National Acrobatic Circus

This evening, we went to the Tiandi Theater to see the Chinese National Acrobatic Circus. This particular program was performed by the kids in training, not the "professionals", but what they offered was truly amazing. Not sure how young the littlest were, but they could not have been over 7 or 8 years old. They did a whole set of performances to demonstrate strength, balance, coordination and other skills, including a routine by little girls with the diabolo (the devil on two sticks), which is a juggling prop consisting of a spool which is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks held one in each hand. A huge variety of tricks are possible using the sticks, string, and various body parts. Apparently, the diabolo is a modern adaptation on the traditional Chinese yo-yo, which goes back 1000 years.

They also managed to get 14 girls on a single bicycle, and we were amazed by many other acrobatic feats...

Earlier in the day, we also had the chance to see the Friendship Store, which is no longer very popular, with its relatively high prices and the rest of China and its commercial world much more accessible to foreign visitors than it once was. The Friendship Store (Youyi Shangdian) was established in the late 1950s as a sign of friendship between the Chinese and foreigners when China first opened to the outside world. Originally open only to foreigners, ordinary Chinese were banned from the stores until the 1990s. For diplomats, visiting dignitaries and the early tourists, it was the only place in the communist capital to buy foreign goods, including shaving cream or a decent piece of cheese, or a scarf guaranteed to be 100% silk. Now, of course, everything is different. You can even buy from the Friendship Store online...

We also spent some enjoyable hours strolling through Ritan (Temple of the Sun) Park, enjoying its varied landscapes, including the rockery and marble tea boat. The park was built in 1530 as an altar for ritual sacrifice to the sun god. We discovered that this is a great place for a pot of tea or a glass of wine!