To Youth, To the Red Chamber I
It is hard to determine the genre of this article—you could call it a travelogue, a reflection, a guide, or a summary. In any case, I just want to honestly record my thoughts, feeling an urgent need to speak out, as if something is left unfinished if I keep it bottled up inside.
I noticed Only the Red Chamber long ago. Many friends around me have already been there and gave positive feedback. I planned to go later in the summer, but due to schedule changes, I advanced the trip to the end of June, over the weekend. The accommodation cluster at the entrance was fully booked, so I chose the slightly farther Vienna Smart Hotel, which turned out to be a good choice. They upgraded the room for free, allowed early check-in, and even gave an extra breakfast. Many thanks to Manager Shi—you were fantastic! Our family drove from Eco-city, arriving at the hotel in nearly an hour and a half; the highway toll for the round trip was 80 yuan. After settling in and resting a bit, we took a taxi to the Illusion City.
The beauty of the Illusion City is overwhelming. The green spaces on both sides, the Rubik's Cube-like structure in the middle, the sunken squares. Walking inward, the self-service ticket machines in the lobby were very convenient. The figures drawn in fine lines on the pillars silently tell visitors that this is a place to chase dreams. Further in is the cultural and creative market, full of a dazzling array of products. To be honest, if you don't prepare eight hundred or a thousand yuan, you probably won't buy much. We bought only a few items and spent over 340 yuan. If you like lottery-style fun, you can pick a blind box and test your luck. After scanning our faces at the ticket gates, we officially entered the Illusion City. From then on, we could just use facial recognition without showing tickets. Ahead was a photo frame-shaped structure. At the time, I didn't think it was special, but when I returned here two days later and looked back at that frame, I understood—I felt the director's effort and intention. Sixteen doors, you could go through any of them, and behind each door is a different scenery.
Our tour started from No. 35 Middle School.
I graduated in 2003, so it has been 21 years since I last returned to school. Thank you, No. 35 Middle School, for giving me a chance to relive school life. During class, I actively answered the teacher's questions: 'What else is Dream of the Red Chamber called?' 'The Story of the Stone!' 'What else?' 'The Twelve Beauties of Jinling!' 'Any more?' 'The Precious Mirror of Wind and Moon!' 'Which city is Jinling?' 'Nanjing!' 'What is Cao Xueqin's given name?' 'The single character Zhan!' This almost became a cross-talk routine between the teacher and me. My deskmate looked at me with envy: 'You must be the Chinese class representative!' For a moment, I felt as if I had truly returned to school. Of course, later the teacher's rapid-fire monologue was really impressive—I couldn't get a word in. The chemistry teacher's equations, dopamine, endorphins—they completely baffled me because I was terrible at chemistry back then. In the graduation square, the song 'Clouds of Hometown' moved me to tears. I quickly wiped them away in the dim light so my family wouldn't see. My youth returned to me at No. 35 Middle School, in that square! As soon as the door opened, I rushed like the wind to the next spot: 'I Don't Like the Red Chamber.'
