Yangshou, China - A Must-See Performance

Our River Li journey ended in Yangshou, China. Yangshou is a much smaller town than Guilin, but quite used to English-speaking travelers.

Yangshou has a full bazaar where I enjoyed honing my bargaining skills. I only made two purchases, but in both cases, purchased the items for about a third of the original quoted price. Bargaining is "foreign" to most of the CSB/SJU students who feel bad doing it, even though everyone assures them that it is expected in China.

We also attended a performance of "Impression Liu Sanjie" in Yangshou that is not to be missed. It is one of only three performances around the world that uses a natural stage. The "stage" in this case is a part of the beautiful Li river. In one scene, there will be hundreds of poled fishing sculls moving in sync. The next has children singing on a floating stage where only moments before the sculls had been. For certain scenes, floodlights light up the background mountains. Words fail to describe what its like to sit outside after dark on a cool evening and see/hear the beauty of this performance.

It is directed by Zhang Yimong who choreographed the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. And what an impressive production it is. There are over 600 performers in the show, including local farmers who walk through the nearby hills on cue with their water buffalo. We were told that the cast practiced for five years before putting on their first performance. (Quite unlike the States!)

The pictures I have posted from the performance were taken by one of the students, Josipa Fofic. Remember her name; she'll be a world-renown photographer one day. (Connie)