CHENGDU CHINA…Sichuan Opera and around town

ABOVE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PHOTOS I TOOK AT THE SICHUAN OPERA IN CHENGDU

What a treat this was when Mickal took us out on the town  for an evening of tea and local entertainment at the Sichuan Opera!!!  The sights and sounds are dazzling we sat in some of the best seats in the house to watch the drama, music, face changing performers , master puppetry and shadow puppets and comedians…….and all the tea you could drink!   It was like a “living room”  or coffee house size performance

MICKALS LITTLE GIRL “MINNIE” DOING HER FACE CHANGING IMITATION

The cup you drink from is like a small bowl with a lid…with your Jasmine loose tea in the bottom.  The lid usually stays on while the tea steeps.. as the nights were very cold and the teahouses and restaurants not heated whatsoever. Once steeped to our taste we used the lid to hold back the leaves as we sipped.

THIS PUPPET COULD BLINK HER EYES AND THE DEXTERITY IN HER FINGERS WAS INCREDIBLE

Once the lid is left off the cup, a server comes along with a pot of boiling water that is remniscent of watering can with a 3 foot long skinny spout!  That baby shoots a stream of boiling water across an entire table  (or two) and many of the patrons laps with precision accuracy. I only wish I had taken a photo of  it and am so grateful for that “precision accuracy”!

This way they can fit more in the space without leaving an aisle for the server to walk through.  Just watching them wield the wicked water pot was entertainment in itself!!

“AHHHHHHHHHH PANDAAAAAAAAA” AND APPLAUSE CAME WHEN THIS SHADOW PUPPET APPEARED

THIS COMEDY ROUTINE WAS WONDERFUL.  NOT A WORD OF ENGLISH SPOKEN AND MOSTLY LOCALS ATTENDING THE OPERA.  IN FACT IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS WE WERE PROBABLY THE ONLY TOURISTS IN CHENGDU THAT WEEK!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO MUCH LARGER AND IN HIGH DEFINITION

or click arrow below to stay here and watch.  There is audio with all my videos I post.  The music you hear on this one is actually a real Sichuan Opera sound track I found on Itunes

THANK YOU MICKAL FOR YET ANOTHER INCREDIBLE MEMORY IN CHENGDU.  WHAT A WONDERFUL FRIEND AND HOST TO SPEND SO MUCH TIME WITH US THAT WEEK.

It is such a comforting feeling to be so far from home but still with friends who looked out for us!!!

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BE SURE TO CHECK THE NEW AUDIO UPDATE TODAY…MORE COMING TOMORROW!!!

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