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China
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Sichuan
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Chengdu
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Tours & Activities
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Sichuan Opera in Chengdu
1h30
Instant confirmation
About this activity
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.
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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.
Included
- Tea service
- Massage, ear-grooming, photo opportunity in costume or puppet experience (Choose 1 item from above, VIP option only)
- Light snacks (A-Class option only)
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Round-trip taxi service to theater
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Ticket will delivered to your hotel's front desk for pickup prior to the day of the show
- It is recommended to allow 30-40 minutes for taxi ride
- Instructions to the taxi driver will be included with your tickets. Before departing make sure to ask your hotel's front desk to write out the name and address of your hotel in English and Chinese, or take along the hotel's business card to facilitate an easy return trip
- Taxi fare is not included in this tour
Features
Tourism
50%
Cultural
45%
Nightlife
40%
Original
40%
Reviews
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I lked the show, even though couldn't understand some acts due to language barrier. I recommend people getting VIP seating in front rows; otherwise it will a bit far from the main stage and some audience might be blocking the view, similar to what happened in my case even though I booked the A class seating.
We had a brilliant evening watching the Sichuan Opera, the performance was almost like a variety show, different performers demonstrating different techniques. The highlights were the face changing and the shadow puppets. If you go to Chengdu, make sure you see the opera!
This was my 12 year old's favorite activity we did in China. It is very entertaining for the kids.I recommend going VIP so you can sit in front and get free massage, ear grooming brother options. My kids chose to play with puppets and see how they work. It lasts about an hour and is a fun evening. Go early to walk around the area as it is a very vibrant and happening area.
The opera was a nice performance, HOWEVER, this was the WORST Viator experience I've ever had and I've been using Viator quite a bit. The Viator VIP option is misleading advertising / false advertising of the services provided. With the VIP upgrade, we were supposed to ... choose ONE OF THREE options: a massage, ear grooming or photo opportunity in opera makeup and costume. I chose the photo opportunity in opera makeup and costume option. After the opera staff applied the makeup, I was forced to pay an extra 100 yuan in order to have a costume. The staff had indicated to me even though I showed them the Viator voucher indicating makeup and costume that the makeup does NOT come with the costume. They said it didn't matter what the voucher said - that was their policy that if I wanted the costume, I would need to pay an extra 100 yuan minimum. I reached out to the local tour contact provided by Viator and he confirmed in an email which I still have... that I was mistaken - for the Viator voucher, it is choose one of FOUR options. I sent Viator a formal complaint via email several times and have yet to get a response from them. As I'm looking through this tour, it still says the SAME THING - choose ONE OF THREE options - I want to caution everyone thinking about the doing the VIP package to be ready to pay for the costume if you are looking to do the makeup and costume option because it's not included even if you show your voucher. And one more tip - whatever option you choose, you should plan to arrive at least 1 hour before the show starts because my other travelmates chose the massage and the theater staff said that we can get the massages after the show, but after the show, the entire theater was emptied out with no massages available. So while we had paid for the VIP package, other than the seats, we did not get any of the stated VIP options. This was a very disappointing experience. Viator needs to either sort it out with their supplier and make sure the VIP option includes makeup and costume or Viator needs to charge more to make sure costume is included or Viator needs to put a note indicating that guests will need to pay for the costume separately.
A lot of fun :D! My daughter and I especially loved the shadowplay, facechanging and acrobatics. The shadowplay was brilliant! I could easily have watched that act for hours! The only downside was the language barrier in the 2 opera acts. We were still able to enjoy the music, costumes and makeup during those parts though :
it was cool best part was changing faces
Bought 2 VIP tickets , got to theater on time , told go go ticket office across the road . Was not told it was in a different location from theater. Got tickets and went to theater . They sat us in toward the back . I said no , these are too far away. I bought VIP tickets and they told me it was near the front . They said no, you wrong . They would not make ajustments to seats . I asked for a manager to get involved . The show time started and still not seated. After a while we were finally seated near the front in the corner so hard to see half the stage. There were also 12 drunk Chinese men in front of us talking loudly and using cell phones. We could not participate in 2 of the VIP options because the show already started. We missed the first part of the show. They said we can do the face painting and photos after the show so we did that even though we preferred the others. We went to the face painting area and were told a charge of 250rmb plus more money for the photos . We reluctantly paid the 250 more and opted for no photos. The whole situation made for stressful evening and cost me twice the amount agreed , so could not enjoy the show.