Entertainment represents one of the cultural aspects of a tour. Since it carries many of the cultural folkways, everyone involved can learn something of the culture behind it. Entertainment activities usually take place in the evening, covering a wide spectrum of performances, such as Peking opera, martial arts and acrobatics. There are also other kinds of activities aimed to help you relax after a busy day. Such activities include foot massage, body massage and hot spring baths. The following is a brief introduction to a variety of entertainment activities.
1. Nighttime entertainment activities are usually much more expensive than the tickets to certain scenic spots. If you have not specially requested such activities beforehand, we will not arrange them for you.
2. Our final confirmation letter provides recommendations and prices for various entertainment activities. If you are interested, you can contact your tour guide and arrange reservations. Normally, the tour guide and driver will help you with your reservation.
3. If you don't want to make these arrangements yourselves, or through your tour guide, you can simply tell your personal travel advisor who will arrange activities that best suit you (extra charges will apply for such special services), with your agreement.
4. If you intend to bring your children with you, we highly recommend that you reserve seats for performances such as martial arts and acrobatics. They will love it. Adults will enjoy them too, so if your parents are with you on a trip to China, never forget to introduce them to these performances, the quintessence of Chinese culture.
5. After a two-three hour hike to the Great Wall or the Longji Terraced Rice Fields, we strongly recommend a foot or body massage therapy to reduce the fatigue. Massage therapy is a strong element in the culture of traditional Chinese medicine. You will feel relaxed after a few minutes' massage. You can also try acupuncture, an effective therapy with a long history in China. Keep in mind that acupuncture therapy is used to treat particular symptoms rather than to ease fatigue. And we do advise that you only seek acupuncture therapies from professionals.
6. If you like drinking tea, the teahouse is the perfect place for you. In Beijing and Chengdu, you can sip tea while enjoying either Peking opera or Sichuan opera's face-changing performances. Hangzhou and Shanghai do not have the same performances, so you can focus on tasting a range of delicious and fragrant teas.
7. Some cities also have special activities to offer at night, including the Huangpu River cruise in Shanghai, the Two Rivers and Four Lakes cruise in Guilin and the Impression Sanjie Liu in Yangshuo. These are fantastic experiences, and you will enjoy immersing yourself in the gorgeous night view of these cities.
8. Broadly speaking, there are Peking opera, martial arts and acrobatic performances in Beijing, Tang Dynasty shows and shadow plays in Xi'an, acrobatic performances and nighttime cruises along the Huangpu River in Shanghai, the Impression West Lake in Hangzhou, storytelling and ballad singing performances in Suzhou, cruises along the Two Rivers and Four Lakes in Guilin, the Impression Sanjie Liu in Yangshuo, the Impression Lijiang in Lijiang, and the face changing performances in Chengdu.
