The book launch of Settling on the Great Wall: My Memories, Designs and Dreams was held recently at Brickyard in Beigou Village, Huairou District. The author of the book, 69-year-old Sayang, spoke fluent Chinese, thanked the people he met in China, and talked about the unforgettable years he spent at the foot of the Great Wall in a family style.

On the scene, Sayang shared his deep relations with China for more than 50 years. He said that although he is an American, his home is in China and his career is also in China. He hopes that through his efforts, more people will love the Great Wall and feel the beauty of the buildings at its foot.

A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Sayang began studying Chinese in 1973 and married Tang Liang, a Chinese student, in the U.S. in 1982, settling in China four years later.In 1996, after climbing the Great Wall, Sayang was walking down the trail when he came across Li Fengquan, a villager from Mutianyu Village, selling T-shirts. Sayang didn't buy a souvenir, but he envied the village name for living in such a beautiful place near the Great Wall. He had always hoped to have a home here, but it seemed like a far-fetched dream. Unexpectedly, after a few days, Li Fengquan called and said he had found a few old houses in Mutianyu Village that could be rented out. From then on, Sayang began to have a love affair with the houses at the foot of the Great Wall.

Sayang said he loved the magnificent beauty of the Great Wall and the quietness of the village. By chance, he decided to build a bed-and-breakfast hotel in Beigou Village, so the famous hotel Brickyard was born. Since 2005, Sayang and his Chinese wife have been living on the Great Wall for nearly 20 years.

The book Settling on the Great Wall: My Memories, Designs and Dreams records Sayang's moving experience and wisdom of rural architectural transformation, which attracts many readers with its unique perspective and wonderful design cases. The book also records Sayang's practice and thoughts on the conflict between tradition and modernity in the process of living in the countryside and carrying out architectural renovation.

Brickyard has a strong artistic atmosphere, and everywhere you can take a blockbuster. When designing Brickyard, it took the advantage of the view of the Great Wall, so from each guest room, taking a bath or lying on the bed, you all can see the Great Wall. In fact, Brickyard was converted from the former Beigou village-run glazed tile factory after it was abandoned and has become the only "China Rural Heritage Hotel" in Beijing.

It is worth mentioning that from 2009, 2049 Investment Group entered Beigou Village, acquired the Brickyard and successively built the Sansvillage and the WA Art. Architecture Museum, where Sayang's aesthetic ideas and design language could continue to evolve.

At the dialog session, the chairman of 2049 Investment Group, said that Beigou village is a place of life, not a place of production. So we would guard the local culture, respect the people's living customs in the principle of guiding as the main while not forcing to change. The real goal of the enterprise and the countryside are the same. Sayang hopes that in the future, the economic base of Beigou villagers will reach the level of big cities in China and even in the world. He will continue to contribute his wisdom and strength to the revitalization of China's villages.

Translator: BAI Jing

Reviewer: SHEN Ruixuan