Tang Dynasty Show Xian

The Tang Dynasty Show, a performance of Changan music and dance originated in Chinas Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago. It has been recreated in accordance with various historical records as well as ancient art and relics discovered in Xian, the capital of the empire during the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty Dinner 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 treasured as a national art that reflects the glory and richness of the Tang Dynasty era.

For centuries, Xi'an, the ancient capital China for 13 dynasties from 1067 BC, has been renowned for its restoration of the Middle Kingdom's rich cultural heritage. It is the home of the famed terracotta warriors, ancient tombs of emperors long gone, 4,000 ruins and mausoleums and more than 120,000 remnants of art and architecture. It is China's natural museum of history.

And bringing this all together in the form of modern song and dance is the Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant, where visitors can sample this cultural experience in an ambience befitting the emperors of Tang (618-907 AD).

Situated near the city centre, this world-class theatre restaurant can comfortably sit 650 diners in its 2,000 square metre auditorium. And the Cantonese cuisine, prepared by internationally-acclaimed chefs is a gourmet meal to whet the appetite of the most disconcerting guests. It is bright and airy depicting a garden atmosphere with its greenery and colourful flowers. It is a place to relax, enjoy a fine meal and partake in an exciting non-stop show of cultural beauty.

History on stage

Tang music and dance not only inherit the songs and dance of the preceding dynasties but also assimilate the new and exotic cultures that came along the Silk Road. Xi'an was at the crossroads where travellers, merchants and indigenous minority tribes converged to trade within the Tang cultural predominance of this great ancient civilization. The Tang Dynasty was distinguished as the most progressive and prosperous era in the history of China and its music and dance symbolize the splendour and the glory of the Chinese civilization.

Traditional Chinese folk dances originate from sacrificial rituals, where rhythmic movements and prayers combined to appease the gods and progressed with the development of Chinese culture. It was during the flourishing Tang Dynasty that these dances became a graceful art form. Combined with authentic Tang musical instruments - bells, drums and zithers - the show is a cultural experience that is both extravagant and entertaining.

Years of painstaking practice allow our modern artists to reproduce our impression of the splendor and the glory of this great civilization.The Tang Dynasty Song and Dance Troupe consists of highly gifted and amazing artists who have received years of rigorous training in the arts. At each performance there are 104 artists presenting the show, which has become internationally renowned as the most accurate rendition of the richness of life in that golden age. Also, within the troupe are 30 master musicians who play various Chinese and western instruments, including the hand-plucked stringed Pi Ba, Rang, Gu Zheng, Erhu, Yangqin, Dizi, Sheng, Pai Xiao, 24 tone Bronze chime-bells, Suo Na and a group of percussion instruments.

This performance - the Tang Cultural Show - may be in total contrast to the contemporary musicals of Broadway and Las Vegas, but is nevertheless hailed by visitors as the "Lido" of the Orient

Haute cuisine

For the chefs in the Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant, the preparation of a meal is in itself an art form. The sumptuous menu is a fusion of East and West, synonymous with the influence of Silk Road traders. Although based on the ever-popular subtleties of Cantonese cuisine, the spices inherited from those early traders provide a unique blend with traditional dishes to enliven the taste buds of every guest. Among the favourites are the dumpling banquet and, of course, the famous Cantonese dim-sum, not too heavy, but enough to quell those hunger pangs.

Address: The Tang Dynasty, Xi'an
No.75 Chang An Road,
Xi'an, P. R. China
Post Code: 710061