Posts Tagged ‘face-changing’
Lao She Teahouse: A Taste of Old Beijing Life
Written by MichaelZ on August 10, 2009 – 12:32 am -Lao She Teahouse, sitting at the center of Beijing not far from the Hwa Apartment Hotel, is where tourists get a taste of old Beijing life while sitting down for a good cup of tea.
Former U.S. president George H. Bush and Jordanian queen Rania were both lured in to enjoy what the teahouse had to offer.
It, indeed, has much to offer.
The building itself is a Qing dynasty-style loft structure, so the establishment really brings you back in time at your first sight! The waiters wear ancient outfits, and greet you in a very special way that seasoned Beijingers say reminds them of the city’s old days.
Despite being called a teahouse, Lao She is more like an entertainment venue, where some of China’s finest traditional performing arts are staged every night. On its third floor, you can enjoy acrobatics, Kung Fu shows, Peking opera, ventriloquism, cross-talk, and the famous face-changing dance while taking a sip of your favorite tea.
One of the most welcomed performances is the face-changing dance that originated in Sichuan province. A performer will wave his arms and twist his head as his painted mask changes, almost by magic, often in less than one second. The top performers can change their masks up to 30 times with the flick of a wrist. Because of difficulty of changing masks in such a short time, only a handful of artists can perform this dance today. There are also occasionally such performances around the Haige International Hotel.
Another program that also amazes many is the ‘Han Deng Da Gu.’ Singers of this art of show don’t sing how you would usually expect. They light up a few of candles, put the candles on a holder, put the holder in their mouths, and sing.
They need to somehow keep the balance of the holder using the muscles in their face, otherwise the candles will fall. Han Deng Da Gu signers of the Lao She Teahouse are all masters. Their sound is so great that without watching the show, you wouldn’t know there is a holder in their mouth. Across the country, there are only a handful of singers who are able to perform this old art because it takes many years of hard training.
But that’s not all they offer at the Lao She teahouse. Here waiters perform a kind of acrobatics to pour tea. The pot they use is quite eccentric with a long and thin spout that can measure up to 1.5 meters. When serving, the waiter tosses the pot around, pours your tea into a small cup, and stops the flow abruptly without splashing a drop. This is not a task just anyone can perform, and is always met by much applause.
You can also enjoy a variety of Beijing snacks as you enjoy the shows. Lv Da Gun, or rolling donkey, is a dish of glutinous rice balls rolled with bean paste. Millet Much, or Mian Cha in Chinese, is porridge with sesame and peanut butter. For your sweet tooth, Wan Dou Huang-small cakes made of beans-is always a good try.
Prices are reasonable; an average of 50-60 dollars should be enough to cover the fare of the shows, tea and a couple of snacks. The teahouse remains open from 14:00 to 22:00.
The Lao She Teahouse’s location in central Beijing is very convenient, and you can book a Beijing hotel here.
Tags: acrobatics, Beijing, China, cross-talk, face-changing, folk art, Forbidden City, Kung Fu, Lao She, Peking opera, quaintessentially chinese, shopping, teahouse, Tian'anmen Square, Travel, ventriloquismPosted in Air Travel | Comments Off