this voice gradually became the mainstream.

On April 13, in the Huangdounan Temple in Huishan Ancient Town, the fragrance of calligraphy and ink was intertwined with the fragrance of orchids and flowers. It was a unique artistic conception to fight ink, appreciate paintings and taste incense.

The former ancestral hall of celebrities has become the location of Jichang traditional cultural activity center.

This calligraphy, painting and cymbidium exhibition called "Han Mo Orchid Fragrance" displays the works of 24 local professional calligraphers and painters in Wuxi and hundreds of pots of high-quality cymbidium from the upcoming national cymbidium exhibition. orchid.

“It is inappropriate for the ancestral hall to be used as a dining venue, but as a cultural activity venue, especially a place for displaying traditional culture, it is consistent with the aura of the ancestral hall.

"The calligraphy and painting works, potted cymbidiums and cymbidiums complement the quaint environment of the ancestral hall, and visitors are full of praise for the exhibition.

In Qingmingqiao Historical and Cultural District, original silver jewelry EVENS is under intense renovation.

EVENS, which has been operating a Taobao store for 8 years, switched to physical stores and chose an old house on an ancient street as its foothold. It was because of the artistic conception of the old street with its whitewashed walls and black tiles, and living next to the river. .

In this old house, after changing owners several times, original design silver jewelry will be the main product.

The purpose of the old house is quietly transforming. It is still difficult to say whether this transformation, forced by the market, will be a complete success.

Compared with the "catering economy", whether the creative economy, which requires heavy investment and slow returns, can become the "first protagonist" remains to be tested by time and the market in Wuxi.

The only thing that is certain is that Wuxi Old House no longer only tells one kind of story, which is a welcome change.

When walking in various historical and cultural districts in Wuxi, you can often see the names of a certain cultural center, a certain cultural research society or an association hanging in front of some old houses.

These old houses rarely hold an event all year round. Occasionally, they open in the morning and close in the afternoon.

In the Rongxiang Historical and Cultural District, a reporter once experienced such an incident: a cultural activity center held an exhibition, which opened in the morning, but was guarded by General Tie in the afternoon.

When visitors inquired about it, the security guard said, “To visit the exhibition, you must have someone’s approval.

”

How come the old houses that *** funded the renovation and are part of the public *** cultural infrastructure in the historical district have become some people’s “private territory”? During the interview, it was learned that this situation is not Case.

Some old houses with large areas and independent courtyards are often appropriated by certain societies and associations.

These societies or associations occupy the land in the name of cultural research. The canteen, which has a private kitchen and nominally solves the problem of food for the staff, has actually become a "one-table shop" where catering services can be reserved by phone.

"They have skirted around the policy.

From a formal point of view, it is completely in compliance with the procedures and it is difficult for you to investigate and deal with it.

"A person familiar with the matter told reporters that the rooms used by these societies and associations have complete procedures, and their internal catering services are not open to the public, or even closed. They are only used for small circle gatherings, and cannot be checked at all. .

As for their inability to insist on being open to the outside world all year round, they also have their own reasons: all exhibitions and cultural activities are organized by folk associations with self-funding. “The management strength cannot keep up, and there is no one to look after the exhibits,” they said. "Loss of money, so the doors are closed when the staff are not on duty", and people are easily dismissed.

In fact, these old houses under the banner of culture are becoming private exclusive territories in disguise: it is difficult for non-insiders to Enter.

It is obviously a public cultural infrastructure, but it has become a "private paradise" for some special groups, and the old houses it occupies have the most beautiful environment, the best atmosphere, and the best architectural layout. A place with a rich cultural atmosphere.

The reporter believes that societies and associations that truly study local culture and promote cultural development should provide housing support, but the cultural activities they organize should be normalized and oriented. To be open to the public, research results should be published. In other words, the cultural vitality of the old house must be stimulated, otherwise it should be "returned to the people."

Each old house has a specific attached. Historical information has its own unique story.

The best use of these cultural resources is to make the old house full of new cultural vitality.