In Beijing, the Happy Dragon Hostel offered to take us to a Beijing opera for 130 RMB (about US $20). I was excited to finally see a theater production of traditional Chinese opera, which I had heard so much about.
We saw two stories. The first was about a woman who hires a boatman to take her to see her lover. It was a cute story, but the singing was a little unnerving. The female lead's shrill voice pierced the air so sharply that it hurt. I'm pretty sure they train for years to be able to do that.
The second story was about the famous Monkey King, & had less singing & more action since this particular selection was from the part of the story when the Monkey King fights off a whole band of warriors. Thank goodness.
The theater audience that night included mostly Western tourists. I wonder if Chinese people ever go to see Beijing opera, or if it's just something the tourists do.
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