History and Culture Made Appetizingly Royal

herever one lives, a "good night out" largely boils down to a visit to a the-ater or some such, followed by a decent meal at the best restaurant one can afford. Beijing is rich on both fronts, boasting everything that qualifies as high-quality entertainment and enough dining spots to satisfy every palate.

The difference at Beijing Night Show Cultural City in Yabao Lu, home of the stunning Beijing Night Show, is that you can eat in fine style on the premises before, during or after the 75-minute spectacular--virtual banquets of traditional dishes and delicacies from different eras of Chinese history.

Food here is the more memorable if taken in one of the integral VIP loges (theater boxes) which have private dining rooms whose styles reflect the likes of a Han Dynasty music bureau, a Confucian mansion, a Qing village and an Imperial dining room. Each loge must have a minimum of six diners.

"We try to provide guests with a memorable culinary experience," says deputy restaurants' manager Steven Wang. "Basically we're geared to coping with 500 people at a time, but we can feed 700 if occasion demands."

The show itself, these days firmly embedded in the capital's entertainment firmament, is a superbly conceived six-act condensed history of Chinese culture over the ages. Each dazzling presentation transfixes the audience, such are the talents of the dancers and rest of the 80-strong cast; the impressive choreography; the atmospheric mix of the music; lavish period and minority costumes; and backdrops that would do credit to any stage in London's West End or New York's Broadway.

The highly professional dancers--good lookers all--would be equally at home on international fashion catwalks. To their extra credit, their obvious enthusiasm for what they're doing transmits to the audience.

No other show in China projects the evolution of the nation's culture in so vivid a form, with such nuggets as rope-dancing, and a "Hydra" dance using arms rather than heads, having to be seen to be believed. Take a bow, Chen Wei Ya, the unfailingly imaginative guru who heads the show's production group.

To detail each act of the Beijing Night Show in this review would spoil the myriad surprises which are integral to the presentation overall. Suffice to mention the title of each segment: Grand Ceremony of the Imperial Palace; Dreamlike Silk Road; Mighty Army; Romance of White Snake; Scenery of Frontier Fortress; and Ancient Architecture and Court Dress Show. All very Chinese in description, but don't be fooled. Each act is nothing less than a theatrical gem.

Says managing director Si Haili: "China is the homeland of Oriental beauty in everything from philosophy to ... well, you name it. The main idea of the Beijing Night Show is to demonstrate this beauty in its most eye-catching way - the beauty in Chinese history and its people; the beauty of its growing strength and its attractive internal power; the beautiful fact that people enjoy it, along with the food.

"Our show is in a form that truly reflects Chinese beauty. It helps foreigners understand China's 5,000-year history ... everything from minority dancing to Buddhist culture, all in one neat professional package. Alas, much of China's deeper beauty has been forgotten by modern society."

Starting in mid-June, he added, the show will be taken to greater depth. "We are also planning twice-daily performances, the better to accommodate local audiences. Local people who keep coming back naturally like to see changes. For some time, however, the show will largely remain geared to foreigners."