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.

Immerse yourself in the Chinese Tang dynasty was at the peak of Chinese art and culture from this Tang Dynasty Show and Dumpling Banquet. Enjoy delicious the wide assortment of dumplings and gorgeous live music, beautiful sets and endless dancing is impressive. Not to miss if in Xi’an!!! 

Your friendly tour guide and driver pick up from your centrally located hotel in Xi'an,  Take a seat in the banquet hall and feast your senses on an array of 20 dumpling varieties; relish the flavors of the steamed specialty stuffed with seafood, minced meat and fresh vegetables.  After your gastronomic prelude, sit back and prepare your eyes for the extravagance and charisma of the Tang Dynasty Show; watch talented dancers and singers perform in vibrant costumes that have graced the region for centuries.  

After the show comes to its compelling conclusion, tour end at drop off at your hotel.

Note: For VIP seat, you need to pay extra $15 in cash.

 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.

Inclusions                            

1:Show tickets

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

Exclusions

Gratuities (optional)

Meal

　　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.

Inclusions

1:Show tickets

2:Hotel transfer

3:If select VIP seat with fresh tea and snacks 

Exclusions

Gratuities (optional)

Meal

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.

Inclusions

1:Show tickets

2:Hotel pick up at 4pm, drop off at hotel at 8:30pm

Exclusions

1:Gratuities (optional)

2:Meal

　　Xian (with history name as Changan), in the long history of China, there are altogether 13 dynasties built as capital. In which the peak dynasty Tang ( from 618 to 907) is like a colorful painting and a brilliant book, fully show the prosperous brilliance of Chinese ancient civilization. The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show is on behalf of the peak culture of the most prosperous Tang Dynasty.

　　The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show gathers all the best-doings of Dance and Music from previous history, with essence of culture from western religions and foreign exotics, full shows a greetings from hundreds of nations, fusions from multi-nations and peak at folk and custom. The dance and music in Tang dynasty is momentous, meanwhile the state is quite magnificent, concentrating poem songs with singing, drum and bell into lightening music and romantic dance. The melody is very high-pitched, the acting is quite smooth, and costume is quite splendorous, everything is ranked as the toppest. The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show depict the peak of prosperous and peaceful Dynasty Tang. We are dedicatedly expecting the performance, not only bring to your best enjoyment in visual and sound, but also a good memory to you of the brilliant and long Chinese history.

The Tang Dynasty Show

　　The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show is performed by the "Tang Dynasty Song & Dance Troupe", a branch of the "Shaanxi Provincial Song & Dance Troupe". This type of performance has been valued as a national art that reflects the glory and richness of the Tang Dynasty era.

　　The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show has its roots in folk fetes, when dances were first performed by people as part of rituals of prayer for a good harvest or a better life. Over thousands of years, the dances developed from a few simple postures or gestures to become delicate and artistic reaching a peak during the Tang Dynasty. The show presented today is a recreation of a traditional entertainment attributable to a great variety of historical records and relics. The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show has now become a classic entertainment that has been warmly appreciated by audiences running into hundreds of thousands for more than twenty years. The production has toured many cities in China as well as numerous foreign countries such as Japan, Russia, Korea, Singapore, Norway, Denmark, etc.

　　The show includes eight classical programs, namely the Melody of Longevity of the Emperor, White Ramie Cloth Costume Dance, Da Nuo Dance, Rainbow Skirt and the Feathered Coat Dance, Battling Dance of the King of Qin, Song of Spring Outing, Oriole Singing in Spring, and Ta Ge Dance. Among them, the Oriole Singing in Spring performed by the famous panpipe master Gao Ming is the peak.

The Tang Dynasty Show

　　In addition to appreciating the wonderful performance, you can also enjoy the delicious meals provided at the Tang Dynasty Palace.