{"id":11221,"date":"2025-11-06T19:59:55","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T17:59:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/?p=11221"},"modified":"2025-11-07T20:27:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:27:47","slug":"xian-show-cu-lupi-si-camile-vii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/2025\/11\/xian-show-cu-lupi-si-camile-vii\/","title":{"rendered":"XI\u2019AN \u2013 SHOW WITH LIVE WOLVES AND CAMELS!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Oh my goodness!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, man, it\u2019s not good for me to watch such productions, they make me angry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought only musicals made me feel this way (musicals I wrote about some time ago here<\/a>, and about which I could still write a lot, considering how many I\u2019ve seen since then\u2026). But look, something else has left me speechless \u2013 and more than that, it makes me mad that I wasn\u2019t even a tiny ant in such a production\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SHOWS IN XI\u2019AN<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, I\u2019ve been in China for a few days\u2026 I\u2019m offered a VIP ticket with dinner included, to a show called Tang Dynasty Show<\/strong>, as a peace offering for my complaints about the agency that organized my tours in Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I refuse. Anyway, I really didn\u2019t plan to go to any show during my (only!) two days in Xi\u2019an. I always prefer to explore the city, mingle with the locals in the bustle of the streets, markets, taverns, to visit the main landmarks, the old town, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But guess what? My guide, Selina, when she hears about the refused offer, tells me about another show in the city. Unlike the Tang Dynasty Show<\/em>, which attracts many foreign tourists, there\u2019s one that\u2019s extremely popular among the Chinese \u2013 Legend of the Camel Bell<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreigners choose to see the history of the Tang Dynasty set to music, with dance and acrobatics, while enjoying dinner, whereas the Chinese go to see a story connected to the Silk Road<\/strong>, a theme of great historical pride in China and especially closely tied to the city of Xi\u2019an! For it was from here that the camel caravans departed, crossing deserts and mountains between ancient China and the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
even the subway card features the Silk Road<\/em><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The show is full of symbols and references well known to the Chinese audience, but harder for us, outsiders, to grasp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, another thing: it\u2019s promoted mainly through Chinese channels, in the Chinese language. On popular websites accessed by foreign tourists, it has far fewer English reviews compared to other city attractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My guide tells me it\u2019s a show with camels and wolves<\/strong>. What do you mean? Do they use puppets?? Or specially made fake animals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, no, live camels, live wolves!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come on, no way! That can\u2019t be real! Okay, camels, let\u2019s say maybe. But wolves<\/em>?! Are you sure \u201cwolves\u201d doesn\u2019t mean something else?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, real wolves! Alive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t imagine how real wolves could \u201cperform\u201d in a show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So YES! I instantly decide I want to see this show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE LEGEND OF THE CAMEL BELL<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t understand what this title was about until I looked it up a bit. The title doesn\u2019t refer literally to a bell, but to the sound of the bells from the camel caravans \u2013 a symbol of the journeys and cultural exchanges along the Silk Road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ticket to the show is expensive compared to everything else I\u2019ve paid so far during my trip to China: it costs 468 yuan, that\u2019s about 60 euros (end of March 2025).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re in a hurry, considering that the show starts at 6:00 p.m. and the day has already been full of sightseeing around Xi\u2019an.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I change clothes in a rush at the hotel, then we drive across the city as fast as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the way, I \u201cgather\u201d some more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The show has been running since 2018 at the Xi\u2019an Huaxia Cultural Tourism Grand Theater<\/strong>, located in an ecological area of Xi\u2019an. It lasts 60 minutes, no more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Only when we arrive at the location do I see what kind of theater it is. It\u2019s a huge flattened dome, with a capacity of 3,000 spectators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The clock shows 5:56 p.m. Oh my God, you can\u2019t imagine how we\u2019re running like crazy, me with my tongue practically hanging out! I curse every burger and chocolate I\u2019ve eaten in the past years…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I take photos on the run! I can barely breathe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We climb the stairs, and my guide hands me over to an usher who tells me where to run. It\u2019s 5:58! I run!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I climb more stairs, an usher sees my ticket and tells me where to sit. I sit down, panting like an old nag after a long race, I grab a tissue and try to chase down the rivers of sweat \u2013 face, back, and everywhere in between, and\u2026 the show begins!!! It\u2019s exactly 6 o\u2019clock, wow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The story begins in a village. I don\u2019t know what it\u2019s like on stage, but it\u2019s cold in the stalls. Really cold \u2013 jacket cold! Good thing I was smart enough to bring mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since there are some empty seats on my row, right by the central aisle, I move to the first seat so I can take clean photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I look around and see only Chinese people! Everywhere, just Chinese, man, not a single foreigner in sight. So yeah, it\u2019s definitely a show for the locals, and me, among them, I\u2019m like the odd creature from another planet \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I watch closely what\u2019s happening on stage \u2013 music, pre-recorded dialogue, dance, action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A choreography with ribbons hanging from the ceiling shows an amazing synchronization of the dancers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Several camels (real ones, yes?) also take part in the story. They\u2019re cleverly complemented by many more camels on the huge screen behind. It\u2019s one massive caravan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stage design elements are spectacular! I stare in amazement \u2013 now at the set, now at the performers, now at the props. Sometimes I can\u2019t even tell if someone is actually singing or if it\u2019s just instrumental, if someone is speaking or… who knows anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To the left and right, at the edges of the audience, there are electronic display panels where you can read translations of some parts of the show \u2013 a way to help foreign tourists understand what\u2019s going on. Thank you! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, my heart almost jumps out of my chest! An earthquake???<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not at all! Quite suddenly, the entire audience (yes, including me) starts to rotate! What?!?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ballerinas dance on a huge, real staircase; a few acrobats spin through the air; some angel-like girls rise from the floor, performing in front of fountains that also burst from the stage… I don\u2019t even know where to look first!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Night turns into day, a volcano erupts, a sandstorm blows through, snow starts falling all over the stage \u2013 an avalanche of truly stunning special effects!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then, a massive statue rises, and I can\u2019t help wondering \u2013 how deep must it be under that stage?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A giant Buddha towers above us from the middle of the stage. Meanwhile, a few camels continue along their \u201cSilk Road\u201d right among us, the spectators \ud83d\ude42 It\u2019s quite an experience, I must say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just as I\u2019m wondering how on earth to film this set \u2013 vertically or horizontally \u2013 we all get hit by a surprise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Two waterfalls start flowing, man!!! Real ones, okay?? Not some image on a screen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The water gushes with such force that the first rows of the audience get completely soaked!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a glimpse of that moment, which also includes our rotation \u2013 the audience\u2019s \u2013 toward the next \u201cscene\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I had noticed, from the very first minutes, some sort of cranes on both sides of the audience stands. I looked to see where the cameras were mounted on them. But there were none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During one of the acts, both \u201ccranes\u201d start to lower. Then, a staff member walks among us with a warning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u201cDo not move around, as the animals pass by\u201d<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And then\u2026 madness begins!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Adventurous music, sound effects, and\u2026 real wolves start appearing on those platforms, then jump down, into the audience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Yes, yes, they land on the aisles between the seating rows, then rush toward the stage where, supposedly, they attack the poor people traveling along the Silk Road. And the battle begins!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The trainers have everything under control \u2013 the wolves, the fights, everything. It\u2019s an awesome show!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a video as proof, so you don\u2019t think I faked some photos by adding wolves in \ud83d\ude42 (The volcano eruption amazed me too! I didn\u2019t expect something even more spectacular to come after that\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=k3JdXViyo1c\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Your blood freezes a little in your veins\u2026 What if one of them goes nuts and decides we\u2019re dinner??<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In one hour (the show lasts exactly one hour!), we rotate 360 degrees, passing through six different \u201cscenes\u201d and ending up where we started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only the main characters remain the same, the ones who embark on the adventure along the Silk Road, a journey full of perils but also with experiences and cultural exchanges that shaped them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And\u2026 hold on tight: the show runs several times a day, with some days having up to 11 performances!!! One after another, dude!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why they have multiple teams performing in rotation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE SHOW\u2019S PROTAGONISTS<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I read that there are over 200 performers involved!!! Including dancers, acrobats, but also technicians, extras, and animal trainers with the live animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t imagine that the protagonists are celebrities featured in magazines or chased by paparazzi. Nope. They\u2019re professionals in dance, martial arts, and acrobatics, who generally come from local art academies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The focus in these kinds of shows is on the production, not on individuals, so it doesn\u2019t matter that dozens of artists rotate \u2013 the show keeps its identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My own identity makes me stand out among the spectators leaving the hall at the end of the performance\u2026 Asian or not, we all seem thrilled by what we\u2019ve seen. Well, I was also dying of envy! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At dusk, the theater building looks like a UFO that has just landed in Xi\u2019an.
Xi\u2019an that offered me many pleasant surprises. Here<\/a> you can read about the unique experiences I\u2019ve had in the city and the odd things I\u2019ve discovered at the food stalls.
And soon \u2013 about how I squeezed my way through the crowds to see the Terracotta Army \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Oh my goodness!!! No, man, it\u2019s not good for me to watch such productions, they make me angry! I thought only musicals made me feel this way (musicals I wrote about some time ago here, and about which I could still write a lot, considering how many I\u2019ve seen since then\u2026). But look, something else has left me speechless \u2013 and more than that, it makes me mad that I wasn\u2019t even a tiny ant in such a production\u2026 SHOWS IN XI\u2019AN So, I\u2019ve been in China for a few days\u2026 I\u2019m offered a VIP ticket with dinner included, to a show called Tang Dynasty Show, as a peace offering for my complaints about the agency that organized my tours in Beijing. I refuse. Anyway, I really didn\u2019t plan to go to any show during my (only!) two days in Xi\u2019an. I always prefer to explore the city, mingle with the locals in the bustle of the streets, markets, taverns, to visit the main landmarks, the old town, etc. But guess what? My guide, Selina, when she hears about the refused offer, tells me about another show in the city. Unlike the Tang Dynasty Show, which attracts many foreign tourists, there\u2019s one that\u2019s extremely popular among the Chinese \u2013 Legend of the Camel Bell! Foreigners choose to see the history of the Tang Dynasty set to music, with dance and acrobatics, while enjoying dinner, whereas the Chinese go to see a story connected to the Silk Road, a theme of great historical pride in China and especially closely tied to the city of Xi\u2019an! For it was from here that the camel caravans departed, crossing deserts and mountains between ancient China and the West. The show is full of symbols and references well known to the Chinese audience, but harder for us, outsiders, to grasp. Also, another thing: it\u2019s promoted mainly through Chinese channels, in the Chinese language. On popular websites accessed by foreign tourists, it has far fewer English reviews compared to other city attractions. My guide tells me it\u2019s a show with camels and wolves. What do you mean? Do they use puppets?? Or specially made fake animals? No, no, live camels, live wolves!!! Come on, no way! That can\u2019t be real! Okay, camels, let\u2019s say maybe. But wolves?! Are you sure \u201cwolves\u201d doesn\u2019t mean something else? No, real wolves! Alive! I can\u2019t imagine how real wolves could \u201cperform\u201d in a show. So YES! I instantly decide I want to see this show. THE LEGEND OF THE CAMEL BELL I didn\u2019t understand what this title was about until I looked it up a bit. The title doesn\u2019t refer literally to a bell, but to the sound of the bells from the camel caravans \u2013 a symbol of the journeys and cultural exchanges along the Silk Road. The ticket to the show is expensive compared to everything else I\u2019ve paid so far during my trip to China: it costs 468 yuan, that\u2019s about 60 euros (end of March 2025). We\u2019re in a hurry, considering that the show starts at 6:00 p.m. and the day has already been full of sightseeing around Xi\u2019an. I change clothes in a rush at the hotel, then we drive across the city as fast as possible. On the way, I \u201cgather\u201d some more information. The show has been running since 2018 at the Xi\u2019an Huaxia Cultural Tourism Grand Theater, located in an ecological area of Xi\u2019an. It lasts 60 minutes, no more. Only when we arrive at the location do I see what kind of theater it is. It\u2019s a huge flattened dome, with a capacity of 3,000 spectators. The clock shows 5:56 p.m. Oh my God, you can\u2019t imagine how we\u2019re running like crazy, me with my tongue practically hanging out! I curse every burger and chocolate I\u2019ve eaten in the past years… I take photos on the run! I can barely breathe! We climb the stairs, and my guide hands me over to an usher who tells me where to run. It\u2019s 5:58! I run! I climb more stairs, an usher sees my ticket and tells me where to sit. I sit down, panting like an old nag after a long race, I grab a tissue and try to chase down the rivers of sweat \u2013 face, back, and everywhere in between, and\u2026 the show begins!!! It\u2019s exactly 6 o\u2019clock, wow! The story begins in a village. I don\u2019t know what it\u2019s like on stage, but it\u2019s cold in the stalls. Really cold \u2013 jacket cold! Good thing I was smart enough to bring mine. Since there are some empty seats on my row, right by the central aisle, I move to the first seat so I can take clean photos. I look around and see only Chinese people! Everywhere, just Chinese, man, not a single foreigner in sight. So yeah, it\u2019s definitely a show for the locals, and me, among them, I\u2019m like the odd creature from another planet \ud83d\ude42 I watch closely what\u2019s happening on stage \u2013 music, pre-recorded dialogue, dance, action. A choreography with ribbons hanging from the ceiling shows an amazing synchronization of the dancers! Several camels (real ones, yes?) also take part in the story. They\u2019re cleverly complemented by many more camels on the huge screen behind. It\u2019s one massive caravan. The stage design elements are spectacular! I stare in amazement \u2013 now at the set, now at the performers, now at the props. Sometimes I can\u2019t even tell if someone is actually singing or if it\u2019s just instrumental, if someone is speaking or… who knows anymore. To the left and right, at the edges of the audience, there are electronic display panels where you can read translations of some parts of the show \u2013 a way to help foreign tourists understand what\u2019s going on. Thank you! \ud83d\ude42 Suddenly, my heart almost jumps out of my chest! An earthquake??? Not at all! Quite suddenly, the entire audience (yes, including me) starts to rotate! What?!? Seriously, the whole massive seating area begins moving to the right. So here, it\u2019s not the stage that rotates \u2013 we do! We turn until we face the next \u201cscene\u201d, with completely different sets, actors, costumes, and props. Ballerinas dance on a huge, real staircase; a few acrobats spin through the air; some angel-like girls rise from the floor, performing in front of fountains that also burst from the stage… I don\u2019t even know where to look first! Night turns into day, a volcano erupts, a sandstorm blows through, snow starts falling all over the stage \u2013 an avalanche of truly stunning special effects! Then, a massive statue rises, and I can\u2019t help wondering \u2013 how deep must it be under that stage?! A giant Buddha towers above us from the middle of the stage. Meanwhile, a few camels continue along their \u201cSilk Road\u201d right among us, the spectators \ud83d\ude42 It\u2019s quite an experience, I must say. And just as I\u2019m wondering how on earth to film this set \u2013 vertically or horizontally \u2013 we all get hit by a surprise: Two waterfalls start flowing, man!!! Real ones, okay?? Not some image on a screen! The water gushes with such force that the first rows of the audience get completely soaked! Here\u2019s a glimpse of that moment, which also includes our rotation \u2013 the audience\u2019s \u2013 toward the next \u201cscene\u201d: I can\u2019t stop wondering: will we ever be able to create something like this in Romania?? But wait, my biggest shock was yet to come\u2026 I had noticed, from the very first minutes, some sort of cranes on both sides of the audience stands. I looked to see where the cameras were mounted on them. But there were none. During one of the acts, both \u201ccranes\u201d start to lower. Then, a staff member walks among us with a warning: And then\u2026 madness begins!!! Adventurous music, sound effects, and\u2026 real wolves start appearing on those platforms, then jump down, into the audience! Yes, yes, they land on the aisles between the seating rows, then rush toward the stage where, supposedly, they attack the poor people traveling along the Silk Road. And the battle begins! The trainers have everything under control \u2013 the wolves, the fights, everything. It\u2019s an awesome show! Here\u2019s a video as proof, so you don\u2019t think I faked some photos by adding wolves in \ud83d\ude42 (The volcano eruption amazed me too! I didn\u2019t expect something even more spectacular to come after that\u2026) Your blood freezes a little in your veins\u2026 What if one of them goes nuts and decides we\u2019re dinner?? In one hour (the show lasts exactly one hour!), we rotate 360 degrees, passing through six different \u201cscenes\u201d and ending up where we started. Only the main characters remain the same, the ones who embark on the adventure along the Silk Road, a journey full of perils but also with experiences and cultural exchanges that shaped them. And\u2026 hold on tight: the show runs several times a day, with some days having up to 11 performances!!! One after another, dude! That\u2019s why they have multiple teams performing in rotation. THE SHOW\u2019S PROTAGONISTS I read that there are over 200 performers involved!!! Including dancers, acrobats, but also technicians, extras, and animal trainers with the live animals. Don\u2019t imagine that the protagonists are celebrities featured in magazines or chased by paparazzi. Nope. They\u2019re professionals in dance, martial arts, and acrobatics, who generally come from local art academies. The focus in these kinds of shows is on the production, not on individuals, so it doesn\u2019t matter that dozens of artists rotate \u2013 the show keeps its identity. My own identity makes me stand out among the spectators leaving the hall at the end of the performance\u2026 Asian or not, we all seem thrilled by what we\u2019ve seen. Well, I was also dying of envy! \ud83d\ude42 At dusk, the theater building looks like a UFO that has just landed in Xi\u2019an.Xi\u2019an that offered me many pleasant surprises. Here you can read about the unique experiences I\u2019ve had in the city and the odd things I\u2019ve discovered at the food stalls.And soon \u2013 about how I squeezed my way through the crowds to see the Terracotta Army \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11222,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[27,26,2011,2009,25,1125,23,1126,2003,20,1274,1089,2012,1993],"class_list":["post-11221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-calatorii","tag-calator-singur","tag-calatorii","tag-camels","tag-camile","tag-china","tag-show","tag-solotravel","tag-spectacol","tag-top-things-to-do-in-xian","tag-travel","tag-travel-blog","tag-travelling","tag-wolves","tag-xian","main-post"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"2.12.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ro","en"],"languages":{"ro":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11221"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11221"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11259,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11221\/revisions\/11259"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}