Hangzhou’s nights are splendid with lively night markets, gorgeous night views and show-stopping shows where you can peek into the profound culture and history of the wonderful city.
The poetic quality of Hangzhou lies in the West Lake, while the memory of the West Lake is all in the show “Enduring Memories of Hangzhou”. The majority of people know “Impression West Lake”, but few people know that after 2016 Hangzhou G20 Summit, the show has been upgraded and renamed “Enduring Memories of Hangzhou”, though the show is still performed on the Yuehu Lake, in front of Yue Fei’s Mausoleum.
During the G20 Hangzhou Summit, right on the water surface of the West Lake, in the dreamy backdrop of mountains and water, a large-scale water scene performance and symphony concert – Enduring Memories of Hangzhou wowed the world. Now the show retained the majority of performances, including symphony, dancing, Yueju Opera, Guqin and Cello tutti, Piano solo, etc. In the dazzling lights, dancing white swans and the giant fabulous fan gradually unfolding are all perfectly reproduced.
“Enduring Memories of Hangzhou” begins with a long and beautiful Chinese music “Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye (a night of flowers and moonlight by the spring river)”, which is one of the Top Ten Chinese Classical Music and a classic in the hearts of many music fanatics. The music is far reaching and very Chinese style.
After “Enduring Memories of Hangzhou”, a group of girls will perform “Tea Picking Dance.” Tea picking is one of many Hangzhou elements and Xihu Longjing used to the imperial tribute to Chinese ancient emperors and is also one of Chinese people’s favorite tea varieties. “Tea Picking Dance” is performance by several hundred female dancers dressed in Jiangnan traditional clothes and has the most performers.
The music “Gao Shan Liu Shui (High Mountains and Running Water)” implies that it’s hard to have a bosom friend and the legendary love story of “the Butterfly Lovers” is brought to the stage.
The Four Little Swans from Swan Lake is world-known, but on the West Lake, it shows its different charm. In a dreamy setting of the lake surrounded by mountains, you can appreciate the performance water ballet and listen to the world-known classic to feel the blend and collision of Chinese elements and other cultures.
From General Yue Fei to Yu Qian, from the White Snake to the Butterfly Lovers … Chinese-style “My Country and Me”, “Unforgettable Jasmine Flower”, etc. are perfectly integrated. At the last scene, the popular Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven “Ode to Joy” bring the show to a climax.
Every tranquil night, on the charming West Lake, the poetic and painting-like Jiangnan scenery and long-lasting beautiful legends will show its charm in Hangzhou’ nights.
Hangzhou has a history of over eight thousand years. Based on the historical allusions, myths and legends, Legend of the Song Dynasty infuses the many characteristics of the city, learned and elegant, staunch with moral integrity, modest and sentimental into this one show. It is definitely a show that must be seen in a lifetime.
It is ranked as one of the World’s Top Three Shows along with the “O” Show in Las Vegas and Moulin Rouge in Paris. It is very poplar and often performed fifteen times a day. The total number of audience it has received exceeds 70 million, which makes it the show that is performed the most in a year and with the most audience in the world.
The Legend of the Song Dynasty applies advanced technologies and stage machinery and uses unconventional ways to show the audience the hardship of ancient Liangzhu people, the glamour of the Song Dynasty imperial palaces, the tragic fate of the army led by General Yue Fei, and the beautiful yet tragic love story of the Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, as well as the White Snake and Xu Xian. It also vividly shows Hangzhou’s silk, tea and misty and foggy Jiangnan scenery.
Besides, in the Song Dynasty, there are great workshops to take you to experience the extinct handicrafts and taste the century-old flavors.
The Land of Fantasy is Cirque Du Soleil’s another milestone masterpiece after “KA” and “O”. Its ground-breaking performances combined with top-notch stage technologies creates an epic integrating opera, acrobatics, dancing, martial art, figure skating, magic and other oriental and western elements.
As the largest opera production company in the world, Cirque Du Soleil, has performed in 450 cities of 65 countries in the past 35 years and has attracted over 100 million people to see the show. It now has developed into a world-class cultural brand that is comparable to the Disney in the US.
Now, Hangzhou Suntiandi Group and Cirque Du Soleil have worked together for five years to create the Land of Fantasy, a world on-site show that can only be seen in Hangzhou.
As the only on-site show of Cirque Du Soleil in Hangzhou, the Land of Fantasy creates the perfect infusion of Chinese elements and acrobatics. It adds the color of Chinese ancient culture into the stage setting and costumes, adding the charm of Chinese culture while maintaining the exotic characteristics.
The story tells the story of two heroes from two different kingdoms. To restore peace, they, with seals in their hands, set foot on their journey. They walk over mountains, through deserts and forests … After all types of hardships and dangers, they gradually understood their destiny and decided to combine the two seals into one to prevent wars. Eventually, peace came and order was restored.
The giant one-hundred-meter-wide main stage equipped with 3-dimensional structures, props, projection mapping and concealed doors enables actors/actresses to disappear and reappear freely. The reality and the virtual reality are intertwined, giving audience an immersive show watching experience.
Qiandao Lake — Spirit of Water
Qiandao Lake – Spirit of Water is with the theme of the water culture of Qiandao Lake, which is endowed with the fine spirits of the universe. It makes use of international advanced glass-free 3-dimension holographic technology to display the profound regional culture and history and strong regional characteristics through Chinese martial art, acrobatics, Jiangnan folk music, dancing, etc, which is definitely a visual feast.
The show has the only water stage currently available in the country. In this totally-enclosed theater, people are like in a blue ocean. The show looks back to the long-lasting history of the blessed land with outstanding talents and look forward to the thriving and hopeful future of Qiandao Lake, connecting guests from afar with Qiandao Lake.