Shows or entertainment in Beijing

　Night life was unknown to many people in Beijing 20 years ago, and the word was not even used. But nowadays, it is very common, especially for young people, to go out in the evenings and spend their time at cinemas, theatres, nightclubs, song and dance halls, Karaoke clubs, restaurants or bars. Beijing 's nightlife and entertainment scene is currently undergoing something of a revolution, as modern Beijing people, who suddenly find themselves with a disposable income and living through comparatively liberal times, seek out new outlets for having fun. Throughout the 1990s, numerous new nightclubs were set up to cater for a chic and affluent clientele and new ones continue to open all the time. For your interesting, you could spend the night by yourselves in Chinese western bar, or we could arrange you for Beijing local performances, such as Acrobatics, Beijing Opera and Kung Fu Show, or Tea House performance. All these Beijing evening activities are really the chances for the taste of Chinese culture.

Acrobatics Show

　As early as in the Spring and Autumn Period, the art of acrobatics made its debut in China . The first type of acrobatics developed was strength acrobatics, with warriors whirling heavy wheels with their hands. In the Han Dynasty, acrobatic shows became important amusements frequently enjoyed at palace banquets as well as celebrations of the common people. Ancient acrobatics was handed down from generation to generation. Performances include such well-known ones as “Jumping Through Hoops,” “Diabolos,” “Tightrope Walking,” “Juggling with the Feet,” “Juggling with the Flower Jar,” “Plate Spinning,” and “A Pagoda of Bowls.” After the founding of the PRC in 1949, acrobatics developed rapidly, with the encouragement of the Chinese government. Now, there are nearly 100 acrobatic troupes above the county level, and thousands of non-governmental acrobatic troupes. A large contingent of professional and part-time acrobats has come into being. China has sent hundreds of acrobatic troupes abroad to perform in over 100 countries and regions. From 1981 to 1997, China won gold prizes on 35 occasions, such as the “Prize of the President of the Republic of France ,” and the top prize at the “Tomorrow and the Future” International Acrobatic Festival held in France . So far, China has won 85 gold prizes at international acrobatic contests. The superb skills of Chinese acrobats have been praised by people all over the world, and China has been recognized as the leading country in the acrobatics field.

　Every evening, you could have the Acrobatics show in Beijing , we could book the ticket for you in advance at the Chaoyang Theatre. It is a place specialized in acrobatic performing. It was built in the year of 1984, and was appointed as a designated theatre for tourists by the government of Beijing in 1986. In 2001, the theatre was chosen as one of the excellent cultural units in China . Back from early 80s, the theatre had performed singing and dancing 、 opera and drama etc, after that, it decided to concentrate on acrobatic performing. Since then after 10 years performing experience, the theatre became famous because of its acrobatic performance. If you choose it, you would have a wonderful night.

Beijing Opera

　Originally a form of local theatre, Peking Opera spread all over the country and then became the national opera of China . About 200 years ago, the Qing Emperor Qianlong toured in southern China and developed an interest in the local operas. On his 80th birthday, he let local opera troupes come to Beijing to perform for him. Some remained in Beijing after the celebration. The ones from Anhui and Hubei were incorporated with the palace opera -Kunqu Opera, which formed the Peking Opera .Peking Opera combines stylized acting with singing, dancing, musical dialogues, martial arts, colorful facial make-up and fantastic costumes. Male roles are “Sheng”, and clowns are “Chou”. Each role, according to their sex, age and disposition, is characterized by different designs of facial make-up, say, Jing representing a rough, frank character and Hua Face representing a cruel or sinister character. So the audience can easily tell what kind of character an actor is performing. Facial make-up, costumes and head - dresses are wonderful works of traditional art. In the past, both Dan and Sheng roles were played by male actors, but now they also can be played by female. It is necessary to see Peking Opera while you are in China , just as seeing an opera while in Italy . Please join with us.

Kung Fu Show

　By most foreigners, you always call it as Kung Fu, but in China , actually it is known as Wushu or martial art which is one of the typical demonstrations of traditional Chinese culture. It is a sport which utilizes both brawn and brain. The theory of Kung Fu is based upon classical Chinese philosophy, while the skills of Kung Fu consist of various forms of fighting: fist fights, weapon fights, and other fighting routines. It is a traditional Chinese physical activity with thousands of years of history. As a precious element of China 's cultural heritage, Chinese Kung Fu has also won its name all around the world for its broad and deep meanings and its Oriental features, which cover it with a mysterious veil. A part of the holistic Oriental Civilization, Chinese Kung F u is effective both in battle and in building physical strength. In addition, it unites with the traditional medicine concepts of human's main and collateral channels, Qi and blood. To conclude, as a crystallization of the wisdom gathered in the ancient Chinese lands, it allows people of any age to build up their bodies. It boasts versatile functions, of which the most outstanding are: moral cultivation, offence and defense, curative effect, health improvement, artistic effect, or intelligence.

　In Beijing , you could enjoy fantastic Kung Fu Show, the Legend of Kung Fu. It will focus on a young boy found wondering outside an ancient temple somewhere in China . He dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master. But things don't go smoothly according to his plan. The young monk is called Chun Yi (the pure one) has to overcome many difficulties and temptations before he conquers and finally gets his sacred goal of enlightenment. Many places of the show are presented like a dream in appearance. In the show you can find the flying fairy created in Chun Yi's mind and brimstone of the blacksmiths workshop, where the tools and armor are made. The ceiling of the theatre lights up like the night sky with twinkling stars. The main innovation in this show is the blend of the different parts of performance art. The modern dancers have mixed elements of Kung Fu into their performance and the Kung Fu performers have adopted some of the modern dance actions. All the performance tells that the show is very excellent.

Tea House Performance

　In a country with the history of five thousand years, the Chinese tea drinking habit dated back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD). It became a national tradition and led to development of a delicate tea drinking ritual. Over the centuries, poets and artists in China wrote many marvelous masterpieces, in appreciation of tea and Chinese people's constant love of tea drinking .One of the best-known writers is Lu Yu, who was regarded as the “Tea Sage” for he composed the first book on tea. In his classic book, he detailed his studies of tea, such as the origin of tea, tea tools, tea picking, tea cooking, tea ceremony and well-known areas where tea was grown. And the valuable knowledge he recorded has laid foundation for modern tea culture development. Based on ways in which tea leaves are processed, there are five distinct types of tea. They are as follow: the green tea, the black tea, the Wulong tea, the compressed tea and the scented tea. Among them, many foreigners are familiar with the green tea. The Longjing tea, of the green type, has a reputation both at home and abroad. And people are engrossed in the fantastic smelling, the delicate tasting, as well as the wonderful shape. When it comes to drinking a cup of tea, we usually invite a few friends, go to a serene place, and drink tea imbibe slowly in small sips. The popularity of tea lies not only in its good taste but also in its benefits to our health .Tea helps our body' digestion .So, it's a part of lifestyle to drink a cup of tea after the meal.

　Sometimes, people might have a gathering in a tea house, and drinking tea with performance. In Beijing , it is a custom for local people to drink tea with watching some wonderful shows. We could arrange you to one of the Beijing tea house and reserved the front seats for you in advance. It is a teahouse with short shows by comedians, singers, musicians, acrobats and opera performers. You can have a rich review of Beijing culture while enjoying tea with light snacks.

　After you read all of them, if you like to have one of them, please make contact with us and we will have a good arrangement for you. Our contact is (0086)10 84405388 by telephone, (0086)10 84405450 by fax, or travelservice@kirintravel.com by email.