"Li2 yuan2 ju4 chang3 (Pear Garden Theater)" Peking Opera Tip by ntm2322

The Liyuan Theater is situated inside Jianguo Hotel, Qianmen, at No. 175 in Yongan Lu.

The night performances held here at 19:30 pm of genuine Beijing Opera and other folk performances is the result of the co-operation between the Beijing Qianmen Hotel and the Beijing Opera Theater.

The Liyuan Theater is also one of those places in Beijing I can not miss every time I come to the capital because I love the traditions of old Beijing and this theater reflects just that,

- Its traditional performance stage,

- The old-fashioned square tables for eight people (ba1 xian1 zhuo1 or eight fairy tables),

- Waiters in Tang suits (Traditional Chinese garments) pouring tea through long-mouth tea pot,

- The enjoyment of watching the performances while sipping tea and cracking melon seeds and tasting snacks, etc.

If you are worried about the language barrier, this shouldn’t be a concern because the theater provides English subtitles boards.

And before and after the show you have several interesting options:

Before:

- Visit the performers' make-up room and watch the performers putting on their exquisite make-up

- You can also put on the stage costume and wear facial make-up to take a photo

- You can enjoy your Beijing roast duck at the restaurant of the hotel

After:

- Take a picture with the performers

- There is a souvenir shop next to the theater where you can buy various souvenirs related to Beijing Opera, stage costumes, facial make-ups, musical instruments, calligraphy and painting, etc.

- In the exhibition hall you can read the brief history of the Chinese Beijing Opera and see photos of famous artists of Beijing opera.

Coming to the Liyuan Theater it is definitely a nice choice!

Address: No. 175 at Yongan Lu
Directions: Inside Jianguo Hotel at Qianmen
Theme: People Watching