Sichuan Opera in Chengdu

Visit: Opera House Chengdu, Qingai Street, Chengdu China

Hail a taxi (own expense) and make your way to Shufeng Yayun Teahouse located in Chengdu Culture Park. All entrance tickets include Sichuan tea service at bamboo tables and chairs, and you can upgrade to add light snacks. If you’ve chosen VIP seating, enjoy a chair massage or get your ears cleaned (a traditional teahouse service) before the show, or take the opportunity dress up in an opera costume and makeup for a photo after the show. (See descriptions of each VIP option in Itinerary below.)

When it's time to take your seat, turn your attention to a lively 1.5-hour show that fuses acting, acrobatics, puppetry, folk music and dancing. The Sichuan Opera derives its subject matter from Chinese classical novels, legends and folk tales. Several distinct acts — Changing Faces, Spitting Fire and Rolling Light — feature dazzling sets and costumes that celebrate Southwestern China’s performing and fine arts.

During Changing Faces, perhaps the most popular routine, the actors quickly switch between different masks to portray characters’ personalities as the drama develops. Spitting Fire is a literal act that's distinctive of Sichuan Opera; it's also a performance that elicits oohs and ahhs from the crowd. Rolling Light involves a performer acting out a variety of routines like jumping over a bench or dancing with a fan, all the while balancing a bowl lit with fire on his head!

Other highlights include The Beauty of the World, a stick puppet show about a fairy infatuated with human life, and an act featuring shadow puppets that draws from an ancient folk art.

Hop on a taxi after the show to make your way back to your hotel.