The Expression of the City - Chinese Design Criticism

Author: Qi Haifei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: A few years ago, I traveled to Europe, from the south to Greece to the north to Norway, and rushed around with great enthusiasm. I saw many cities, museums, buildings, streets, and landscapes, filling my eyes and mind with all kinds of fresh images. Before I could think clearly, I hurriedly returned to the country. As usual, I told people about the curiosities and interesting stories of foreign countries, as well as my travel observations. After a period of time, I gradually had some insights and faintly felt that behind those curiosities, experiences, and images of cities, there was something seemingly calm but always followed and inherited—a result of people's reflection on the relationship between nature, knowledge, and themselves over hundreds of years, as well as the accumulation and effort of thinking about and adhering to culture. However, the outcome and appearance of this effort were indeed not well-summarized in words, and it was truly worth deep thought. In these years, there have been more opportunities and people to travel abroad, and upon returning, they spoke of almost the same or similar things: the beggar who had been selling his wares in front of the Pompidou Center for years, with a smug look and close ties with the police and administrators; the sunbathers scattered across the English Garden in Munich; the British grandmother who had quietly run a hotel in the northern part of Norway for over three hundred years, proud and reserved yet warm-hearted; the proud and talkative Greek police officer inside the Acropolis amphitheater in Athens, etc. (Figure 1). A calm and wise friend who had always listened to my enthusiasm also took his wife to Europe for a trip. After returning, he casually remarked, "They live so calmly." "Calmly," what a great evaluation! Immediately, I thought of culture, education, knowledge, nobility, religion, art, bars, landscapes, sculptures, oil paintings, civilization—the words that could be said. But upon careful reflection, all these descriptions and descriptions were just nourishing the soul in the heart, and it was not easy to see them from the outside; while the "calmness" written on the face and visible throughout the city and the country was very clear. "Calmly," compared to the descriptions and comments on high-rise buildings, bustling streets, curiosities and interesting stories, customs and traditions, and "high ×× civilization," it was faint but gave rise to a certain profound realization. Where can one see calmness? Probably only in the face. It matched the calmness in the heart, so the face was released. Later, after careful observation and thought, I found that the city itself, the entire city, was also advancing calmly: well-preserved sculptures and buildings from hundreds of years ago; signs that seemed never to fade; orderly traffic and pedestrians; the smiling faces of subway ticket sellers; shiny buses like mirrors; black female workers in the stairwells, confident and not needing to wear masks to hide their shame, greeting everyone they met; the tailor who drove a Renault, led a dog, and had a pure smile on his face all day, trying to say "hello" in various languages. They are just as busy and strive for a livelihood as we are, but the stability of the country, the order of the economy, the power of education, the foundation of culture, coupled with personal cultivation and self-improvement, enable people in all trades to follow the rules, care for each other, and form harmonious relationships, allowing the city and the country to advance calmly. Of course, apart from calmness, one can also feel honesty, professionalism, education, reserve, dignity, politeness, friendliness, cleanliness, and restraint, which are truly pleasant and respectable. I think this expression is a wonderful gift from the people of these countries to world civilization. In fact, every city has its own expression, though they may be different. In just over a hundred years, the world has been filled with too many new images and information, and ancient knowledge and judgments have been almost completely updated, leaving us unable or unable to interpret them in time. Due to too long of self-isolation, apart from ancient relics, our connection with the world was once too little. Now, we suddenly see many new things and hear many fresh stories, which suddenly shatter our hearts that have always been proud and arrogant. The desire to get rich quickly, the pressure of mortgage payments, the worries of hiring teachers and choosing schools to educate children, the hardships of navigating relationships, the burden of pursuing fashion to show status, and the desire to buy a car and jam the streets to satisfy vanity—all the efforts and struggles for a livelihood seem to cover our cities and fill our hearts in an instant. Time is money, efficiency is life, this vivid slogan is enough to pique everyone's interest, and they all rush to the road of pursuing wealth, leaving no room for calmness, which is also inappropriate. Which is more advanced, chopsticks or forks? How can moderation be applied to the market economy? How can smoothness and experience compete with individuality? Which is more comfortable and culturally rich, a throne or a sofa? Is it the arrogance of wealth or the self-respect of poverty? Is it better to be content or to accumulate wealth?