Colette's Grand Detour

The Impression Liu Sanjie show in Yangshuo is one of the most spectacular outdoor performances in China. With over 600 local performers and taking place on a section of the Li River with 12 karst limestone peaks forming the backdrop, it is visually stunning. And a must-see when visiting Yangshuo.

The show debuted in 2004 and was directed by Zhang Yimou, a famed film director who also directed the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. The river itself serves as both the stage and a mirror, reflecting the illuminated mountains behind. And the performers are mostly Zhuang and Yao ethnic villagers.

The show has six chapters and whilst inspired by the legend of a folk singer from the Zhuang minority, there isn’t a linear plot, but rather themed chapters that introduce local life and the ethnic cultures of the region. Two sections of the show that really stuck out for me were the ‘Red Impression’ during which hundreds of fisherman on bamboo rafts moved across the river stage in unison and ‘Gold Impressions’ when hundreds of women in traditional dress created patterns across the river with golden lights.

I’ve not seen anything else like it. The live singing of hundreds of women, the Yao minority with the women with long hair, the lighting and reflections on the river. It was all incredible. One tip – spring for the slightly more expensive B section, since you want to be as high up as possible to get the full visual effect of the stage, performers and mountain backdrop. And if you want slightly more room, go for section B1, with bamboo chairs.

The show features special antiphonal folk singing, which was incredible to experience. This is a type of call-and-response folk music where improvised verses are sung back and forth between two groups or individuals, often male vs female, or one village versus another. The goal is to outwit your opponent lyrically and melodically, like a sung conversation or poetic duel. The show also highlighted the polyphonic singing of the Dong ethnic group. What was special in the show about both these types of singing was that it is typically unaccompanied, and yet even on such big outdoor stage with no microphones or speakers, the singing was crystal clear.

A must-do highlight of Yangshuo.