China Day 5: Dumpling Dinner and Tang Dynasty Opera

After an hour or so ride back to the city, we arrived at the Tang Dynasty Opera house where we’d also have a dumpling dinner before the show. On the way to the theater we passed the Xi’an city wall.

It is the most intact city wall in China and is 600 years old. The wall is lit up and was a very pretty sight.

The theatre was packed and we were guided to four tables very close to the stage (one or two were almost too close).

Some of the tables didn’t have the needed number of chairs so we filled ours with three others from our tour that normally dine at other tables.

The tables were extremely close together and it wasn’t possible to leave my seat without having others get up and move out of the way.

Dumpling Dinner

The table was set with cold vegetables and other appetizers and a big covered soup bowl. Each place also had a glass of rice wine which wasn’t good to me.

A woman was playing a harp beautifully on the stage as pre-show music.

After the drinks (beer, sprite or coke) were served, we received soup with baby dumpling. The soup was awful but that was the only bad part of the meal.

Then the dumplings started arriving.

The baskets had just 1 per person and I was worried at first about leaving hungry, but the baskets keep coming each with different fillings.

The dumpling shape was based on what is ingredients are in the filling. The pork one looked like a pig, the duck one looked like a duck, etc.

I loved them all!

We closed the meal with two dessert baked dumplings which were very tasty and then a plate of apples.

Baked sweet dumplings on the left (I was behind in eating)

They gave each of us a little bottle of water and then the show started right on time at 7:30 pm.

Tang Dynasty Opera

It’s hard to explain the opera but it was just beautiful.

There were musical performances and dance performances.

The talent and costumes were amazing!

This show performs music and dance from the Tang Dynasty era which was in 618-907 AD.

They had some unusual instruments.

Balancing was a part of the dance performances

One of the ladies told me later that it was just like a show currently touring in the states called “Shen Yun” which I had never heard about. (Ironically the next day I get a living social offer to prebuy tickets for $70!)