The exchange of culture and values

The tutorial on Thursday was really helpful for me to have a clearer idea about where is my project going from and aiming to.

Soho area and The Forbidden City nearly are the same size, but have totally different cultural background and behaviors. They possese their own values. The Forbidden City is the representation of supreme power in the past of China, therefore it is known as its magnificent architecture and solemn atmosphere. Besides this, its remarkable decoration and lots of royal treasures of past kingdom can be considered as an exhibition of the ancient Chinese culture. On the contrary, Soho area is a small, multicultural area of central London, a home to industry, commerce, culture and entertainment, as well as a residential area for both rich and poor. It has clubs, bars, restaurants, a few sex shops scattered amongst them, and late-night coffee shops that give the streets an "open all night" feel at the weekends. That means, it is a place full of relaxed and playful atmosphere.

Then where is my project? 

When people come to a new country which is far from their home, the cultural shock could involuntarily generate the feelings of nostalgia, strangeness and fear. When they hang out in the new city, they may create a weird space on the base of what they can see. For me, when I go to Soho area, as its size is almost the same as Forbidden City, there could be the mixture of Forbidden City and Soho area. All the shops are empty and filled with things from Forbidden City. All its entertaining atmosphere has gone. Instead, there are delicate decorations displayed in the show windows, and behind the LCD advertisement screen, there is a king's bedroom with a layer of dust. In this kind of space, there must be something forbidden. So in this way, Soho has become a museum of Forbidden City, or is called Forbidden Soho.
In the meantime, the cultural shock could also happen in The Forbidden City to the visitors in Beijing. Imagine that in this huge royal palace, the alley in comfortable size are arranged into the large and empty square and some playful shops and bars are installed into the royal garden. Maybe this could be another part of my project.
For the two places, Soho and Forbidden City, they all export culture and import values.