Still almost uncomfortably full from our delicious duck dinner, I’m thinking it’s time to head for the hotel after our heavenly visit at the Temple of Heaven when our guide said, “There’s an Acrobat Show we can just get to on time, if you’re interested. It’s extra, but I know you will all enjoy it.”
As our driver expertly wove us through traffic, our guide told us how much “extra” the show would cost: 280 RMB, each! But by now my math was pretty good at the conversion, so I said, “$45. Ok. So how long is the show?” And he said, “About an hour.”
Well, what the heck, we’re in China, and here’s our one chance to experience a Chinese Acrobatic Show up close and personal as they preform in their native environment. Count me in!
Happily, the show was A M A Z I N G! There were about a dozen different acts. Some made my skin crawl and knees get weak… SIX motorcycle guys inside the steel cage doing loop de loops was nerve wracking, but so was the two guys on the rotating wheels, like a figure 8 Ferris wheel, running and jumping and juggling way up in the air with no safety net!
And of course, there was the usual (and expected) tumbling, plate spinning, people stacking, etc. in the show entitled “The Wonderful Han.” I loved it all, along with the mesmerizing presence of the LED backdrop displays!