2011-22 Peking Opera, Beijing China
Hello All,
After returning to our hotel we had time to quickly freshen up and change clothes before departing for an amazing dinner of Peking Duck followed by the Peking Opera. As hard as it may be for some of you to believe, Dave is not what you would call an “opera” kind of guy. And, duck in not high on his list of culinary delights for good reason.
Back when Dave was twelve or thirteen, he and his mom moved from the big city in southern California to Oregon where he became interested in hunting, but he didn‘t own a shotgun. So to earn money to buy one he spent the summer walking along the highway picking up pop bottles and cans. He would turn them in for the 3-cent deposit Oregon charged folks when they bought a soda. Oregon’s idea was this would help keep litter off the highways. Dave saved his money till he had enough to purchase a shotgun out of the Sears & Roebuck catalog. It was a brand new J.C. Higgins 12-gauge, bolt-action shotgun with a poly choke that cost $26.00. It was a real blunder bust but he thought it was the cat’s meow.
It was late fall by the time the shotgun was delivered and the only thing left open for hunting was waterfowl. So, right before Thanksgiving Dave went hunting for ducks. He thought, what better for a Thanksgiving dinner than a duck. To everyone’s surprise he bagged one. He brought it home, cleaned it, and mom prepared it for dinner on Thanksgiving. It came out of the oven looking beautiful. The duck was sliced and passed around the table with great anticipation. That’s when things went downhill. You see, what Dave had bagged was a hooded merganser! Unlike a mallard or teal, which primarily feed on plant life, a merganser primarily feeds on fish. And the meat of the bird tastes sort of like a rotting fish smells. For the few that took a bite and gagged--it was not a pleasant experience! Mom immediately scooped up the duck and it went straight into the garbage. She whipped up a couple of boxes of good ole Chef Boyardee’s Mac & Cheese, and that was Thanksgiving dinner. Now you know why duck is not one of Dave’s favorite meals.
From our hotel the tour bus took us to a beautiful venue where we enjoyed a Peking Duck dinner followed by the Peking Opera. Now the duck dinner we consumed was a bit more lavish than what Dave experienced fifty plus years ago. We had a hunch it would be, as we ate at the same venue that Presidents Clinton and Bush dined while attending Heads of State dinners sponsored by the Chinese Government. The Peking-Duck dish, which originated during the Ming Dynasty, features delicately roasted meat and crispy skin paired with spring onions and hoisin sauce, all wrapped in a thin pancake.
If a person went hungry, they just weren’t trying hard enough as the dinner included the following:
A selection of appetizers.
Szechuan-style shrimp.
Steamed ribs in a pumpkin bowl.
Deep-fried lamb in a rice-paper wrapper.
Sizzling beef and onions.
Spicy stir-fried chicken with peppercorns.
Stir-fried kale with wild mushrooms.
Hot-and-sour soup with duck.
Peking duck.
Duck fried rice.
Fruit platter.
Red wine and soft drinks.
After returning to our hotel we had time to quickly freshen up and change clothes before departing for an amazing dinner of Peking Duck followed by the Peking Opera. As hard as it may be for some of you to believe, Dave is not what you would call an “opera” kind of guy. And, duck in not high on his list of culinary delights for good reason.
Back when Dave was twelve or thirteen, he and his mom moved from the big city in southern California to Oregon where he became interested in hunting, but he didn‘t own a shotgun. So to earn money to buy one he spent the summer walking along the highway picking up pop bottles and cans. He would turn them in for the 3-cent deposit Oregon charged folks when they bought a soda. Oregon’s idea was this would help keep litter off the highways. Dave saved his money till he had enough to purchase a shotgun out of the Sears & Roebuck catalog. It was a brand new J.C. Higgins 12-gauge, bolt-action shotgun with a poly choke that cost $26.00. It was a real blunder bust but he thought it was the cat’s meow.
It was late fall by the time the shotgun was delivered and the only thing left open for hunting was waterfowl. So, right before Thanksgiving Dave went hunting for ducks. He thought, what better for a Thanksgiving dinner than a duck. To everyone’s surprise he bagged one. He brought it home, cleaned it, and mom prepared it for dinner on Thanksgiving. It came out of the oven looking beautiful. The duck was sliced and passed around the table with great anticipation. That’s when things went downhill. You see, what Dave had bagged was a hooded merganser! Unlike a mallard or teal, which primarily feed on plant life, a merganser primarily feeds on fish. And the meat of the bird tastes sort of like a rotting fish smells. For the few that took a bite and gagged--it was not a pleasant experience! Mom immediately scooped up the duck and it went straight into the garbage. She whipped up a couple of boxes of good ole Chef Boyardee’s Mac & Cheese, and that was Thanksgiving dinner. Now you know why duck is not one of Dave’s favorite meals.
From our hotel the tour bus took us to a beautiful venue where we enjoyed a Peking Duck dinner followed by the Peking Opera. Now the duck dinner we consumed was a bit more lavish than what Dave experienced fifty plus years ago. We had a hunch it would be, as we ate at the same venue that Presidents Clinton and Bush dined while attending Heads of State dinners sponsored by the Chinese Government. The Peking-Duck dish, which originated during the Ming Dynasty, features delicately roasted meat and crispy skin paired with spring onions and hoisin sauce, all wrapped in a thin pancake.
If a person went hungry, they just weren’t trying hard enough as the dinner included the following:
A selection of appetizers.
Szechuan-style shrimp.
Steamed ribs in a pumpkin bowl.
Deep-fried lamb in a rice-paper wrapper.
Sizzling beef and onions.
Spicy stir-fried chicken with peppercorns.
Stir-fried kale with wild mushrooms.
Hot-and-sour soup with duck.
Peking duck.
Duck fried rice.
Fruit platter.
Red wine and soft drinks.
The renowned Peking Opera came
into existence around the end of the 18th century and was refined
during the time of the Empress Dowager Cixi. Today it is known worldwide for
its complex storytelling and regarded as one of China’s cultural treasures. It
is not a traditional opera; the performance is a form of Chinese theater combining
music, singing, mime, dance, and even acrobatics. It conveys a story that is
also illustrated with elaborately painted faces and symbolic costumes. Every
small detail in a performance has a meaning. A red face depicts the character’s
bravery; a white face denotes treachery; while a green face is most likely a
stubborn or impetuous character.
After dining we made our way into the theater. To our surprise it was customary for some of the characters to have their makeup applied in public in the theater lobby. It was awesome to be able to watch the process. Wow, talk about elaborate makeup and costumes.
After dining we made our way into the theater. To our surprise it was customary for some of the characters to have their makeup applied in public in the theater lobby. It was awesome to be able to watch the process. Wow, talk about elaborate makeup and costumes.
This character just finished
receiving his makeup and donning his costume. Looking at him just made us
chuckle to ourselves. There is no way we can adequately describe him.
Within the theater we sat at
tables of six with all types of munchies and hot jasmine tea to enjoy
throughout the performance--as if we needed anything after the scrumptious
dinner.
To our amazement there were almost no stage sets used in the opera. We can recall a plain red table as being the only thing used on stage during the performance. The entire story was told through costuming, music, movement and facial expressions. It took us about five minutes to get into the premise of the story being told. But, then we were hooked--it was fantastic!
It would be impossible for us to try to explain the storyline so we will share with you some photos of the characters during the performance. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
To our amazement there were almost no stage sets used in the opera. We can recall a plain red table as being the only thing used on stage during the performance. The entire story was told through costuming, music, movement and facial expressions. It took us about five minutes to get into the premise of the story being told. But, then we were hooked--it was fantastic!
It would be impossible for us to try to explain the storyline so we will share with you some photos of the characters during the performance. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
This is the dancer that was being made up before
the performance. Note the graceful positioning of her hands.
It was fascinating watching her effortlessly
twirl the scarves that were attached to her costume.
The young man on the right in
the following photo was phenomenal. At one point he stood on one foot with the
other straight up in the air, and held the position while doing a very slow 360
degree turn. Don’t ask us how he did it. We were so mesmerized that neither of
us got a picture of the feat. He was very talented--what a professional.
It was a wonderful
show--nothing like anything we had ever experienced before. By the time our
heads hit the pillows that night our minds were spinning with the many glorious
sights and sounds of the day--a day that we won’t forget for a long time.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns