The launch conference of Kaifeng's First International Design Competition for Spatial Scenarios and the Homestay Summit Forum were successfully held ...

On January 18, 2020, the launch conference of Kaifeng's First International Design Competition for Spatial Scenarios and the Homestay Summit Forum, themed "Millennial Kaifeng, Imperial Lane Twin Dragons," was successfully held in Shuanglong Lane, Kaifeng, Henan. Hundreds of experts, scholars, and project leaders in urban block and spatial scenario transformation gathered to discuss new ideas for the "organic enhancement" of urban blocks under immense pressure.

The image shows the launch conference poster.

The event was hosted by the Kaifeng Natural Resources and Planning Bureau and the Kaifeng Cultural Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd., organized by Amber Culture & Tourism, and co-organized by AIM International Design Competition and SMART Resort Industry Intelligence Platform. With the theme "Millennial Kaifeng, Imperial Lane Twin Dragons," the aim was to enhance the density of innovative talent in Kaifeng through this competition, infuse more cutting-edge scenario planning and design concepts into Shuanglong Lane through collective wisdom, promote the inheritance and development of the lane’s block culture, enrich its market formats and commercial operations, and jointly create new ideas for the "organic enhancement" of urban blocks.

The image shows the scene of the launch conference.

Attendees and discussants at the forum included Huang Yuguo, Vice Mayor of Kaifeng Municipal People's Government; Han Manku, Chairman of Kaifeng Cultural Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd.; Li Hongning, General Manager of Kaifeng Wen Investment Group; Zhang Chaorui, President of Kaifeng Planning Survey and Design Institute and Senior Engineer; Wang Xu, Chairman of the AIM International Design Competition Organizing Committee; Tony Brown, Tenured Faculty at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Master's Supervisor at China Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Internationally Renowned Artist; Ma Qingyun, Member of the American Institute of Architects, Former Dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California, Founding Partner of MAD Architects; Tony Brown, also an internationally renowned artist; Kang Wenling, Former Deputy General Manager of Huashan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei, Taiwan, and Taiwan Cultural and Creative Development Co., Ltd., General Manager of Beijing Fanti Group Cultural Creativity Operation Center; Shi Jun, Doctor of Art from Nanjing University and Co-founder of Suzhou Wuyin Culture; Gu Xiao, Certified Chinese Cultural Heritage Conservation Designer; Liao Minzhi, Co-founder of Guoyun Shanju; Ma Chuntao, Chairman of Pusu Cultural Tourism Group; Tang Guodong, Co-founder of Daluzhiye; Jia Peng, Founder of Dameizhijian Brand; Gu Daliang, Founder of Zailiangjun Su Brand; Shang Na, External Communication Expert at Henan University of Technology; and Xu Gang, Professor at the School of Fine Arts, Henan University.

The image shows Vice Mayor Huang Yuguo delivering a speech.

In his speech, Vice Mayor Huang Yuguo pointed out that as one of the first batch of “National Historical and Cultural Cities” announced by the State Council, Kaifeng is an ancient capital of eight dynasties and a cultural hub for intangible cultural heritage in the Central Plains region. In recent years, Kaifeng’s tourism economy and tertiary industry have developed rapidly. However, to compose a more splendid chapter for the Central Plains, the city must adopt new images and approaches. In the process of protecting and renovating the ancient city of Kaifeng, the opening of Shuanglong Lane and the competition are a new attempt. He hopes this experience will inject vitality into Kaifeng’s future development.

The image shows Han Manku, Chairman of Kaifeng Wen Investment Group, speaking.

When discussing the enhancement and development of Shuanglong Lane, Han Manku, Chairman of Kaifeng Wen Investment Group, stated: During the upgrading and construction of Shuanglong Lane, a lot of standardized architectural design work has been carried out, with in-depth research and discussion on structure, materials, decoration, and sculpture. Shuanglong Lane will respect the original functions of the historical and cultural block, primarily developing a homestay cluster focused on residential living. At the same time, it will combine the creation of pedestrian streets to showcase historical culture and enrich formats, aiming to build Shuanglong Lane into an experiential, high-end historical and cultural block that integrates culture, tourism, and commerce.

The image shows Ma Qingyun giving a keynote speech.

The image shows Kang Wenling giving a keynote speech.

The image shows Tony Brown giving a keynote speech.

The image shows Shi Jun giving a keynote speech.

During the keynote speech session, Ma Qingyun delivered a speech titled "Tradition Subverting Tradition." When discussing how to organically enhance historical and cultural blocks, he emphasized the importance of respecting history and maintaining the dignity of urban history. By sharing classic cases in cultural block development and architectural IP creation, he introduced new ideas for the evolution of historical districts. Tony Brown shared successful international cases of "organic enhancement" in urban blocks and offered insights on how art and culture can empower cultural tourism from a global perspective. Kang Wenling, from the angle of "creative cities and local participation," proposed the idea that "the more local, the more international," encouraging more people to engage in the co-creation and co-construction of urban blocks. This aligns with the original intention of launching Kaifeng’s First International Design Competition for Spatial Scenarios. Shi Jun interpreted "Power is knowledge" through three aspects: self-awareness, proper attribution, and clear goals.

During the roundtable forum, guests discussed the importance of urban block development in the context of 2020, the year of comprehensive moderate prosperity, from two dimensions: "how design empowers historical and cultural blocks" and "how homestay clusters empower cultural tourism." They also addressed the opportunities and challenges that lifestyle-oriented homestay clusters bring to the cultural tourism industry.

The image shows Wang Xu announcing the launch of Kaifeng's First International Design Competition for Spatial Scenarios.

Wang Xu, Chairman of the AIM International Design Competition Organizing Committee, also launched the competition globally and introduced its rules. On the day, Wang Xu, on behalf of the AIM organizing committee, invited designers worldwide. The competition focuses on Courtyard No. 24 of Shuanglong Lane. Based on Kaifeng’s Song Dynasty culture and the locality and historical heritage of Shuanglong Lane, designers are encouraged to break free from traditional block renovation constraints and explore innovative interactions between formats and spaces, creating new cultural experiences and leisure consumption scenarios. The competition includes both invited and open categories, with a total prize fund of 545,000 RMB. The invited category features five selected teams, with first, second, and third prizes for each. The open category is publicly solicited, offering one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes, one popularity award, and four appreciation awards. The submission deadline for entries is April 15, 2020.

The image shows the homestay signing ceremony.

A homestay brand signing ceremony was also held on-site. Participants included Li Hongning, General Manager of Kaifeng Wen Investment Group; Liao Minzhi, Co-founder of Guoyun Shanju; Ma Chuntao, Chairman of Pusu Cultural Tourism Group; and Tang Guodong, Co-founder of Daluzhiye. In the future, Shuanglong Lane in Kaifeng will collaborate with more homestay brands to establish a homestay cluster and develop a Shuanglong Lane lifestyle brand.

In the future, while preserving traditional residential and folk culture, Shuanglong Lane will continue to introduce more diverse design forces, lead industrial upgrading and transformation, activate the sustainable vitality of the block, and create a cultural landmark full of Kaifeng characteristics, empowering the development of Kaifeng’s cultural tourism.