Page 52 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Beijing

50 ❯❯ The Top 10 of Everything

Entertainment

A demonstration of martial arts by Shaolin monks
Martial Arts
Cinema
1 3
The easy availability of pirate
The Shaolin monks from
Songshan in Henan Province have DVDs means that most Beijingers
gained an international reputation watch their movies at home. Publicly
for their martial arts prowess. screened films are subject to censor­
They perform regularly at the ship, but foreign cultural institutes
Li Yuan Theater (see p53). host screenings of independent and
classic films. For the latest movies,
Acrobatics
2 head to Wanda Cineplex.
China is renowned for
Puppet Theater
the quality of its gymnasts, who 4
perform breathtaking routines Shadow­puppet theater is an
that showcase their unnerving art form that has been performed
flexibility. Displays of balance more or less unchanged in China
often involve props such as since the 3rd century AD. Shows
chairs, plates, and bicycles. employ many of the story lines and
Several Beijing theaters put musical styles of Beijing Opera, while
on shows – for instance, the the puppets can be quite elaborate
Chaoyang Theater; your hotel and colorfully dressed. The best
can help with reservations. place to catch a performance is
at the China Puppet Art Theater
Acrobats on a bicycle (Anhua Xili, off Bei Sanhuan Lu).
Rock and Pop
5
Beijing has a thriving music
scene supported by a host of small
music bars and clubs (see p59).
Punk and metal thrive, and for those
with a more eclectic taste, local folk
rockers mix ethnic instru mentation
with Western genres.
Sports
6
Soccer is big in Beijing. The
local boys are Beijing Guo’an, who
play in the China Super League at
the Workers’ Stadium (see p90). For

Eyewitness Travel – Top 10 series LAYERS PRINTED:
Two-column, 8.5pt grid “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v.1.9)
050-051_Top_10_Beijing.indd 50 27/06/2017 14:32
Date 24th June 2015
Size 100mm x 191mm