Tianlong Ancient Town (Part 2)

…continued from Tianlong Ancient Town (Part 1).

As we made our way in front of the stage, Bapa, the father of my wonderful wife, wanted to go to the museum of the grounds.

He went ahead, and my wonderful wife and Mama stayed by the stage, where about a dozen huge drums stood ready for the performance.

Colorfully dressed performers walked onto the stage now, and I was surprised to here drum beats coming from the loudspeakers, instead of the drums themselves.

Like pop-singers lip-syncing, these dancers mimicked drum beating with balletic grace.

As soon as the number ended, three hosts came onto stage dressed as if for the Oscars. A TV camera was aimed at them, and as they spoke with a master-of-ceremony boom to their voices, I felt like I was watching China’s Got Talent, which is usually the the type of show playing on Chinese television when I happen to pass by a TV.

After the introduction, by the two ladies and a gentlemen dressed in formal attire, one performance followed another, each with a different dance troupe featuring a different set of shiny costumes in bright colors.

The second piece made me think I was watching a kung fu movie. The all-men cast of this number wore tightly-fitting black pants, a golden-white long-sleeved top, and a red belt around their waste.

Their movements exuded martial energy with each pose, as if they were ready for a kung-fu movie poster photo to be taken of them at any moment.

The music for this piece, however, sounded less Chinese than Bavarian to me. Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, often re-used in some movies’ fight scenes, came to mind as I heard the the sustained minor chords, and the heavy bass and drums.

Though the quality of the performance was at a professional level, it didn’t fulfill my hope of seeing traditional music in this town.

All the pieces seemed to be pop-music with traditional flavors mixed in. If I hadn’t come with expectations of folk music, however, I might have enjoyed it more.

And so it was with relief that we left this performance to join Bapa in the museum. We found him there with a Chinese opera master and his friend, a main stock-holder of this tourist village.

Not only the performers were dressed colorfully. The cleaning staff too had it’s share in the extravaganza.

To be continued…