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Qian Xun constitutes a name that is fairly commonplace in both Japanese and Chinese. In Chinese, the name can be expounded in myriad ways. For instance, the word is broken down into two parts, Qian and Xun, in which “Qian” stands for umpteen times, embodying the degree of difficulty, whereas “Xun” refers to “seek and search”. Therefore, the words “Qian Xun” in this work of Qianxun Restaurant can be interpreted as follows: it is a restaurant that you need to embark on multiple trips to search and spot, and delve deeper to discover. The fact that it can be found lends support to the Chinese proverb “fragrant wine fears no dark alley”.
Qianxun Restaurant is a privately-owned restaurant under Baibang Catering Group, centering on creative private home cuisines. The name notwithstanding, it is de facto, not a traditional bustling dining hall whose door is wide open to customers far and near, but a high-end private restaurant that specializes in receiving high-ranking figures. The building spans a saleable area of 295 square meters, and its interior décor is composed of two parts: the private chamber “Xunli” characterized by a simple Chinese style, and the rest of the scenes immersed in a traditional Chinese ambiance. When you set foot in Qianxun, you will be deeply impressed at first glance with its light and shadow design that is akin to the bright moon showering its silvery light on floating clouds. Coming out from the elevator, the first thing you will encounter is the ray of light on the doorframe that seems to divide the space into external and internal segments. After several steps ahead, the way leads to a stunningly vast spaciousness out of the blue. There hangs a full-moon-shaped illuminant on the square front desk made of stone, shedding its lights upon a stone plate to reflect a bright moon. You will feel like breezing into an ancient courtyard where you stand by rockeries and ponds. Looking up, you behold a round, snow-white moon high above in the sky; bowing your head, you descry a moon mirrored in the water. Behind the table, there lies a partition featuring a cluster of daphne odera. The delicate light shines upon the branches and leaves from the bottom to the top, coupled with the resounding of the colliding footsteps and stone steps, lending a special touch of serenity to the entire front hall steeped in the vibe of a tranquil courtyard amid the moonlight. A few steps further in, a hall surrounded by reeds comes into view. The wooden table and chairs are accompanied by a slightly rustic light among the faint aroma of tea filling the air. At the end of the corridor, there is a wooden pedestal paired with hanging pictures. If you come closer, you will witness that the light source overhead morph into the shape of an oil-paper umbrella in such a columnar space. This is precisely the shining point of the lighting in Qianxun Restaurant. Unlike a multitude of lights in interior design which are purely for lighting, the ones in the corridor of the front hall at Qianxun Restaurant almost serve to create a unique air and aura. That is why the transient journey from the entrance to the bottom of the corridor renders you a hearty sense of reposefulness and peacefulness, which is rare in the hustle and bustle of the modern metropolis.
Xunli Chamber is decorated in a new Chinese simple style, whose design is inspired by the theatrical version of a hit pop song Blue and White Porcelain. Azure, the dominant hue of the room, comes from the first line of the refrain, “I am waiting for you just as the azure sky is for misty rain”. Beyond that, the traditional Chinese culture of the whole room is mainly manifested via its soft decoration blending. Whether it is the mural heavily tinged with traditional Chinese painting characteristics, the screen adorned with goldfish embroidery with ink splashed at its corner, or the glaze-rendered vase by the door of the pantry, all of them serve as the epitome of the Chinese culture. Needless to say, the light and shadow design in Xunli Chamber stays committed to its artistic pursuit like the one back in the corridor. The only difference is that it is shaped by natural light instead of lamplight. After you take a sip of tea or a bite of food, you may draw back the fine-gauze curtain to see the soothing afternoon sunlight seeping its way into the room and casting light or deep shadows on a variety of plants in the leisure area, which echoes the overtone of the lyrics “birds flying back together amid a dazzling array of the sunset’s afterglow”. All the parts within the chamber reach a delicate balance, appearing concise and refreshing on the face of it, but such freshness bears a resemblance to the fragrance of tea - the more you savor it with relish, the more you feel its layers of distinctive flavor unfolding on your palate. Such visual simplicity comes certainly as a result of the design with a purpose. At the end of the day, it functions as a venue to drink and dine, whose customers zeroing in on food and having a go at it. Overly ornate decorations will only distract customers’ attention. Therefore, it is this refreshing and lingering atmosphere, by dint of minimalist embellishment plus the light and shadow mix, that strikes at the heart and soul of Xunli Chamber.