Qi County, in the city of Hebi in China’s Henan Province, has launched a programme of night-time shows and tours based on Zhaoge, a former capital of the Shang Dynasty, for the National Day holiday, the county said in a statement on October 4.
The programme comes as China expects 2.13bn domestic trips over the October 1-7 holiday, CGTN reported on October 1, and as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism runs a consumption month with more than 20,000 events and CNY310mn ($45.9mn) in vouchers and subsidies that includes night-time entertainment. For tour operators, Qi County offers an evening product tied to Shang heritage in a destination about 50 km south of Yinxu, the Shang-era site near Anyang that is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The centrepiece is “Meiyi Zhaoge”, a water-based live show staged nightly at 9pm on the Mei River Covered Bridge. Dancers and lighting effects depict legends linked to the Shang era, including the birth of the divine black bird and the eastern campaigns of Emperor Xin.
On Zhaoge Old Street, the “Scenes at Every Step” carnival features acrobatics, traditional Chinese dance, retro band performances and mythology-themed challenge games. The county also stages nightly performances of “Grand Shang Zhaoge” and mass parades that show the ancient capital’s former prosperity.
At Zhaixingtai, another site linked to Shang history, performers suspended above the ground take part in “Fairy Scattering Flowers”, with flowing costumes, lanterns and falling petals. A concert beside the covered bridge offers choral singing, instrumental performances and bands, and tourists can join in.
Qi County’s cultural and tourism authorities have also launched free shuttle buses linking scenic spots in the town for the holiday.