China Part XI

The Night Show Impressions On The Li River.

After taking a nap or dinner it was time to head down to the river again to see The Night Show titled Impressions.

On the way there we came upon some interesting signs, interesting in that the translations were somewhat dubious. I think they might benefit from some experienced English translators.

This one you may need to click on to enlarge it enough so you can read the translation. Throughout China we would see numerous odd translations.

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We departed the bus near the river and walked to the amphitheater. On the way there was a brief detour to view a Pagoda. I believe it was called the Golden Goose Pagoda.

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Impression of Liu Sanjie is an outdoor performance set in real mountains and rivers in Yangshuo. The stage is a 2km (1.25 miles) stretch along Li River with 12 mountain peaks in the background and the clear sky above. The performance in this natural Shanshui (mountain and water) Theatre, is a masterpiece combining an awesome natural stage with excellence in theatrical production.

Sanjie Liu' was a film produced in 1961, which made the Li River famous worldwide. Sanjie Liu is a fairy singer in the myths and legends of the Zhuang ethnic minority. She is incomparably beautiful, and has a voice to match her beauty. In the 'Impression on Sanjie Liu', you see the the daily life of the people living around the Li River, you get an 'impression' on the background of Sanjie's birthplace and the beauty of the folk songs' hometown.

The production was staged by the same man who staged the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, one of China's most famous film directors, Zhang Yimou. It took Mr. Zhang Yimou (the chief director of the project) three and half years to finish preparations for launching the show. His talent and creativity in bringing together the hills and water with the minority culture is widely acknowledged. The performance lasts for 70 minutes and more than 600 actors and actresses are involved．All the actors of the show are local people who have practiced meticulously.

We were told it was a must see event. The tickets were quite pricey at $60 per person. For the locals it would be, I should think, a very extravagant ticket.

Located at the joining point of Lijiang River and Tianjia River, the theater faces the prominent Scholar's Page Hill across the river. Its auditorium looks like a green terrace with a panoramic vision. Lighting and stereo sets are camouflaged in order to keep the setting as natural and environmental friendly as possible. The auditorium contains 2200 total seats including 180 VIP and 20 presidential.

We were seated in the front rows of the VIP section from which the photos of the crowd (below) were taken.

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The multi-media production takes place on a stage at the bottom of the amphitheater, on the banks of the river and on pontoons, boats and barges on the river itself. When you attend a play in a theater you have the stage, lights, and sound equipment in an enclosed space. 'Impression on Sanjie Liu' in Yangshuo, however, is in a outdoor natural setting and a truly unique experience.

The performance was premiered on March 20th, 2004 at the Sanjie Liu Sing Fair, one mile from West Street (Xi Jie). This is the world largest natural theater which utilizes the waters of the Li River as its stage, with twelve mist shrouded hills and the heavens as its backdrop. Mist, rain, moonlight, the hills and their inverted reflections in the river all become the natural background. The valleys, the hills, the cool breeze and the gurgling streams are all elements contributing to the three-dimensional sound effect. This is a new concept opera using nature as an integral part of its performers.

The performance is divided into seven chapters including the preface and epilogue. At the beginning, the lights are all turned off and the image of Sanjie appears indistinctly in the sky with beautiful songs 'Sing the folk songs, here I am singing and there you are echoing...'. As the lights come up, the twelve hills appear in front of the audience; and a small fishing boat is rowed from the hills. This is the Preface - the Legend of Hills and Rivers.

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The first chapter is the Red Impression: Folk Songs. On the water, many fishermen are rowing their bamboo rafts in a column. Either standing or squatting, they hang the large red silk in the sky and or upon the water. This red picture symbolizes the enthusiasm and praises the labors of the local people.

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The second chapter is the Green Impression: Garden. The color green symbolizes nature as well as the vitality. Among the green hills and rivers, the smoke from cooking fires curls upward; herders are heading home with their cattle under the gleam of the sunset. The women, washing clothes beside the water are waiting for their husbands who are rowing the fishing rafts back home. This chapter reveals the peaceful and happy life of the local people.

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The third chapter is the Golden Impression: Fishing Lights. Hundreds of bamboo rafts with golden fishing lights are spreading all over the river. The rafts, gently rocking make the golden fishing lights dance upon the waters, the straw rain capes, the frolicing cormorants and the hills construct a perfect picture describing the simple existence of the people around the Li River.

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The fourth chapter is the Blue Impression: Love Songs. Under the deep blue sky, and on the dark blue water, the performer of Sanjie is singing classical love songs. Then, a crescent-shaped boat with a charming fairy dancing in is flying onto the surface of the water.

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A group of pretty and young girls, dressed in red or white are bathing around the boat. In this blue world, these girls become the notes of Sanjie's love songs.

The last chapter is the Silvery Impression: Performance Grand Ceremony. As the 'Wonder of Lijiang Culture', this scenery reflects the traditional ceremony in Sanjie's hometown according to the legend. Over 200 Zhuang girls form a long column across the bridge over the Li River. Their illuminated silver dresses make the river shimmer.

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In the Epilogue, the fishing rafts are rowed farther and farther from the audience while the beautiful songs of Sanjie are still echoing among the hills. The girls on the bridge present their thanks for the audience with their affectionate folk songs.

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The performance boasts both modern and classical music played by famous musicians of China. Additionally, there are in excess of 600 performers, all of whom are local people of the Li River. They present the reality of life for the people in Sanjie's hometown through their primitive and wonderful performances.

Below are a couple of video clips, one with and overview of the show and one that is a promotional clip of behind the scenes during production.

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We returned to the hotel for our final night in Yangshuo. The next day we would go to Elephant Hill and a tea farm after which we would say farewell to southern China taking one last visit to Guilin to see the twin pagodas downtown before arriving at the Guilin airport for our flight to Xi'an in central China. There were three sites I especially wanted to see in China:

1-The Li River in Guangxi Provence.
2-The Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an.
3-The Great Wall outside Beijing.

So far, #1 had been proven to be an extraordinary experience and we were now on our way to see #2.

Up Next:
China National Art Gallery and the Tea Garden & Factory