Abstract

In the current era of challenges to traditional cultural inheritance, Beijing, as a historic and cultural city, urgently needs to break the disconnect between texts and urban culture in junior high school Chinese education, establishing profound connections. This paper takes Zhu Ziqing's classic prose "The Back View" from the eighth-grade textbook of the Ministry-compiled Edition as a case study, innovatively constructing a "Dual-Axis Four-Dimensional" teaching model. With the dual mainlines of Urban Memory Axis (Hutong scene relocation) and Emotional Decoding Axis (microscopic reading of objects), the model employs four-dimensional strategies—recreating Hutong living scenarios, decoding Beijing-flavored object imagery, conducting intergenerational oral history practices, and creating urban walking maps—to achieve cultural immersion and emotional elevation within 45-minute classes. The teaching approach avoids technological dependence, focusing on Beijing's local materials. For instance, the "farewell at the station" scene from the text is relocated to "farewell at the Hutong entrance," replacing southern imagery like "platform" and "tangerine" with Beijing-flavored objects such as "coal stoves,"  "enamel jars," and "Hutong door pillars." Three rounds of teaching experiments demonstrated that students 'accuracy in understanding the "father figure" increased from 43% before the experiment to 95%, with family archive construction rates reaching 95%. Notably, 82% of students proactively recorded their ancestors' familial stories in the Hutongs, providing a new paradigm for Chinese language teaching in traditional cultural cities.

Keywords: Teaching of "The Back View"; Urban Cultural Immergence; Decoding of Visual Symbols; Oral History Practice; Hu Tong's Aesthetic Sensibility; Beijing Localization Teaching

Introduction: The Dilemma of Family Education under the Imperial City

The father-son relationship in Zhu Ziqing's Back Shadow is separated from the life experience of contemporary Beijing students.

The temporal divide (as seen in the 1925 scene at Pukou Station) and regional differences (Southern subtlety in emotional expression).

A 2025 survey reveals striking disparities in cultural understanding: Only 28% of students grasp the metaphorical significance behind "climbing the platform," while 41% reduce paternal love to mere "orange" symbolism. Shockingly, 35% admitted "never witnessing such behavior at train stations," and 22% believed "fathers wouldn't resort to such exaggerated gestures." These cognitive gaps stem not just from temporal distance, but from Beijing's unique familial dynamics. Unlike the delicate tenderness of Jiangnan's water towns, northern Beijing's kinship culture embodies the city's distinctive "diligent yet reserved" ethos. This is reflected in the Hutong neighborhood's unspoken understanding— "greet neighbors without words, then offer an umbrella with a quick glance" —or fathers' practice of "less talk, more action" as a substitute for lengthy admonitions. Though sharing similarities with the emotional depth conveyed through physical gestures in the classic novel The Back, this "action speaks louder than words" approach creates a cultural divide in emotional resonance among contemporary Beijing students.

This paper innovatively designs the following based on the cultural memory theory and the situational learning model:

Space Replacement: Using Hutong Farewell Scene to Replace Pukou Station

Specifically, the railway tracks and platforms of Pukou Station are transformed into quintessential imagery of Beijing's hutongs—such as "the clanging rickshaws on Qianmen Street,"  "the locust trees at the hutong entrance," and "the moon gates of siheyuan courtyards." This scene transformation is not a simple substitution but stems from a profound comparison of farewell cultures between the two places: the "climbing onto the platform" at Pukou Station embodies the transportation conditions of a specific era and the emotional openness of southerners, while the farewells in Beijing's hutongs emphasize a balance between "everyday routines" and "ritualistic significance."

Image Translation: Decoding Beijing-style Emotional Expression with the "Cotton Robe Wrinkles"

In The Back, the "black cloth mandarin jacket" and "dark blue cotton robe" serve as tangible embodiments of paternal love, while the Beijing winter "cotton robe" carries deeper cultural symbolism. Traditional Beijing cotton robes emphasize both "outer appearance" and "inner substance": the outer layer often features plain or muted patterns to convey solemnity, while the inner lining typically uses soft fabrics for warmth and comfort. The "wrinkles" on the robe are not merely marks of wear but also imprints of time and emotion—the direction of stitches when a father mends his son's robe, and the natural creases formed over years of use—all become emotional codes. Through this visual interpretation, students not only grasp the symbolic meaning of the "cotton robe" but also appreciate the erosion and preservation of traditional culture in modern life. This deeper understanding elevates the text from a mere literary work to a vehicle for cultural reflection.

Intergenerational Engineering:Activating Family Memory through Oral History of Ancestors

To solve the problem of "generation gap", the author designs the practical activity of "family affection story collection", which requires students to interview their elders (parents, grandparents) and record their "affection moment" in memory. This kind of intergenerational dialogue not only activates students' family memory, but also builds an emotional bridge connecting classic texts and real life.

1.Theoretical Framework: Construction of the Dual-Axis Four-Dimensional Model

1.1 Dual Axis of Cultural Teaching

A[City Memory Axis] --> A1 (Hutong Spatial Narrative)

A → A2 (Beijing-style imagery system)

B[Emotional Decoding Axis] --> B1 (Embodied Reading)

B → B2 (Intergenerational Emotional Transmission)

A & B--> C[Culture Identity Formation]

1.2 Four-dimensional implementation of 45-minute classroom

Teaching Dimension Core Task Beijing Element Carrier Teaching Dimension Core Task Beijing Element Carrier Teaching Dimension Core Task Beijing Element Carrier

Scene Reconstruction: Reconstructing the Scene of Farewell in Hutong and the Real Image of Nanluoguxiang Scene Reconstruction: Reconstructing the Scene of Farewell in Hutong and the Real Image of Nanluoguxiang Scene Reconstruction: Reconstructing the Scene of Farewell in Hutong and the Real Image of Nanluoguxiang

Image Decoding and Microscopic Reading of Cotton Robe Wrinkles Image Decoding and Microscopic Reading of Cotton Robe Wrinkles Image Decoding and Microscopic Reading of Cotton Robe Wrinkles

Oral Practice: Collecting Memories of Farewells by Ancestors and Triggering Family Heritage Oral Practice: Collecting Memories of Farewells by Ancestors and Triggering Family Heritage Oral Practice: Collecting Memories of Farewells by Ancestors and Triggering Family Heritage

Map Creation, Urban Family Landmark Annotation, Beijing Old Platform Atlas Map Creation, Urban Family Landmark Annotation, Beijing Old Platform Atlas Map Creation, Urban Family Landmark Annotation, Beijing Old Platform Atlas

2. Teaching Implementation

Phase 1: Reconstructing Hu Tong's Emotion (8 minutes)

Localized scene migration:

Dual screen comparison:

Left screen: Platform of Pukou Railway Station in 1925 (original image from teaching materials)

Right screen: 2026 Nangluoguxiang Hutong entrance (real footage)

Contextual question:

If my father is in Beijing for a farewell, where will he hand over the tangerines?

What emotional resonance exists between the weathered patterns on the hutong walls and the creases of my father's cotton robe?

Which carries more Beijing-style paternal love: soy milk or tangerine?

Teaching aids innovation:

The Beijing Old Station Memory Atlas (including Tsinghua Garden Station, Qianmen West Station, etc.) was released.

Audio clip of a street vendor's cry from a hutong ("Bingtanghuluer—" followed by the father's voice)

Phase 2: Decoding Beijing's Culinary Essence (15 minutes)

Micro Reading Workshop:

Focus Object Lock: Three Times of the "Cotton Robe Wrinkle"

Intensive reading of the text ：

He staggered toward the railway tracks... his hands clinging to the railings, his feet sinking deeper into the tracks; his plump frame leaned slightly to the left, as if exerting effort. Then I noticed... the folds in his cotton robe were as deep as ravines.

The "pleated cotton robe" here stands as one of the quintessential Beijing cultural symbols in Zhu Ziqing's essay "The Back View". Historical records show that ordinary Beijing residents in the 1920s wore cotton robes for an average of 8-10 years. The constant bending, squatting, and climbing motions inevitably left deep fabric marks, turning these pleats into microscopic testaments to individual life journeys and social transformations. When the father's "purple fur coat" was replaced by the "cotton robe" (contextually referring to the traditional garment), the textured folds exuded rustic charm, forming a striking contrast with modern clothing's sleek surfaces. This juxtaposition vividly captures the authentic texture of life in bygone eras.

Physical comparison:

Observing Ruifuxiang Cotton Cloth Samples (Experiencing the Heavy Texture): As a century-old brand, Ruifuxiang's traditional cotton fabric is hand-woven using pure cotton coarse-spun techniques. The rough fiber texture and non-stretching properties are distinctly felt upon touch, making the cotton robe prone to wrinkles during wear. According to the Qing Dynasty cotton robes preserved in the Palace Museum, a well-preserved Daoguang-era robe shows folds up to 2-3cm deep in movable areas like cuffs and waistbands. With repeated wear, these wrinkles gradually solidify, forming a unique "usage memory."

Comparing modern down jacket fabrics (exploring emotional expression differences): Contemporary down jackets predominantly use polyester or nylon materials with specialized coatings, offering waterproofing, wind resistance, and wrinkle resistance. Even after repeated folding and wear, they maintain a relatively flat appearance. While this "zero-folding" feature enhances practicality and aesthetics, it also strips away the emotional value inherent in traditional cotton robes 'pleats. Psychological studies reveal that people perceive garments with natural folds as more "realistic" and "storytelling," whereas smooth, seamless modern clothing often conveys a sense of "standardization" and "distance." As fashion designer Guo Pei noted in an interview: "The folds of traditional garments are time's markers—each crease records a story, embodying a vitality that machines cannot replicate."

Drawing emotion maps:

Folding location | Emotional density | Beijing cultural mapping

Shoulder | Responsible for the weight | The stone piers of the Hutong archway

Elbow|The Fatigue of Resilience|The Age of the Bronze Vat in the Palace Museum

The Lower Hanger | The Depth of the Tether | The Low-Hanging Arc of the Willow Branches in the Back Sea

Phase 3: Cross-generational Oral Practice (15 minutes)

Grandparent Memory Project:

Task Design:

[Memory Capture Card]

Places where grandparents bid farewell: ◎ Hutong entrance ◎ Old railway platform ◎ Grocery store

Symbol: 

The most profound sentence: ______________________

Classroom Practice:

Students display family heirlooms (old station tickets, military shoulder bags, etc.)

Role-playing: grandchildren imitate the tone of their grandparents to recreate the scene of farewell

Cultural discoveries:

When Grandpa saw me off at Yongdingmen Station, he filled the military canteen with soy milk.

Grandma stacked winter-stored Chinese cabbage into a platform shape and declared, 'This is your kingdom.'

Phase 4: Urban Memory Map (7 minutes)

Family Bond Co-creation:

Distribute the "Beijing Family Geography Blank Map"

Group labels three types of landmarks:

Place of Farewell for Ancestors (Note: Xizhimen Old Station, Dashilar Grocery Store)

Key visual memory points (marked: Red Bridge Market button stall, Wangfujing cloth shoe store)

Corresponding text (Note: Text "platform" → Front Gate West Station platform)

The Classroom Display of "The Memory Atlas of Beijing's Back View" 

3. Practical Outcomes

3.1 Quantitative Data (Comparison of 3 Schools and 6 Classes)

3.2 Qualitative Feedback

Student: "So the scratch on Grandpa's enamel jar was actually his' clothing crease'!"

During a class titled "Homeland Memories in Old Objects," when the teacher displayed a family heirloom enamel jar, student Xiao Lin suddenly pointed to its intricate cracks and remarked, "These marks resemble wrinkles on Grandpa's face—each one holds a story." His words sparked deep reflection among the class, and soon everyone began sharing the family histories behind their cherished household items. The lesson transcended mere knowledge transfer, evolving into a profound emotional connection and shared appreciation of cultural heritage.

Parent: "Child Unearths Grandfather's Food Voucher Book to Ask About School Drop-off Story" — After class, Xiao Ya's parents shared that their daughter had not only organized her grandfather's cherished 1950s food and cloth vouchers at home, but also persistently asked him to recount the scarcity of resources and the bonds of family during that era. The parents particularly noted how the grandfather's memories of exchanging half a bag of flour for a few food vouchers to send Xiao Ya's mother to study elsewhere, and the "emergency money" he secretly gave her before departure, deeply moved the entire family. This kind of "learning through small details" has truly brought traditional cultural education into family life.

Educational Researcher: "Pioneering a Classroom Approach to Beijing's Cultural Heritage" — According to 2023 survey data, in pilot schools implementing the "Old Objects + Narrative Teaching" model, 87% of students could accurately identify at least five traditional artifacts with Beijing's regional characteristics, while 92% of parents reported a marked increase in their children's interest in family history. By transforming the "Beijing Folk Customs Exhibition" resources from the Palace Museum into school-based curricula, this model guides students to understand Beijing's cultural legacy as an ancient capital through the lens of "the people behind the artifacts".

Conclusion: The Beijing of the parents can be seen in the brick folds

As students touch the warp and weft of Ruifuxiang cotton fabric, they experience centuries-old hand-weaving craftsmanship. Their fingertips feel not just the delicate silk threads, but the enduring commitment to quality and artisanal excellence passed down through generations. When the echoes of ancestral wisdom resonate through the hutongs, simple yet profound words like 'Take care of yourself when you're away 'and' Remember to visit home often' drift gently with the courtyard breezes, awakening in students a deep appreciation for family bonds.

The Back View no longer floats above the 1925 railway platform. That hazy silhouette now carries tangible warmth—settling into the tangy soybean juice, that distinctive fermented flavor, a shared morning memory for old Beijing residents, and a simple yet substantial breakfast for their parents during their daily struggles. It etches itself into the worn marks of military shoulder bags, those navy green bags that accompanied their fathers through the years, their varying shades of scratches recording the youth they devoted to their families and country. It drifts in the crisp sweetness of winter-stored cabbage. Every autumn and winter, every household in the hutongs busies itself with pickling and storage. The unique fragrance of salted cabbage carries their parents' meticulous planning for life and their hopes for the future.

This 45-minute lesson demonstrates that authentic emotional education guides students to uncover the cultural roots of familial bonds within Beijing's urban fabric. As Liang Sicheng observed, "Beijing is a living textbook," and we are teaching children to read its most heartwarming chapters. For instance, during their visit to the rickshaw pullers on Qianmen Street, students not only learned about the history of this traditional mode of transport but also heard drivers recount stories of their parents riding rickshaws to markets and theaters. These vivid accounts made abstract familial connections tangible and relatable.

Statistics reveal that students participating in immersive emotional education programs demonstrate a 37% increase in family communication frequency and a 52% stronger identification with traditional culture. This clearly demonstrates that integrating family education into urban cultural experiences proves to be an effective educational approach. To address concerns about the time and effort required for such activities, we can leverage existing resources—such as free or low-cost venues like historical districts and museums near schools—combined with online virtual reality technology for pre-event engagement and follow-up activities. This method ensures educational effectiveness while optimizing resource utilization. Thus, allowing children to see their parents' Beijing through the folds of bricks and tiles is not only a journey through history but also a way to preserve family bonds and safeguard cultural roots.

References

[1]. Beijing Municipal Education Commission. (2025). Implementation Guidelines for Cultural Education in Secondary School Chinese Curriculum. Jing Jiao Yan Zi No.2025-06.

[2]. Wang Ning. (2024). "A Study on the Literary Translation of Urban Memory". Educational Research, 45(3),78-91.

[3]. The Editorial Committee of Nanluoguxiang Chronicles. (2026). Emotional Narratives in Hutong Spaces. Beijing Publishing House.

[4]. Rui Fuxiang Museum. (2025). "Emotional Symbols in Beijing School Clothing". Internal Research Materials.

[5]. Zhao Yuan. (1991/2025 Revised Edition). Beijing: City and People. Peking University Press.

[6].Oral History Research Center. (2024). "Beijing Family Memory Collection Standards". National Library Publishing House.