Shichahai： Unique Style Showing Beijing Culture

　　Shichahai in Beijing has been a scenic spot for literati to sing since ancient times, and now it has become an important historical and cultural protection area. The TV series Shichahai, which is being broadcast on CCTV, depicts the great Beijing amorous feelings reflected by Shichahai’s mirror in a small way through the ideological collision and emotional blending of a family of three generations, and shows the rapid development of contemporary China and the dedication spirit of the times from one side.　

　　From the perspective of modern family, it is the narrative style of Shichahai to spread out the group images of characters and contemporary life pictures on the background of history and humanity. In the play, Zhuang Weitian, played by Liu Peiqi, passed on the culinary skills and the cultural essence of "diligence" in old Beijing to the younger generation with his own personal experience, so that the new generation of young people can remember the purpose of "art is fragrance, virtue is soul", do things in a down-to-earth manner and be serious.　

　　If we say that Zhuang Weitian in the play represents the persistence and persistence of the older generation; Zhuang Zhibin, the eldest son, actively started a business, which is a portrayal of middle-aged people in today’s society; Then the younger generation of Zhuang Xiaoxiao and Xiang Dong inject new vitality into the capital culture and Beijing spirit. They live freely and casually, constantly looking for the meaning of youth, and show the high spirits of a new generation of young people.　

　　Different from Zhuang Weitian’s business philosophy of "Don’t talk about peaches and plums, learn from others", Zhuang Xiaoxiao and other younger generations used the Internet to expand publicity, and new and old ideas formed a fusion and collision. Moreover, there is a foreign photographer David who is obsessed with China culture, and his appearance symbolizes the collision and communication between Chinese and Western cultures. It is precisely because of Chinese culture’s continuous "going out" that more foreigners will understand the charm of China culture and make the culture of Jingweier more modern and international. In the latest TV series, David is not only infected by the profound Chinese culture, but also has a warm pursuit for Zhuang Weitian’s daughter Zhuang Jing.　

　　"Shichahai" seems to tell the story of a traditional family in Shichahai, but in fact, it presents the life of ordinary people from a small perspective. On the one hand, the play reflects the warmth of the family and creates a better life with hard-working hands. On the other hand, it tells a lot of cultural heritage and local customs of Beijing, so that modern young people can understand the cultural heritage of Beijing, and at the same time, the older generation can absorb the way of thinking of modern life. Shichahai presents the collision between the old generation and the new generation, the blending of local culture and foreign culture, and the exchange of eastern culture and western culture. It is these integrations and collisions that keep the city of Beijing alive forever.　

　　The success of a play depends to a great extent on the details. Shichahai embeds food culture, hutong culture, architectural culture and folk culture into the works, and is especially careful in the performance of details. In the play, every room in the courtyard where the banker lives is configured according to the occupants’ own personality. For example, in the old couple’s house in Zhuang Weitian, there is no cement floor and no plaster wall. The ground is all floor tiles, and the walls are covered with wallpaper, with original carved flowers and partition fans, because the old lady in the play likes painting, and the room is furnished with exquisite Four Treasures of the Study. Because the plot runs through the whole play with palace cuisine, food is an important element in the play. In the detail of food, the production process and close-ups of dishes in TV series are all up to the standard of food documentary. Some netizens said that this is a TV series with "taste". Watching Chef Zhuang’s cooking drool across the screen, I thought that the "tip of the tongue" series had been updated. In fact, the crew did invite the team who participated in the creation of "China on the Tip of the Tongue" to shoot the food scene, which made this Beijing-style food drama with full color, fragrance and taste more delicious.