Today,Beijing is really a capital of fairs,culture,folk customs and festivals,a metropolis with ancient-capital charm and modern vigor.In addition to traditional festivals and celebrations every year,a good many of national and even international fairs took place here,including the yearly Beijing International Books Exhibition,Auto Show,Communications Fair,as well as performances and fairs of top artists from all over China and the world.

Night life was unknown to many people in Beijing 20 years ago, and the word wasn't 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. Compared to people in south China, Beijing people are more conservative. Most of them, married people in particular, like to stay at home watching TV or chatting with friends, which is why the streets are quite deserted after nine o'clock at night, when most of the shops are closed.

Don't despair, you can find places to spend your evenings if you are not tired after the day's sightseeing. Almost every four- or five-star hotel has facilities for entertainment. Apart from hotels, night life venues are mostly in the city centre. You can see the Peking Opera, acrobatics, dramas, local ballad singing, song and dance performances, or attend a music concert, or drop in at a roadside disco. It's best to stick to places which have been recommended by other tourists or Chinese friends, and beware if prices of drinks are not displayed.

Now the city has witnessed a mushrooming of foreign theme pubs, new exotic bars and locally-run techno-clubs. Foreign pubs, bars, cafes and disco clubs attract foreign residents and tourists as well as young Chinese. The admission fee is usually about 50-80 yuan and beer is 15-20 yuan.

GongFu Show

Wushu (or Kungfu) appeared in ancient China as early as 2,500 years ago. During the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods (770 - 221BC), a method called Daoyin was evolved to promote health.

Today, both in China and around the world, millions of people are fascinated by Chinese Wushu and benefit from it. It is believed to be effective in preventing and curing some diseases like cold, indigestion, and eyestrain.

Shaolinquan is one of the well-known forms of Wushu with a long history. Situated in Henan Province, the Shaolin Temple can be dated back about 540. An Indian Buddhist priest named Bodhidharma (Damo in Chinese pinyin) traveled to China. When he arrived at the temple, he was refused to get in the door. So Damo went to a nearby cave and meditated until the monks recognized his religious prowess. Legend says that he bored a hole in the cave with his constant gaze. Later he taught the monks a set of exercises, which derived from Indian Yoga. And it is believed to be the origin of Shaolin Gongfu. The Shaolin gongfu is mainly used to protect the temple. It complies with the Buddhist principles of non-violence.

Acrobatics

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.

In Jan. 2000, on the 3rd International Acrobatics Festival held in Budapest, the 9-year-old Chinese acrobat Zhang Fayi won the golden award. In the picture, Zhang is performing "Balancing on a Cable".

There are many places in China where acrobatics is a local specialty, such as Liaocheng in Shandong Province, Yancheng in Jiangsu Province, Puyang in Henan Province, Tianmen in Hubei Province, Guangde in Anhui Province and Wuqing near Tianjin. In particular, Wuqiao in Hebei Province has gained a shining reputation both at home and abroad. Since 1987, the China Wuqiao International Acrobatics Festival has been held once every two years .

LaoShe Tea House

In the area of Qianmen Jianguo(the Watch Tower)of Beijing,Da Wan Cha(Big Bowl Tea)has always been the most noticeable sight.Of course,the most well known tea house is the Lao She Tea House.With a not large front door,it can always retain peoplesteps.In the Tea House,it seems to be in a museum of folk customs of Beijing.Together with the paintings and calligraphies,couplets,old-fashioned square tables for eight persons,backreat chairs everywhere,youll have a sudden strong sense of literary aura.So far,famous roles of every genre including Mei Baojiu,Yuan Shihai,Zhao Baochen in the circle of Beijing Opera;and famous actors of folk art such as Ma Sanli,Hou Baolin,and Ma Ji as well as performance celebrities like Xin Fengxia and Li Wenhua gave show on the not-large stage one after another.As a gathering place for folk customs culture in the area of Beijing,a lot of excellent local traditional programs are showed here every day,including Beijing qinshu(storytelling mainly in song,with musical instrument)by Guan Xuezeng,Jingyun Dagu(storytelling in Beijing dialect with drum accompaniment)by Sun Shuyun,and Henan zhuizi by Ma Yuping.You can taste the fulbodied folk customs culture of Beijing style while enjoying the wonderful singing of these artists.George Bush,the former US President,Kissingger,the former US Secretary of State,Wang Dingchang, Singaporean President,Hung Suong, Prime Minister of Cambodia and Thailand Princess as well as other important governmental members from different countries were bonored guests in this House.

Peking Opera and Local Operas

China boasts more than 300 forms of traditional opera, of which Peking Opera is the most popular. It took shape in the early 19th century in Beijing, hence the name.

Peking Opera is a unique art combining drama, singing, music, dancing and martial arts into one. There are more than 1,000 works in the repertoire, developed over 200 years. In the 50 years since the founding of New China the state and people have paid great attention to Peking Opera. A lot of new works have been staged, with themes ranging from historical stories, modern revolutionary war and socialist construction to everyday life. At the same time, a group of outstanding Peking Opera actors and actresses have emerged, including Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Ma Lianliang, Zhou Xinfang, and Du Jinfang. To develop the quintessence of Chinese culture many artists and opera fans have done a lot of work to promote this genre, even attracting foreign audiences.

The China National Peking Opera Troupe performed Hua Mulan at a hall in a New York fashions industry college, on Feb 18, 1999.

At the Crossroads has been performed in many countries. Three martial heroes meet in an inn. They quarrel, and attempt to secretly kill each other in the dark. The skillful acrobatics called for in this opera are both thrilling and humorous. Combat routines in the Peking Opera repertoire such as this one combines Chinese martial arts and the dramatic art and the actors and actresses must undergo strict physical and skill training from childhood before they can live up to the roles they play in such routines. Outstanding among them was the late Mr. Gai Jiao Tien, who performed these militant acts still with ease even at the age of 70.

Mei Lanfang, who always played female roles, introduced Peking Opera to Japan, the United States and the USSR as early as in the 1920s and 1930s.

The Peking Opera Institute, founded in 1950, has trained a lot of excellent Peking Opera actors and actresses who have inherited the artistic achievements of previous generations and developed new characteristics of their own. At the same time, the other local operas have made reforms continuously, on the basis of keeping their basic traditions. Some of the local operas have become very popular in recent years, such as Yueju (Shaoxing Opera from Zhejiang), Huangmeixi (from Anhui), Chuanju (Sichuan Opera), Yuju (Henan Opera), and Yueju (Guangdong Opera). Tibetan opera has a religious tinge and is imbued with Tibetan ethnic folklore. It is bold and unconstrained and is becoming more and more popular both at home and abroad.

Beijing Eveing

When you ascend the Great Wall; wonder at the grandeur of the terra cotta army admire the splendor of the Forbidden City; or stroll down the winding alley in the shadow of the red imperial wall;

For all this and more, come to Beijing Evening Great China Show. The place to dive yourself into the world of the Chinese civilization. And an occasion to meet the Chinese generals and soldiers living 2,000 years ago; appreciate the armors and the lances in the battlefield; and, the terra cotta warriors and horses, the worlds eight wonder. Plus, imperial musicians will play imperial chimes Prosperous Kingdom of the Middle on your side before disappearing into the imperial court. Try hard also to resist the charm and grace of Chinese Goddesses. Look hard into the imperial life, ceremonies and celebrations. Meet also emperors and empresses, ministers and generals, concubines and servants. But also try to look beyond the royal life. Learn to appreciate the common aspirations of common people too. Start, for example, with the fairy tale of White Snake Goddess, folklore dances and songs, silk road civilization, and consider also a trekking towards Buddha and the wonderland

Start meeting Beijing Evening now, stert falling in love with China, for life. With our Great China Show, we offer you a unique opportunity to know and love a nation, a people, a culture, a civilization of five thousand years of history.

Beijing Evening Cultural Citys Great China banquet theater is the first of its kind in Beijing to offer you a genuine opportunity to enjoy, either Chinese show or choice Chinese cuisine or both, at the same time. Just as each dish is a guaranteed reminder of the Chinese art of life, each performance will be a small window on Chinas history and culture.