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Inside/Outside: New Courtyard Lifestyles2009/06/01
text by Winnie Li, photos by Zhou Bin While some people live in one tall building and work in another in modern The morning “commutes” of Zhang Xiangyun (Klaus Zhang) and his German-born wife Kathrin von Rechenberg and Mark Thirwall of On weekends and evenings they enjoy barbecuing, reading books, caring for their plants or playing outdoor games, all in their own serene private spaces. These are lifestyles completely unlike those of most expatriate residents of Beijing, lifestyles that bring people into closer contact with nature and the enduring culture of old Beijing. Join us to see what their lives are like. The lives of Zhang Xiangyun and Kathrin von Rechenberg and their three children literally revolve around a 200-square-metre courtyard in the Xinyuan Xili community in bustling Chaoyang District. The peaceful space is an integral part of the couple’s commercial and domestic life. Upon entering the courtyard, visitors find themselves surrounded by plants but also by remarkable couture clothing along one side of the courtyard, with only a thin membrane of glass separating the two.
Serene and private space Reflecting on a warm early summer in a garden festooned with blossoming roses, von Rechenberg said, “Peaches, grapes and pomegranates will all make this year. The peaches were really sweet when we tasted them last year. This will be the first time that we can eat our grapes since we moved here more than two years ago.” Why this place? Von Rechenberg, an haute couture designer who has her own “rechenberg” garment brand, wanted to find a place in the city centre that could be changed into a courtyard, including a couture workshop and showroom. She said, “The place makes our whole family feel quite comfortable and tranquil. People who visit this courtyard or work here have the same feeling, and this is what my husband and I wanted.” As the “rechenberg” couture line is oriented toward the high-end of the clothing market, it requires a serene space with great privacy. This yard, tranquil and pleasant, is just this kind of place. At a corner of the garden, a wooden table and chairs and a large umbrella make the place cooler and livelier. The couple’s friends love to visit here, have tea or coffee. On weekends, they sometimes have barbecues. “We hope the grapes will grow quicker and that there will be natural shade here,” she said as she pointed toward a grape arbour right above the table set. “The garden is about 80 square metres, and can hold a party of 15–20 people.” The garden, a relaxing place for the family, also serves as an extension of the showroom. When von Rechenberg holds her newly established Couture Café spectators can enjoy the presentation inside or outside. On these occasions women are invited to get to know the designer and listen to worthwhile presentations concerning silk fabrics. The three-metre-high showroom was the site of Rechenberg’s most recent fashion show, in late April. Having lived in Rechenberg is a graduate of the On an outing to
Difficult beginning Zhang recalls, “It is hard to imagine that this place was once used to stock coal for a boiler room before the Beijing government switched to gas heating. It took us months to dig up and carry out the waste and design and build the courtyard. Now it is totally changed, and we feel rewarded.” The couple rents their space from the government. They hired workers to remove all the wastes and to carry them away in trucks. Zhang bought the building materials such as bricks used on the floor and walls, large pieces of glass at Sihuidong Building Material Market. Rechenberg designed the buildings and the small garden of the courtyard, for example which plants to buy and where they should be put. They went to Huaxiang Flower Market in southern The first year, however, the plants were tiny and the garden looked a bit bare. Zhang said, “We used chicken manure to enrich the soil so that the plants would grow faster.” The present flourishing trees and flowers seem to have proven his strategy successful. An experienced ayi who was also an experienced gardener helps them a lot. Alas, since the living space in the courtyard was not large enough for three children, they now live in an apartment nearby. “We can see clearly the yard from our house, and it feels good,” Zhang said.
Large flower market
Laitai Flower Market Near Open: Address: 9 Maizidian Xijie, Chaoyang District 莱太花卉商城，朝阳区麦子店西街9号
Huaxiang Flower Market The travel required to get to this market is worth it, because of its large, inexpensive collection of trees and flowers. Open: 8: Address: southwest of the Yuquanying Roundabout, Fengtai District 花乡花卉市场，丰台区玉泉营环岛西南侧
Large bird and fish marketsShilihe Birds and Fish Market The Open: Address: 100 metres east of Shilihe Qiao, East Third Ring Road, Chaoyang District 朝阳区十里河花鸟鱼虫市场，十里河桥东
Guanyuan Birds and Fish Market Market with a long history, birds and fish at a wide range of prices Open: Address: Southeast corner of Fuchengmen Qiao, West Second Ring Road, Xicheng District 西城区官园花鸟鱼虫市场，阜成门桥东南角
Tips for gardening• Plants that blossom Rose (meigui) Chinese rose (yueji) Winter jasmine (yingchunhua) Rosebush (qiangwei) Magnolias (yulan) Chinese flowering crab-apple (haitang) Clove (dingxiang) Honeysuckle (rending) • Plants with fruit Peaches (taozi) Plums (lizi) Grapes (putao) Pomegranates (shiliu) • Others Creeper woodbine (paishanhu) bamboo (zhuzi) For people who love fish, try placing a large fish bowl in the open air of the yard stocked with goldfish (jinyu) or golden carp (liyu). There are some tips for special note: • The fish bowl or pool should be at least 50 centimetres deep (one metre is better). Even when it freezes in winter, fish can survive under the ice, if it is deep enough. Make several holes in the ice to keep enough oxygen for the fish, or heat the water. • Goldfish are more resilient than golden carp. They are also inexpensive and easy to buy in
Mark Thirwall, Australian, who likes to ride bicycles in Beijing’s hutong, one day found his ideal place to settle down, in a small courtyard residence in a hutong in Central Beijing’s Beixinqiao community. Unlike other hutong in the capital, the lanes here meander: one of the things that attracted Thirwall to this special place. Yet, the hutong’s presence in the centre of other local residences sealed the deal, even though his house is so hard to find, he often has to meet his friends somewhere and guide them to it. Thirwall said, “I’m fascinated with Chinese culture, and I think living in this local community is the best way for me to touch and sense the culture.” Thirwall walks or rides a bike or a sanlunche (tricycle) in the hutong, where he often stops and talks with the locals. He enjoys his life in He learned to cook Chinese style in southern After six months’ renovation, Thirwall's retreat has a totally new look. He said, “It is now a club, named ‘The Hutong,’ a place to make friends with common interests.” Having lived in In the centre of the yard, an old and large Chinese date tree tells the long history of the place. “The fruit is sweet,” Thirwall said with a smile. “And my room is this one [beside a date tree].” In his eyes, living in He likes to entertain people on the large roof-top terrace. “It feels quite nice to sit here and have a look at the houses and lanes of this area. It is completely different from living in an apartment.” Long benches are prepared for barbecues and casual chats in the evening. “It is cool here in the evening, but a pity that there are many mosquitoes. He said it’s a wonderful place for practicing qigong (Chinese breathing exercises) and taiji (Chinese shadow boxing).” At the southern part of the yard is a kitchen, which has a large bench for 14 people. Here, Thirwall teaches regional Chinese cooking: In addition to the kitchen, there is a private tea house with a wide selection of Chinese teas including Longjing, Oolong, Maofeng, Pu’er. Typical Chinese wooden chairs, commonly seen at local people's homes, remind people of the old days, decades ago. It is a place to learn a bit about the history of various Chinese teas and the ancient Chinese tea ceremony. Entering through a brick arch, visitors will encounter a large and high room with strong Chinese ethnic flavour. “Originally, it was composed of several small rooms. I pulled down the unnecessary walls, and made the room larger and brighter,” Thirwall said. It has become a versatile space for various kids of events, such as classes on Traditional Chinese Medicine and sometimes the projection of movies. The whole renovation project took less time than he feared: “It may have taken two to three years in The whole style of the yard is classical Chinese: for instance, the Chinese wooden doors, stairs, table, chairs, carved windows, and ornaments like Chinese paintings and embroidery.
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