Aspiring to become a new landmark in cultural consumption, the 200 year old top scorer building reappears, and the Fengjing Ancient Town Reading Building in the suburbs of Shanghai | Cai Yitai | Culture
On July 22nd, in Fengjing Town, Jinshan District, the Cai Yitai Reading Building, a 200 year old top scorer building hidden deep in an ancient alley, was renovated and restored to its glory, transforming into a "one foot garden" caf é and officially opening to the public. It is reported that on the basis of fully exploring the stories behind cultural relics protection buildings, and combining with the "champion culture" of Fengjing Town, a new attempt of "cultural tourism IP+fashion brand" will be launched here to create a unique cultural consumption new landmark.
Changes and unchangeability of a century old mansion
In history, Fengjing Ancient Town has nurtured three top scorers, among which the most abundant is Cai Yitai, the top scorer in the 22nd year of the Qianlong reign. The Cai Yitai Reading Building was first built in the Qing Dynasty and has a history of more than 200 years. It was the former residence of Cai Yitai, the top scorer during the Qianlong period. Cai Yitai was here to study hard and achieved a high ranking.
Nowadays, this building is located at No. 4 Shengjia Lane, Fengjing Town, Jinshan District, covering an area of 1632 square meters. The structure and walls of this old house are all original. Due to being reinforced once during the Republic of China era, the current floor to ceiling doors and windows, plain bricks, and white seams have added a touch of Western style to the old house.
How was this "secret realm" favored by the new elites in Shanghai's coffee and catering industry? "We have completed our layout in the outskirts of Shanghai, but Jinshan has always been blank." Wang Shuo, the manager of Cai Yitai Reading House in "One Foot Garden", explained that in fact, Fengjing Town has been looking for a brand partner who cherishes cultural relics and knows how to make good use of them. By chance, the two sides reached a cooperation agreement.
In March 2023, Jinshan Fengjing Ancient Town Tourism Company launched the restoration work of cultural heritage buildings. In May, the project team of Shanghai Yichi Jian Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. settled in and spent over two months transforming this Qing Dynasty old mansion into a cultural consumption and leisure space that blends history, fashion, and life, open to tourists for free.
Nowadays, when you enter this old house, you can see green trees surrounding it, and the courtyard is cool and peaceful. The interior space is decorated with customized wooden furniture, large green plants, mushrooms, and small lights in the shape of a bird's nest, arranged in a staggered manner. The scenery is both inside and outside the windows.
"Our upcoming menu will also reflect the theme elements of this store. In the early stage, we will launch a 'champion coffee', innovatively integrating walnuts and tiramisu into the coffee, blending ancient and modern, and combining Chinese and Western elements, just like the rebirth of this century old house." Wang Shuo said.
Make the "top scholar culture" within reach
"Throughout history, the culture of the top scorer has permeated the cultural bloodline of Fengjing, and its cultural core of daring to compete for first place is also one of the contents of the modern Fengjing spirit," said Zhu Yeming, Deputy Mayor of Fengjing Town.
Now, upon entering this old mansion, the main hall, which was originally used for entertaining guests, has become an exhibition hall that introduces Cai Yitai's life. Here, he collects the essential items of his life - the original "Golden List Title" top scorer plaque and a copy of the "Top scorer Scroll".
This "Golden List Title" plaque is said to have been personally inscribed by Emperor Qianlong. Two small characters "Fengzhi" are vertically carved above the middle of the list and the inscription. The calligraphy on the plaque is strong and vigorous, and the carving process is exquisite and unparalleled. "Previously, several generations of cultural and tourism workers in Fengjing were unsuccessful in their search. This year, they finally found out through several searches of a plaque photo circulating online that it has been collected at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and has now successfully returned."
The replica of the "Zhuangyuan Scroll" is the scroll of Cai Yitai's palace examination book from that year, and the original is collected at the French Institute of Sinology. It is said that at that time, Cai Yitai was originally ranked second, and Emperor Qianlong, after reading the original manuscript of the exam paper, believed that Cai Yitai's handwriting was very beautiful, and personally selected Cai Yitai as the top scorer. Cai Yitai is a person who is indifferent to fame and fortune, and most of his works are not signed. This book is a rare and visible work of his.
"Zhuangyuan" is a Chinese cultural symbol that has been endowed with beautiful meanings to this day. In the future, people will sit in the courtyard surrounded by ancient trees, taste a cup of "champion coffee" and a piece of "champion pastry", experience cultural and creative products derived from "champion culture", and also learn about the "champion culture" that has been passed down for thousands of years in Fengjing through time travel.
Let cultural heritage buildings come to life
As one of the well-known scenic spots in Fengjing Ancient Town, Cai Yitai Reading Tower is not only an important cultural heritage of the town, but also an important carrier of Fengjing's historical and cultural heritage. It is also an important material cultural heritage for studying traditional culture, folk culture, archaeology, art history and other related fields.
Under the guidance of cultural relics experts, the restoration and renovation of the main building has adhered to the principle of restoring its original appearance and restoring the old as before. At the same time, the local government has also carried out comprehensive management of the greenery and surrounding environment of the old houses. For example, a wax plum and a osmanthus plant planted during the Republic of China era have already covered pavilions under umbrellas, and the courtyard is almost unable to accommodate them. The Jinshan District Greening Bureau, Fengjing Town, and the responsible greening engineering company have jointly developed a maintenance and pruning plan, making the ancient trees and buildings complement each other.
Cultural relics and buildings need to be protected and inherited, as well as innovatively utilized. It is understood that the introduction of social capital into the Cai Yitai Reading Building this time is aimed at revitalizing cultural relics and buildings, better integrating them into economic and social development, and meeting the growing and increasingly diverse cultural life needs of the people. On the other hand, it is also an attempt for Fengjing Ancient Town to transform from a scenic spot ticket economy to a cultural consumption economy.
At present, Fengjing Town is striving to explore a path that combines traditional culture with modern trendy elements, cultural relic protection with commercial development, and empowers the region with high-quality development through cultural tourism.
