Peking duck, also known as Peking Roasted Duck or Beijing Kaoya, is a dish of great antiquity from Beijing that can trace back to the imperial era. Nowadays, Peking Duck had become one of the specialties of the capital and a national symbol of China, favored by tourists and diplomats alike. For instance, Henry Kissinger, the former Secretary of State of the United States, came to savor this cate, during his two visits to China in 1971 and in 1976. It has also been a favorite delicacy for various political leaders ranging from Cuban Fidel Castro to former German chancellor Helmut Kohl.

The delicacy is characterized by its crisp skin shining date-red in color and tender texture, with authentic versions serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. The hot Peking Roast Duck will be brought to the dining table by the chef where he will slice it into more than 100 thin flakes, each having its piece of crispy skin. The meat is often eaten with spring onion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce with pancake rolled around the fillings. Sometimes pickled radish is also inside, and other sauces can be used. The remaining duck with meat and bones can be cooked in three ways. The traditional way is to be cooked into a broth. The meat together with bones can also be stir-fried with sweet bean sauce, or rapidly sautéed and served with salt and Sichuan pepper.

Besides the traditional one, many restaurants offer an All Duck Banquet - various dishes cooked with the offal and juices of the duck, surrounding the main dish. It will be sure to give you satisfaction and enjoyment when dining.

Duck has been roasted in China since the Southern and Northern Dynasties(386-589). Up until the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), ducks were roasted in the area around Jinling (ancient name for Nanjing). A variation of roast duck was prepared for the Emperor of China in the Yuan dynasty(1271-1368). The Peking Roast Duck that came to be associated with the term was fully developed during the later Ming dynasty when the rulers moved their capital city to Beijing from Jinling and by then, Peking Duck was one of the main dishes on imperial court menus and was highly regarded by emperors and other members of the ruling classes. By the Qianlong Period (1736–1796) of the Qing dynasty, the popularity of Peking Duck spread to the upper classes. The first restaurant specializing in Peking Duck, Bianyifang, was established in the Xianyukou, close to Qianmen of Beijing in 1416.

Preparation

Raising the duck

Newborn ducks are raised specially in a free range environment for the first 45 days of their lives, and force fed 4 times a day for the next 15–20 days, resulting in ducks that weigh 5–7 kg. The force-feeding of the ducks led to an alternate name for the animal, Peking Stuffed Duck. 

Seasoning the duck

A suitable fattened White Beijing Ducks are slaughtered, plucked, eviscerated and rinsed thoroughly with water. Air is pumped under the skin through the neck cavity to separate the skin from the fat. The duck is then plunged in boiling water for 1 to 5 minutes, then hung to dry. This will tighten the skin and help the duck to achieve its traditional crispy texture. The duck is then glazed with a layer of potentially spiced and flavored maltose syrup. A marinade of traditional flavorings, including soy sauce and five-spice powder, and more maltose, is then applied inside the body cavity. This will flavor the duck during the next step. The duck is then left to dry for between 24 hours and several days in a cool, dry place, which allows the skin to crisp while roasting.

Roasting the duck

Hitherto, there are two traditional schools of cuisine for the duck cooking, namely closed oven and hung oven.

Closed-oven style

Peking duck is originally roasted in a conventional closed oven, allowing the meat to be slowly cooked through the convection of heat within the oven. Controlling the fuel and the temperature is the main skill. In closed-oven style, duck meat is combined well with the fat under the skin, and therefore is juicy and tender.

Hung-oven style

The hung oven, also known as open oven, was developed in the imperial kitchens during the Qing Dynasty. It is designed to roast up to 20 ducks at the same time with an open fire fueled by fruit hardwood from peach or pear trees. The ducks are hung on hooks above the fire and roasted at a temperature of 270 °C (525 °F) for 30–40 minutes. While the ducks are roasting, the chef may use a pole to dangle each duck closer to the fire for 30-second intervals. By the means of hung oven, the fat is usually melted during the cooking process, so the skin is more crispy.

The initial technique has been perpetuated by very few restaurants among which the household name Bianyi Fang is the representative. The second method is relatively well-known and used with great success by the notable Quan Ju De Restaurant, first established in 1864, which won the China Renowned Trademark as well.

　　Hot pot, and the less common Chinese fondue, refer to several East Asian varieties of stew, is ke consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot .is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. In many areas, hot pot meals are often eaten inn the winter.

       The Chinese hot pot boasts a history of more than 1,000 years.While often called "Mongolian hot pot", it is unclear if the dish actuall originated in Mongolia. Mongol warriors had been known to cook with their helmets, which they used to boil food, but due to the complexity and specialization of the utensils and the method of eating, hot pot cooking is much better suited to a sedentary culture. A nomadic household will avoid such highly specialized tools to save volume and weight during migration. Both the preparation method and the required equipment are unknown in the cuisine of Mongolia of today.
　　Hot pot cooking seems to have spread to northern China during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-906). In time, regional variations developed with different ingredients such as seafood. By Qing Dynasty, hot pot had become popular throughout most of China. Today in many modern homes, particularly in big cities, the traditional coal-heated hot pot has been replaced by electric,gas or electromagnetic cooker versions.
　　Because hot pot styles change so much from region to region, many different ingredients are used.

 Acrobatic art has a history of more than 2000 years in China. Beijing is the culture centre of China, we have professional literature and art organization, and we have gathered over 60 acrobatic artists who are the most famous in Beijing.The programs performed by us are ingeniously conceived,highly skilled  in a distinctive traditional Chinese style with a breathtaking,unique,humorous and funny performance.　 

    Our troupe has been invited and performed in more than ten countries,such as England France,Germany,Australia,Holland,Belgium and Norway,where we were warmly welcomed and highly praised.This has promoted  not only the mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and the people of other  countries but also the exchange and development of the acrobatic techniques both at  home and abroad.

World famous acrobatic shows in Beijing 

Unique and popular, Chinese acrobat shows combine the traditional Chinese performing arts with acrobat balancing acts. These are brilliantly performed by talented troupes, with members from around the world.

Chinese acrobats have their own style. This is one show you don’t want to miss! Book your tickets today and experience the artistic side of Beijing's exciting night life.

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2:Hotel pick up arond 4pm, drop off back hotel at 7:30pm

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　　Beijing opera or peking opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music,vocal performance,mime,dance and acrobatics.It arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century.This form of theatre was extremely popular in the Qing dynasty court and has been regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China.Many performance groupes are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north,and Shanghai in the south. The form of art is also seen in Taiwan,where it is known as guoju, and it has also spread to other countries such as the United States and Japan.

　　Beijing opera features four main types of performers,Performing groupes often have several of each or combined. Performers are the only focal points on the stage.They utilize the skills of speech,song,dance,and combat in movements that are symbolic and suggestive,rather than realistic. Performers also adhere to a variety of stylistic conventions that help audiences navigate the plot of the production.

　　Channel CCTV-11 in Mainland China is currently dedicated to broadcasting classic Chinese opera productions,including Beijing opera.

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The Legend of Kungfu is a Live performance presented by China Heaven Creation International Performing Arts Co., Ltd. (CHC) -- China's leading performance art production company, every night at Red Theatre. A group of the best Kung Fu practitioners of China are collected and the best directors and designers of the country are invited by CHC.

The show is about storytelling that a little boy from a very poor family whose mother was unable to provide for him and decided to send her son to a temple to be a monk and learn kungfu. The diligent student monk was initiated into the temple, learning Buddhism and Kungfu. The theme of the story is full of trials and tribulation of being a monk and the worldly temptations through his monkhood. He had a hard time getting used to the strict discipline of the temple and could not restrain his natural desire to chase a young beauty, so he suffered great regret and losing his way to self-cultivation. He punished himself severely and finally came back full circle to be the temple, attaining enlightenment. He became interested in the unbelievable power of Kung Fu, in which he must face many obstacles both from this world and his own mind to overcome his fears.

The fusion of modern dance with Chinese traditional martial arts makes this performance unique and spectacular, presenting stunning Kung Fu skills, exquisite ballet, splendid acrobatics and wonderful music, along with brilliant stage scenery, acoustic and light effect. With no speaking of the actors, there is an electronic screen displaying the show's subtitles in English above the stage to keep you informed of the storyline. After the show, the audience can also take photos with the main actors.

The show made its first appearance on the Beijing stage in July 15th, 2004. Ever since it has received numerous awards and become a world-class spectacle known around the world. If you are an enthusiast of Chinese Kung Fu, who would like to explore the real Chinese martial arts and culture, you definitely should not miss this excellent show of the prestigious Chinese Kung Fu.

China has one of the longest histories of continuously recorded martial arts tradition in the world. The Chinese Kung Fu is popular terms with Chinese martial arts, tracing its origins back some 4000 years ago to self-defense needs, hunting activities and military training in ancient China. In the long course of development, the Kung fu's purpose from self-defense to health maintenance and finally as method of self-cultivation. Kung Fu requires of the practitioner a strict code of physical and mental discipline. A common saying concerning basic training in Chinese martial arts is as follows: Train both Internal and External. External training includes the hands, the eyes, the body and stances. Internal training includes the heart, the spirit, the mind, breathing and strength. In addition, philosophy, ethics and even medical practice are highly regarded by most Chinese martial arts, which provides insight into Chinese attitudes and culture.

　　An original Chinese play, "The Golden Mask Dynasty," was held August 16 at OCT Theater in Beijing Happy Valley. This play was sponsored by Overseas Chinese Town, OCT, which invested 200 million yuan into building the OCT Theater for the play.

　　Set in the Golden Mask Dynasty, a legendary age in China, the story tells how a queen, who wears a golden mask, creates a splendid dynasty. The play has eight chapters and includes more than 200 actors from China and abroad. Produced by Chinese playwrights, directors and designers, the play features Chinese dances, acrobatics, costumes, and lighting and acoustics.

　　The Golden Mask Dynasty is a mythical age, and the play tells a fairy-tale like story of war, royal banquets, and romance. The play has 20 different dance scenes, ranging from war scenes to romance. The director invited composers Liu Gangbao and Li Cangsang to compose the music jointly. Composer Zhang Qianyi, who wrote the "Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," composed the theme song "The Words of Love" for the Golden Mask Dynasty, and vocalist Tang Jing sang the song. The play's wardrobe designers were inspired by the Sanxing Mound relics. They used blue and gold as the play's main colors, representing yin and yang, men and women, and heaven and earth. They created more than 500 costumes.

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　　Beihai (North Lake) Park, named in conjunction with Middle Lake and South Lake, is situated to the west of the Palace Museum and Jingshan Park in Beijing. It covers a total area of over 68 hectares. More than half of it is taken up by the lake. The Park, broad in scale and elegantly arranged, is a beautiful imperial garden in Beijing as well as a masterpiece of ancient Chinese gardens still standing.

　　The main scenic spots of Beihai Park consist of three parts. The southern part comprises mainly the Round City, the middle part, the Yong an Temple;  White Dagoba and Yuexin Palace on Qionghua Islet and the northern part covers the Five Dragon Pavilions, the small Sukhavati Garden and Jingxinzhai.

　　The Qionghua Islet lies on the southern part of Taiye Lake, with its constructions in total harmony with the Hill terrain and shrouded in green pines and cypresses. In the south there are Yongan Temple, Falun Hall and the Zhengjue Hall. The Islet links with the shore by a marble bridge in the southeast. With the picturesque Jingshan Park and the splendid Palace Museum standing close by, they enhance each other beauty. Amid the greenness, stands a tablet with an inscription by Emperor Qianlong, of "Qiongdaochunyin" in Qing Dynasty. It's one of the eight famous sights in ancient Beijing. At the northern foot of the Hill and by the lakeside, lies a 2-storeyed corridor, resembling a colorful ribbon tied around the waist of Qionghua Islet. Travelling among the grotesque rocks and through the deep, cool and secluded caves, one moment you come out halfway up the Hill, and another moment, you are down at the bottom, mesmerized by the uncanny creation. The upside down reflections of the buildings on the Hill and the corridor upon the lake are picturesque.

　　Situated in the city center, it is a beautiful royal landscape garden. Covering an area of 230,000 square meters, the park stands on the central point of the south-north axis of the city and faces the north gate of the Forbidden City. It is found on Jingshan Hill, which was originally named Wansui Hill (Long Live Hill), Zhen Hill or Meishan Hill (Coal Hill). The mid summit of the hill is the highest point in Beijing. Looking from the peak, the visitor is able to get a full and clear view of the Forbidden City.

　　During the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the hill served as an imperial garden and was properly laid out under the Ming Dynasty when numerous fruit trees were planted as well as many palaces and pavilions built for the emperor to make sacrifices to his ancestors. As a result, the royal families always enjoyed amusements here, like hunting in the hills. Then, in 1928, it was opened to the public. Later, after 1949, the park was fully rebuilt, with the paths in it paved and most of the buildings renovated. Now, the present is one of the 'AAAA' Scenery Spots in China and a 'must' for visitors to Beijing.

　　Upon entering the front gate of the park, visitors can see the Qiwang Pavilion, embraced by the vigorous green cypresses. This was originally the place for emperors to worship the memorial tablet of Confucius. Surrounded by white marble balustrades, the two-storied pavilion with its golden-glazed roof appears quite dignified.

　　The hill has five summits, and on each summit there is a pavilion, built in 1751. In every pavilion, there was originally placed a copper Buddha statue which represented one of the five tastes-sour, bitter, sweet, acrid and salt. It is a pity that they were all lost during the warfare of 1900. Among the five pavilions, the Wanchun Pavilion (Ten Thousand Spring Pavilion), on the middle of the five summits, sits at the hill's central point of the city. It is a perfect place to appreciate the full view of the city. From this pavilion, visitors are able to see the resplendent and magnificent Forbidden City in the south, the dignified Bell and Drum Towers in the north, as well as Beihai Park and  White Dagoba Temple in the west.

　　In the north side of the hill is found the Shouhuang Hall (Hall of Imperial Longevity), originally the place for the emperors in the Qing dynasty to pay their respects to their ancestors. Some of the emperors' portraits were worshiped in it. To the east of the Shouhuang Hall, stands the Yongsi Hall (Missing Hall), the place for resting the dead bodies of the past emperors and queens.

    The bell and drum were originally used as musical instruments in China. Afterward, however, they were used for telling time. As early as in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220), there was 'a morning bell and a dusk drum'. Telling the time by bell and drum played an important role in helping people live and work regularly when there was no other means to keep track of the time. As a result, bell and drum towers became public architectures, and were widely constructed in almost every city throughout the country since the Han Dynasty. In the history of their construction, the bell and drum towers of Beijing are the largest and highest. Their layout is unique, in that they were placed fore-and-aft, not as the traditional sense of standing right-and-left horizontally.

　　Lying to the north of Beijing-south axis line in Dongcheng District, the bell and drum towers are visibly prominent constructions and represent the symbol of this old city. They were built in 1272, and rebuilt twice after two fires. At one period in history they were the time-telling center of the capital city during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties (1271-1911).

Bell Tower

　　Bell Tower

　　This brick and stone towers have two floors: there is an arched door on all four sides of the tower on the first floor, and you can go up to the second floor through stone stairs. The same exists on the first floor. An arched door was also built on the four sides of the second floor. Additionally, there is a stone window on each side of the four doors. Hanging on an eight-square wooden frame of the second floor, the bell in this tower is the largest and heaviest in China. It is 7.02 meters high including the pendants, with a weight of 63 tons. The bell was made of copper, and you can hear its round and clear sound from far away. The two 2-meter-long wooden logs hanging sideward are used to ring the bell.

　　Drum Tower

　　Located 100 meters south to the bell tower, the drum tower was placed on a 4-meter-high stone and brick base. It is 46.7 meters high, a little bit lower than the bell tower that is 47.9 meters high. This tower is also a two-storey building; the first floor contains the China Committee for the Promotion of the Minority Art. The second floor contains the exhibition area. Originally, there was one big drum and 24 smaller drums, but only the big drum remains. The method of beating the drum is to beat it quickly for 18 times and then slowly for 18 times. Altogether there are three rounds and 108 tollings. People knock the bell and the drum 108 times, because 108 times represent one year in ancient times.

Drum Tower

　　Telling time by ringing the bell and beating the drum was abolished after Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, left the Forbidden City. Since the New Year's Eve of 1990, the sweet sound of the bell that had disappeared for a long time began to ring out in Beijing. Being drowsy for nearly a century, the drum was also beaten again on the New Year's Eve of 2001. It has been beaten four times a day, for 15 minutes at a time since January 1st in 2002. From then on, every New Year Eve, the drum is beaten with the bell 108 times to send a blessing to the people.

　　The area of the bell and drum towers has been flourishing since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), when they were just standing behind the imperial palace. It was the busy downtown district there then, full of storefronts and businesses. Thanks to the further developing of the businesses, the street in front of the drum tower became the busiest shopping street in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. During the Republican Period of China (1911-1949), many have-nots (impoverished people),along with merchants selling handcrafted items (handicraftsmen) and vendors selling snacks and local food items (snack stands) swarmed the place between the bell and drum towers, which attracted people from all walks of life at that time.Today, when visiting, you can climb onto the bell tower and drum towers to have a birds-eye view to admire the entire city, and even take part in the activity of knocking the bell and drum, appreciating all kinds of folk-customs, such as the dragon and lion dance, and other folk-custom exhibitions.

Mansion of Prince Gong is is the largest and the best preserved Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) mansion for the prince in Beijing and is located at Qianhai Xijie to the north of Shichahai. The ancient Chinese architecture with its cultural connotations is important not only for its aesthetic value but as an asset to those who wish to study the lifestyle of the privileged classes in the feudal society.

The Prince Gong Mansion was constructed in 1777 during the Qing dynasty for Heshen, a prominent court official in the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. In 1799, the Jiaqing Emperor, successor to the Qianlong Emperor, accused Heshen of corruption and had him executed and his property confiscated. The mansion was given to Prince Qing In 1851, the Xianfeng Emperor gave the mansion to his sixth brother, Prince Gong whom the mansion is named after.

There are three sets of courtyards occupying central, eastern and western. The main central courtyard comprises the major hall, a rear hall and an extended pavilion that has some 40 rooms. The western and eastern sections contain three smaller courtyards. These grand and exquisite buildings are a reminder of the pageantry and splendor of China's imperial past.

The garden in Prince Gong's Mansion is named Cuijin. The garden covers 28,000 square meters and is surrounded by man-made hills on four sides. The main peak, constructed from Taihu rocks, is in the north. The garden has an arched stone gate in typical Western architectural style, and upon entering the garden, one can see the five-meter high Dule Peak, which is a rock procured from Lake Tai in southern China. Behind it is the Bat Pond. Beyond the pond stands the Anshan Hall and opposite, at the center of the garden, is a hill bearing a stone tablet inscribed with the Chinese character "fu" (happiness) in the calligraphy of Emperor Kangxi (1662-1723). Behind the hill are masterpieces of garden architecture, with more than 20 scenic spots.

In addition to its artificial hill, trees, flowers, pavilions and terraces, the garden also contains the unique feature of its own theater. The theater of the Prince Gong Mansion is lofty and spacious. On the walls there are Chinese wisteria and green leaves painted, giving the audience the feeling they are sitting beneath trellises. The floor is paved in pseudo-gold brick, and the seats consist of old-fashioned wooden armchairs furnished with square tables. The performers and the audience are in close proximity, so there is no need for audio amplifying equipment. Here, people can enjoy Kunqu, Peking Opera and imperial music, a unique experience full of Qing historical significance.

There are various cultural exhibitions held in the Mansion of Prince Gong, such as painting exhibition, furniture and porcelain exhibitions. Furniture of Ming and Qing Dynasty exhibition in Xijinzhai covers partition walls and furniture made in the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Mansion Cultural Exhibition in Yin’an Hall collects some antiques and profiles preserved in the Palace Museum, and there are the National Museum, and Beijing Art Museum too.