Chinese dance show recreates glamour of Tang Dynasty

During Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, dance show "Night Banquet in the Tang Dynasty Palace" went viral on Chinese social media. The five-minute performance depicts a group of plump palace maid figurines who "came to life," capering around on their way to a court feast.

Modern digital technologies including VR and AR, are used to produce a combination of virtual scene with real stage, shifting from a museum housing such national treasures as the owl-shaped wine vessel and Jiahu Bone Flutes, to majestic red-walled palaces. This visual feast allowed viewers to travel back in time to the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty is considered a golden age in China's long history. In the seventh century, when America and Africa were still "sleeping continents," China was experiencing unprecedented national unity, with wise and open-minded political governance, intellectual liberation and a vibrant economy. Diverse cultures intermixed, and the Chinese civilization spread throughout the world along the ancient Silk Road.

In the show, the dancers wore padded clothing with cotton in their cheeks to better represent the full-figured Tang women. Meanwhile, the crescent-shaped makeup on their temples faithfully reproduced the fashionable "xiehong" makeup of the time. The dancers were dressed in simple and bright clothing with low-cut necklines, showing the diverse Tang Dynasty fashion. These details vividly illustrate the free, open and confident look of Tang women, as well as the affluence and openness of the society.

The dancers wielded flutes, cymbals, five-stringed lutes and panpipes, which were popular musical instruments during the Sui and Tang dynasties. Many of these were introduced to China during ancient times, demonstrating the Tang Dynasty's inclusive culture which integrated elements from East and West.

Openness, inclusiveness and the coexistence and mixture of different civilizations are why this period continues to fascinate people around the world, and the idea behind it is a valuable heritage passed on by the Tang Dynasty.

Nowadays, many people from other countries are keenly interested in cultural elements from the Tang Dynasty, including the costumes, architecture, and related films and TV shows. At the same time, however, some have also deliberately stirred up controversy. The real Tang Dynasty culture is worth more attention.

"Night Banquet in the Tang Dynasty Palace" gives viewers a glimpse into this fascinating culture. Through the mobile internet and digital technologies, these "national treasures," preserved as part of China's 5,000-year history and culture, are waiting to be known and appreciated by more.