“Preserving Tradition Wherever Possible” -- Interview with Zhang Zhenyan

China Pictorial (CP): What motivated you to build a boutique hotel in Pingshan Village?

Zhang: In 1999 when I first visited Yi-xian County, I was inspired to buy an old residence there to raise domestic animals and retire. I saw trucks transporting architectural relics purchased by collectors from local households. Wooden and brick carvings, masterpieces of Hui-style architecture, were moving for very cheap prices——usually 200 to 300 yuan per piece.

Many old residences were getting destroyed. When local young men were preparing a new concrete house decorated with porcelain tiles and marble pillars before their weddings, they demolished their antique buildings. They didn’t realize the unparalleled historical value of their old, dilapidated residences, and dismantled them and parted out anything that would sell.

In 2014, when I bought the imperial guard’s memorial temple, only its gate remained, behind which was a vegetable garden. Later, I purchased another 300-year-old memorial temple in a nearby village and moved its structure here, which is now the lobby of the hotel. The guestrooms, which account for two thirds of the total floor area, were constructed with components from old buildings and decorated with Shanghai relics dating back to the Republic of China period (1912-1949).

Its floor is tiled with the flooring of Shanghai buildings of the 1920s and 30s, and the iron door of its lobby once protected a European-style villa in old Shanghai. Its interior decoration reflects the Art Deco style of the 1920s. I moved old stuff from 1920s Shanghai to the hotel, making it singularly connect history. Only something like this could rival historical significance of the original 300-year-old memorial temple.

The moment I saw the surviving gate of the memorial temple, I hoped it could survive for at least another two centuries. However, it would easily collapse eventually if preserved alone. So, I decided to build the hotel around it. Over time, I have fallen in love and even become obsessed with it. We should preserve good traditions as much as we can. A man of my age always attempts to leave something for later generations. My son now operates the hotel along with me. He will preserve the old stuff in the future as I do today.

CP: Old porcelain pieces seem to be the most eye-catching decorations in the hotel. What drew you to them?

Zhang: The porcelain comes from Britain and Japan in the decorative style of the 1920s. Many old buildings in Shanghai and Tianjin used such porcelain in their facades, tables, wash basins and fireplaces. At the time, they were just glued to concrete buildings, so they could be removed easily. Just a dozen years ago, few realized the artistic value of such porcelain pieces. I collected more than 20,000 pieces——perhaps the largest and most complete collection in China. None of these hand-drawn porcelain pieces are identical. Moreover, they were painted with mineral pigments under glaze, which ensures that their colors never fade.

A boutique hotel has to feature notable decoration with some artistic distinction. I used the 20,000 porcelain pieces I had collected to create the unique decorative style of the Imperial Guard Boutique Hotel: Its balcony walls, lobby fireplace, desk lamps and trays are all decorated with porcelain pieces. Regardless of era, art should feature something singular that could never be replicated and reconcile well with its environment. I think these porcelain pieces are each one-of-a-kind and together the strongest artistic and historical voice in the hotel.

CP: You devoted enormous energy and funds to the Xiuli Village restoration project. What was your driving force?

Zhang: In 2008, when I shot the action film True Legend in Yixian County, the local government gave me a plot of about nine hectares to build a production base. It was really then that I started reconstructing Xiuli Village. To restore its original look, I purchased old buildings I found in nearby villages. At the time, each two-story house with exquisite carvings cost only 3,000 to 5,000 yuan. I bought a total of 60 such buildings.

I managed to perfectly balance the relationship between man and architecture in the picturesque environment. The moment I raised my first building in Xiuli, I could see how to transform the place into a small town, where every artificial establishment would coexist in harmony with nature, including the distant mountains, nearby rivers and brooks, and surrounding trees.

I dug a canal through the village, along which local residents dwell. So far, 300 ancient roofed bridges of Huizhou have disappeared in the river of history, so I restored three of them. Before that, I carefully examined the architecture of ancient Huizhou, including corridors, bridges, pavilions and stilted residences. I began restoring the village just as I was shooting a film. I served as director, cinematographer and art director. With the help of more than 100 local farmers, it took only five years to finally build the village I wanted.

Restored Xiuli Village is like a small town. I designed it around my understanding of natural laws on human subsistence, hoping its residents could enjoy a comfortable life. Some dwellings were sold to individuals, who became the ¡°aboriginals¡± of the restored village. Aside from high-end hotels like the Imperial Guard Boutique, I have also built some economical hotels for backpackers and provide affordable accommodation facilities for students coming to sketch. Gradually, the village got underground pipes, tap water, and rainwater recycling facilities, as well as amenities such as swimming pools, cinemas, libraries, theaters and caf¨¦s, coupled with ancient buildings, old commercial streets and classical gardens. All of these have injected life into the village. In the years to come, it will become a mature town.

Xiuli showcases my understanding of ancient Huizhou’s natural environment, culture and people. I have been engaged in film set design for 45 years and spent five years rebuilding Xiuli Village in a live-action setting. I hope it can be preserved for another 500 years. 

The author is executive editor-in-chief of China Pictorial.