New Ways to Enjoy China's Trending City Xi'an: Travel Through Time in The Romance of Xi'an and Revel in a Visual Spectacle

One city of Chang'an holds half of Chinese history. Whether you're into history and culture or trending photo spots, Xi'an has countless places to check out. The Datang Everbright City, the Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin, the Song of Everlasting Sorrow performance, plus all kinds of luxury hotels — they all add to my fondness for Xi'an.

Xi'an carries the weight of historical changes, and over the long river of time, it has been laden with the glorious pride of the Chinese nation. Telling stories in this city is like lifting a curtain; what seems like tales of a city's past and present inadvertently spotlights the zenith of every historical stage of the Chinese people.

This time, I visited the Expo Park in Xi'an's Chanba Ecological District to experience a different side of Xi'an's beauty. Indeed, I came for The Romance of Xi'an.

Throughout the day, the scenic area offers interactive performances at different times, such as throwing embroidered balls to choose a groom, Guozhuang circle dancing on the square, and flash mobs. Visitors can join the performers and dance together.

I did an aerial shoot of the surroundings: from the park entrance to the square, and the two streets named Guoyu and Yanyun. Along these streets are eateries and boutiques. When tired, you can pop into a restaurant for a light meal or browse shops for a keepsake to take home.

But the highlight that every visitor looks forward to is The Romance of Xi'an. When it comes to the 'Romance' series, I never tire of watching them. The island vibes of The Romance of Sanya, the graceful Jiangnan beauty of The Romance of Songcheng, and the horse caravan culture of The Romance of Lijiang — all left a lasting impression.

Using unique artistic expression, The Romance of Xi'an captures cultural fragments from this legendary land and revives their millennia-old splendor by the Chanba riverbank, beneath the Chang'an Tower.

It's said that at the start of creation, chief director Huang Qiaoling led the creative team on deep field research: from the Shaanxi History Museum to the Banpo Site, from the Terracotta Warriors to Huaqing Pool, from the banks of the Ba River to Sanguo Village. Following historical footprints, they sought the sparking stars Xi'an left in the crevices of time, tracing the unbroken civilization of the Chinese people to find the city's roots and soul.

The production of The Romance of Xi'an embodies the team's profound understanding of Xi'an's history and cultural customs. Through seamless collaboration of script, direction, performance, costumes, makeup, props, and special effects, the script is brought to life, condensing Xi'an's thousand-year history into chapters like 'Light of Banpo', 'Isles of the Ba River', 'Yu the Great Tames the Waters', 'Golden Age of Tang', 'Silk Road', and 'Great Revival'.

Through actors' performances and dazzling high-tech stagecraft, audiences return to the Banpo era that nurtured early civilization, immerse in the romantic poetry of swaying willows along the Ba River, marvel at the Tang Dynasty's Chang'an where 'envoys from all nations pay homage to the imperial crown', witness the legendary Silk Road with its windswept sands, and together sound the resolute anthem of renaissance.

The weight of thousands of years of history is recreated through dedicated acting and immersive stage technology, bringing glory back to life, where reality and illusion intermingle, and the past collides with the modern.

The musical The Romance of Xi'an follows a storyline of an overseas Chinese girl returning to her roots, embarking on a journey to rediscover national memories. It is divided into scenes: 'Light of Civilization', 'Isles of the Ba River', 'Yu the Great Tames the Waters', 'Golden Age of Tang', and 'Silk Road'.

The Romance of Xi'an doesn't simply recount history; it uses distinctive artistic methods to select fragments of Xi'an culture and presents a crowd-pleasing masterpiece.

Here, you'll find the romantic charm of Ba River willows, the glorious splendor of Tang Chang'an, the legend of silk road caravans across endless sands, and the resonant anthem of revival...

Tens of thousands of mechanical devices operate across the stage, three thousand tons of water flood down, and hundreds of cubic meters of yellow sand sweep toward the audience. Blending the real and the virtual, the boundaries between stage and spectators dissolve for a fully immersive artistic feast.

After the show, you can step outside and join various interactive activities. The 'throwing the embroidered ball to find a groom' is a favorite, especially among young men who eagerly compete to catch the ball and play bridegroom for a moment.

Dancing TikTok hits with the young male and female performers is another popular interactive show.

If the weather is fine, many visitors also take on the 'water jet flying' challenge, though they often end up soaked like a drowned rat — still, it's well worth a try.

The Guozhuang dance on the square likely gets many hearts racing. Led by beautiful young women and boosted by the guys' dynamic appeal, everyone forms a circle and dances gracefully, losing track of the time to head home.

If you're into photography like me, wait until dusk falls and night descends to capture some evening shots before you leave.