Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Entertainment
15
Universal Theatre (Heaven & Earth Theatre)
ACROBATICS
Young performers from the China National Acrobatic Troupe perform their eye- and joint-
popping contortions. It's a favourite with tour groups, so try to book ahead. Tickets are pri-
cier the further from the stage you sit. Keep an eye out for the dismal white tower that
looks like it should be in an airport - that's where you buy your tickets.
(
天地剧场
; 10
Dongzhimen Nandajie
东直门南大街
10
号
; tickets ¥180-680;
performance 7.15pm;
Dongsi Shitiao)
16
Chaoyang Theatre
Hosts splendid daily performances by visiting acrobatics troupes from all over China, as
well as Peking opera shows sometimes. Many hotels can book tickets for here.
(
朝阳剧场
;
36 Dongsanhuan Beilu
东三环北路
36
号
; tickets ¥180-880;
ACROBATICS, PEKING OPERA
performances 5.15pm & 7.15pm;
Hujialou)
Understand
Modern Life in Beijing
Walk around Sanlitun with its hordes of trendy, twenty-something locals and you could be forgiven for thinking
that China was never a country in the grip of Maoist ideology. But as recently as the 1980s, a luxury item in China
meant a bicycle or radio, not the latest model iPhone, while food rationing didn't stop until 1993.
These days, though, it is no exaggeration to say that life has never been better for Beijingers. The capital's resid-
ents have always been convinced that they live at the centre of the world and now, as China ascends to genuine su-
perpower status, it seems that they really do. For young people in particular, the combination of rising incomes and
greater access to education means they are enjoying a freedom that was unthinkable for their parents.
Material Dreams
The goal of a better life is the aspiration of every local. The new buildings and shopping malls that line the centre
of Beijing are twin temples to the gods of money and status that many people worship. Owning an apartment and a
car is considered essential, even as the price of property in Beijing has accelerated far beyond the means of many.
