Xian City WallI'm always fascinated about cultures and traditions of all ethnicity. The fact that i'm visiting one of the oldest cities in China, i'm all out to know about the Qin, Tang and Han Dynasties. What else can be better than watching a theater reflecting on the glory of the Tang Dynasty! Yup, Cynthia took us to the theater located somewhere in the city and i was all out for it...my mind started to think about the obvious of dancers wearing traditional colourful costumes, twirling here there seductively and the acrobatic actions of male dancers performing. It made my night a memorable one.
Theater
The Glory of Tang Dynasty
Introduction: Coming of Spring
White Sleeve Dance
This dance was my favourite performance of all 10 segments! When i was younger, i used to like (
actually still into these movies) watching the female chinese ghosts flying with their long white sleeves lingering while flying and the super powers they can show off. So, when i saw the monitor showing the title 'White Sleeve Dance', i got myself all excited!
The material of the sleeves was made from ramie, which
also known as "China Grass", a flowering plant native to eastern Asia (Sourced from What is Ramie Fabric? article of Natural-Environment.com, 2008). I wish to quote some interesting facts about the ramie fabric, sourced from
Ramie yarns article of
SWICOFIL, a Swiss Company with over 30 years of experience in yarns and fibers stated that
"ramie is one of the oldest textile fibers used in mummy cloths in Egypt during that period BC and has been growing in China for many centuries. The fiber is very durable, is pure white in colour and has a silky luster. It is reported to have a tensile strength eigth times that of cotton and seven times greater than silk." (Sourced from Ramie yarns article).
This shot was captured by me while one of the main dancers was twirling and is officially my all time favourite shot! The song played during the performance definily mesmerized the audiences that night, which was created by a famous poet during the Tang Dynasty, Li Bai.
The Journey of Monk XuanZang
A Beautiful Dream
This performance was solely about the late Emperor XianZong and his highness beloved concubine, Yang Qui Fei. The Emperor requested for a dance appeared from his dream. There were girls dressed in rosy clouds and seriously, very enchanting love story. ;)
The Emperor & concubine, Yang Qui FeiPhew...FINALLY!! Finished with my post-trip articles.
Hope you guys enjoy reading as much as i had fun choosing the many captured shots and writing them.
Luv Luv!!!
Photos by Nurvia Ooi
Located at Yayasan Seni Berdaftar off Jalan Ritchie, Ampang, you can find a little cafe set up neatly at one corner of a garden.
