exquisitus3d1

Cixiao Hall in Rains and Winds
（temporary title）

Banquet, drama, lanterns and colorful strips… … this is a scene of civic celebration in rural area of southwest China. But, unexpectedly, the center of the remote village is a typical western building, which seems to be so abrupt in this space. In people’s eyes, the impression of this building is so harmonious with surrounding environment, which is so perfect but inconceivable.
The celebration was held in 1930s, but we should begin the story from an earlier time, that is in the last years of the reign of Emperor GuangXu……
That was in 1907 A.D., going abroad and learning from the west was popular at that time. My grandfather was 17 years old; he gave up the living style of building house for other people in rural area of his hometown and went to Paris of France to study with the support of his clansmen. His elder generations hoped that he could get an official position after studying abroad and brought honors to his family.
Eight years’ time passed very soon. My grandfather went back China from Europe with certain money he earned in 1915. He brought back his newly-married wife, my grandmother. My grandmother was an emigrant and she decided to accompany his husband to go back home and fulfill their common ideal……
During the studying abroad period, my grandfather experienced many places, many subjects, and many businesses. But, in the end, he didn’t master some great talents to govern the nation or to be a big official; furthermore, he decided to go back to his hometown, the remote poor village to establish a western hospice to take in the homeless children and elder people. He made the name of the hospice as “Cixiao Hall”, which means respecting the elder and caring for the children.
His choice cannot be understood and accepted by the people of that time.
From then on, many happy or miserable stories happened with my grandfather and grandmother, with Cixiao Hall, and with my family. The stories have quirky twists and are very touching.
Although all the construction details in the hospice were Chinese elements, but its outer appearance is typical western style and its main function is also western style, besides, the hospice would be built near the most famous memorial arch which is one hundred years old, so, the village people objected the construction of the Cixiao Hall very intensely. The village people thought that the construction would destroy the geomantic omen of the whole village and brought the western demons to them. So, the village people objected the construction of Cixiao Hall one time after another because of the fear towards disasters. Some people aimed at my grandfather and wanted to hurt him. Because my grandfather had practiced Kongfu in his younger time, so, he always could turn danger into safety. But, tragedy happened in the end. My grandmother could not escape the disaster in one arson case, and my grandfather was left alone with two young children. This case brought incurable trauma to my grandfather in his heart. Somebody persuaded my grandfather that he could build a hospice which is purely oriental style, but my grandfather persisted on his ideal for the stubbornness in his heart and for his promise towards my grandmother. After 5 years of unsmooth building, the hospice, Cixiao Hall, was finished and the charity activities started.
15 other unsmooth years passed with the doubt, damage, contempt, and rumors from surrounding people, Cixiao Hall adopted countless lonely elder people and homeless children. Some of the homeless children became influential people in political, economic, and cultural area after growing up in local area. Some of the elder people unexpectedly found back their relatives and regained wealth and social status……because of these, Cixiao Hall began to be a famous charity organization. More and more people began to approve it, understand it, and support it.
On the 15 years anniversary of the building, Cixiao Hall held a large-scale celebration according to civil traditional way. The troupe group was invited and the banquet was held to thank for the village neighborhood for their donation and support. And this is the scene at the beginning of the story.
(This scene is what I want to show in the still image in the first round competition: an East-West style building was so harmonious and people were celebrating and blessing. They felt happiness from the bottom of their hearts for their charity work. People didn’t care for the building style any longer and they didn’t care for what kind of way is used for doing good deeds. Love is the forever topic of human kind, no matter in the Orient or in the Occident).
If you believe that Cixiao Hall would have smooth fate from then on, you were wrong. This is only a start. In the later half contrary, Cixiao Hall experienced countless unimaginable tortures, rains and winds……
Not long after that celebration, war broke out in 1937. The evil invaders intruded in Northeast of China, and then, North China, Southeast of China, South of China…large amount of refugees went into the back area of the war---Southwest of China. Cixiao Hall received countless refugees every day. There were many old people, sick people, younger children, and disabled people among the refugees. Besides, there were many western people who came from Shanghai. At that time, Japanese began to fight with America and England. Many emigrants of America and England became the targets of the war. My grandfather and his colleagues saved and helped those refugees without a moment’s pause. They hoped that the war could end as soon as possible, the invaders could be driven out of China, and the war would not spread to his hometown. But, the kind wishes were destroyed; the Japanese invaders occupied my hometown in the dying struggle when they were going to fail. My hometown is a village in the marginal area of Southwest China, Cixiao Hall, the best construction in the village, is made as directing headquarters by those invaders. The more frightening thing is, my grandfather became a prisoner of war because he could not evacuate in time for dealing with problems arising from the war. The good thing is that the invaders declared surrender in less than two months. The war ended and my grandfather regained freedom. The Cixiao Hall is saved from war damage although it is a scene of devastation.
It was believed that things could restart again after 8 years anti-Japanese war, but new torture began to appear in an unknown corner.
A corruptive and greedy official was covetous of Cixiao Hall, the choicest construction which is well-known far and near. He framed that my grandfather betrayed the county; his excuse was that Cixiao Hall was once the enemy headquarter, my grandfather was captured once, but the Cixiao Hall was not destroyed miraculously. My grandfather was cast into prison and Cixiao Hall was confiscated and seized as enemy industry. Later, this official occupied Cixiao Hall as his own assets with various tricks. The suffering history of Cixiao Hall was still on and on……
In the later several years, tremendous changes occurred in China. The old political power collapsed and the new political power formed. My grandfather was released from the prison. That greedy official escaped to Taiwan with old political power. At the same time, my father, who lost touch with my grandfather for several years, went to northeast of China and took part in the army to overthrow the old political power. After the inner war, my grandfather and my father reunited. Therefore, my grandfather began to live calm life in the initial period of the establishment of the new political power. The saving and help toward the old, young, sick, and disabled, became the task of the new government and individuals was forbidden to get into. Cixiao Hall was reformed into a village school. Such outcomes made my grandfather to get a little comfort although there was some pity feeling
If story ended here, my grandfather would spend his senior age calmly and Cixiao Hall also got its proper end-result. But the well-being in human life seems to be so short, but disasters seem to be endless……
Not very long after that period, one after another political activities began. From the beginning to the end, there are 20 years political activities. In these lunatic 20 years, my grandfather and the Cixiao Hall cannot be tolerated by the society---for example, the name of the Hall means being filial and kind, which was regarded as feudal corruptive idea at that time, and the western building with traditional decoration, the abroad relationships, the squire status, the old political official, the enemy headquarter, the war prisoner, and etc, all could not be tolerated by that period……all those words were regarded as criminal words, and all these would be liquidated and suppressed. Therefore, my grandfather was cast into prison again; my parents and my brother and sisters were also involved. Suffered from the same fate as many other such traditional architectures, all the construction details of Cixiao Hall were destroyed by those impulsive young people in 1966. The construction was not fully damaged because it could be used. Later, Cixiao Hall had the opportunity to display its heyday beauty after the political activities…….
Depending on his martial arts and calm mood which is forged by experiences and vicissitudes, my grandfather spared the political tragedies and regained several years’ calm life. He died in 1980s and he lived 92 years in the world.
After 80 years’ rains and winds, Cixiao Hall still stands in the remote village of my hometown. But, it is not a hospice or a village school again. Because Cixiao Hall has unique construction style and special experiences, the local government allocated special funds and repaired it according to its original appearance. And the local government wants to apply for the title of “National Important Protective Cultural Relic” for Cixiao Hall and several other ethnic village groups in surrounding areas. It is said that the government wants to apply for World Cultural Heritage for Cixiao Hall. And website has been set up for Cixiao Hall; tourism promotion began to develop……
People who witnessed the rains and winds of Cixiao Hall all have gone.
But, Cixiao Hall, is moving forward the future no matter how many rains and winds are waiting.
Come on, winds and rains! Never mind, because each bricks and tiles is full of love in Cixiao Hall!
(Some or all of the stories would become the content I want to express in the second round challenge. A construction owned its soul in complex history background. The building’s suffering also represents the changes of the time, reflects the fate of a generation, and hints the pursuit of the common world)
There are many clues and foreshadowing that are pre-maintained in the story, and I would develop it into a detailed and vivid story when there is appropriate opportunity.


chinese:


风雨慈孝堂
(暂定名)

酒宴,戏剧,张灯结彩… …这是一个中国西南乡村传统民间庆典的场景,然而这个地处边远的中国乡村场景的中心竟赫然是一座典型的西式 建筑,它的造型在这个空间里看起来是那样突兀, 而他的质感与周边环境看起来又是那么和谐,简直令人叹为观止,不可思议.
庆典的举行是在上世纪30年代,而故事却要从更早的大清光绪末年说起… …
那是公元1907年,留洋海外,向西方学习已蔚然成凤,我的祖父17岁,刚刚在农村老家放下为人建房的生计 ,在族人资助下飘洋过海来到法国巴黎留学,老辈们希望他学成回国能在朝廷混得一官半职,也好光耀门楣封妻荫 子.
8年光阴转瞬即逝,到了1915年,祖父带着留学期间千辛万苦打工挣得的若干法郎英镑从欧洲归来,同船归来 的还有他的新婚妻子,我的祖母.祖母是个侨民,婚后决定随丈夫回国定居并一同实现他们一个共同 的理想… …
留学期间,祖父游历过很多地方,学习过很多学科,接触过很多行业,最后不但没有学到什么治国安邦之大才为家 族争取万里封候的荣耀,而且还决心回到家乡那偏远贫穷的乡村自费创办一个西式的收容中心,专门收留无家可归 的孩子和无人赡养的老人,甚至连收容中心的名称他都想好了,就叫:慈孝堂.这个名称在中文里就是尊敬赡养老 人,教育抚养小孩的意思.
他这样的选择是当时的人们无法理解和难以接受的.
从此,伴随着祖父祖母,伴随着慈孝堂,伴随着我的家族,上演了许许多多跌宕起伏扣人心弦的悲喜 故事… …
尽管收容中心在所有建筑细节上使用了中国元素但因为建筑外观是典型西式的,从事的活动也是西式的,而且还要 修建在本地最著名的百岁牌坊附近,因此受到乡人激烈的反对,他们认为这样破坏了全村的风水,带来了西方的魔 鬼,村里的人们会因此遭遇灾难.于是发起了一次又一次反对该工程的活动,期间有很多起针对我祖父的伤害事件 ,皆因他从小练就的一身功夫才得以每每化险为夷,但是悲剧终究还是发生了:在一次针对他的纵火事件中,祖母 没能幸免于难,从此留下祖父一人带着两个年幼的孩子.这事在祖父心中造成了一生都难以愈合的创伤.有人劝告 他改修一座完全的中式建筑也能开办收容中心,但是为了他心中的执着和曾经对祖母许下的承诺,他还是坚持了下 去.经过坎坎坷坷的5年,1921年,收容中心-----慈孝堂终于建成并开始了他的慈善活动.
在人们的猜疑,破坏,鄙视,流言中又经过了波澜起伏的15年,慈孝堂收养了难以计数的孤独老人和流浪儿童, 他们中有的孩子长大后成为在当地具有相当影响力的政治,经济,文化人物.他们中有的老人出人意料的找到自己 失散的亲人并重新拥有财富和地位… …伴随这些机缘祖父的慈孝堂这才逐渐扬眉吐气成为闻名一方的慈善机构.得到越来越多的人的认可,理解和资助 .
恰值成立15周年之际,慈孝堂按民间传统方式举行了一次大型的庆典,请来四乡的戏班,摆上乡村宴席,答谢捐 助善款的乡邻.于是出现了故事开始的一幕.
(这一幕也是我在第一轮比赛的静止图像中所要表现的场景:一个中西合璧的场景是那样和谐,人们在欢庆,在祝 福,在为自己的善举感到发自内心的喜悦,人们不再在乎建筑的式样,不再在乎行善的方式,爱!总是人类永恒的 主题,不论东方还是西方)
如果认为慈孝堂从此一帆风顺的话就错了,这仅仅是一个开始,在此后的半个世纪里,它经历了不计其数不可思议 的磨难和风雨… …
就在庆典结束不久的1937年,战争爆发了,罪恶侵略者在今后几年中闯进了中国的东北,华北,华中,东南, 华南.大量的难民涌入战争大后方---中国西南,慈孝堂每天都在尽力的接待着数不清的难民,他们中除了老弱病残之外,还有不少从上海逃难过来的西 方人,那时二战已经全面爆发,多数欧美在华侨民顿时成为攻击对象.祖父和他的同事们没日没夜的救助着逃难的 人们,心里企盼着战争早日结束,企盼着侵略者早日被赶出去,企盼着战火不要再燃烧到他的家乡,可是善良的愿 望落空了.侵略者在即将失败的垂死挣扎中占领了我的家乡,中国西南边缘的一个村庄.并把村里最好的建筑慈孝 堂当作了他们的作战指挥部,更为可怕的是为处理善后而没能及时撤离的祖父成了战俘.好在不到两个月,侵略者 无条件宣布投降,战争结束,祖父重新获得自由,慈孝堂虽满目疮痍,但总算得以基本保全.
本以为经历8年的战争灾难后可以重新开始,但新的磨难却早已在一个未知的角落悄悄的在等待着他 .
当地一个腐败贪婪的官员早就垂涎于慈孝堂这座远近闻名的建筑精品,于是借着政府清算战争期间投敌者的机会, 以慈孝堂曾经是敌指挥部,而我祖父又曾经被俘,并且慈孝堂奇迹般的在敌人手中幸免于难没有被毁,于是诬陷我 祖父叛国投敌,将他抓进大牢,慈孝堂作为敌伪产业没收充公,事后,该官员又暗中以种种手段将它占为己有.慈 孝堂苦难的历史还在进行着… …
随后几年,国家发生了翻天覆地的变化,旧政权崩溃,新政权成立,祖父被从牢房解救出来,那个贪婪的官员也随 旧政权一起逃到东边的海岛上去了.同时,在几年前的战争中失散的我的父亲辗转去到西北,参加了推翻旧政权的 军队,内战结束后父子团圆.凭借这一因素,祖父得以在新政权成立的最初的岁月里过着平静的日子.那时对老弱 病残的救助已经完全是新政府的任务并且不容个人插手,慈孝堂也由于失去了它存在的意义而被改作乡村学校.这 样的结局让祖父的心情在遗憾失落之余也得到一丝安慰.
故事若是就此结束,祖父也算得以安享晚年,慈孝堂也算找到妥善归宿,可是人生的幸福总是显得那么短暂,而灾 难却又好像总是无穷无尽… …
没有多少时日,一个又一个的政治运动开始了,并且这一开始直到结束就是20年.在疯狂的20年中,祖父和慈 孝堂的一切历史都是不容于社会的-----例如慈孝这种封建腐朽观念,例如西式建筑,传统装饰,例如海外关系,乡绅,旧政权官员,敌指挥部,战俘等等 … …所有这些在此都被算作罪恶的词汇,都是需要被清算和镇压的.于是祖父再次被投入监狱,父母及我的兄弟姐妹 们也一并受到牵连.和众多知名不知名的传统建筑一样慈孝堂建筑中所有的与上述概念相关的细节在1966年被 冲动的年轻人们毁坏殆尽,只是由于建筑本身还可以使用才不至于被彻底推翻.总算在运动结束时得以劫后余生, 并有机会重新展现它全盛时期的风采… …
凭借少年时练就的一身武艺和历经沧桑造就的平和心态,祖父再次侥幸度过政治运动的劫难,又度过了最后几年平 静的岁月,直到在上世纪80年代初期寿终正寝,享年92岁
慈孝堂经历80年的风风雨雨后,依然静静的站在老家那偏远的乡村,只是它已经不再是那个作为慈善收容站的慈 孝堂,也不是作为乡村学校的慈孝堂了,由于建筑式样独特又颇有经历,当地政府拨专款将它按照原样整旧如旧的 重新修复一番与周边几个民族村落一同打包申报全国重点文物保护单位,据说还想申报世界文化遗产.同时也在国 际互联网上为它办起了专门的网站,展开了旅游开发的宣传推广… …
见证过慈孝堂风雨历程的人们都已先后离去,
而它,正在孤独地走向不知还有多少风雨的未来.
还有多少风雨就尽管来吧,没关系,因为它身上的每一块砖瓦里都写满了爱!
(这个故事的一些情节或全部将成为我的第二轮比赛动画中所要表达的内容:一座略有特点的建筑在复杂的历史背 景中拥有了灵魂,它的遭遇代表着一个时代的变迁,折射着一代人的命运,暗示着一些普世的追求)
文中预留大量的线索伏笔,等待合适的机缘将它发展成一个详细生动的故事.

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Horhe

Hmm, i think it reads better in chinese...

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Im starting to suspect that the world is a rendering...

aaron-cds

Could we get the Cliff Notes version of your story? If I get some time, I'll read it. Never the less, good luck in the competition.

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Aaron Coon, Conceptual Design Studio

lemog

Impressive story your grand-father and this Cixiao Hall... need much time to read... but that desserved it... well done...

...after the words, let's play the pictures... that will be interesting to follow for sure... best wishes with your project and especially congratulations for your selection in this challenge

nisus

Hi all,

For those of you struggling with long posts, I really recommend this full read, because it sets an atmosphere that simply CANNOT be told in less words. Sure one can summerize the facts or headlines, but one will not catch the atmosphere of love without the full words. I'm impressed.
Congratulations on the story outline, you painted the atmosphere really well and detailed.

rgds,

nisus

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