History comes to life in Tang Paradise

Tang Paradise is a cultural theme park located in southeast Xi'an, in central China's Shaanxi province. What makes this place unique, is that it is a cultural and historical showcase in a sparkling new setting.

The park, located near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, has been built close to the original site of an ancient Tang era garden. It features numerous buildings, squares and gardens, all in a contemporary style, but with elements of traditional Chinese architecture. The entire 0.67-square kilometer site, with a lake surrounded by delicate willows at its center, evokes a classical Chinese landscape painting. An immovable boat permanently anchored to the farther shore is reminiscent of the famous marble boat in Beijing's Summer Palace.

Built in 2005, Tang Paradise is an homage to one of the most important dynasties in China's history (618–907), during which Chinese culture reached its height. The park aims to keep alive the traditions of the Tang era through a myriad of intriguing showcases and performances. Artisans and calligraphers practice their crafts in the park, thereby contributing to the preservation of old traditions.

There are also special nightly spectacles at the park, including a movie projected on a water screen, topped off with fireworks, music and laser displays. In addition, you can enjoy camel rides and strolls in the beautifully landscaped gardens.

Tang Paradise is full of beautiful statues and gardens. (Image: Radio86)Tang Paradise is mostly about enjoying the beautiful scenery and skilled performances of the super talented staff. It has been billed as the biggest cultural theme park in northwest China and also the first park built to offer a comprehensive display of Tang dynasty culture.

Tang Paradise is not just a visually formidable place, it also incorporates a wide range of other elements representative of the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, including poetry, traditional crafts, food and science. The place also prides itself on being the first theme park in China to cater to all the five senses, including smell, as the park is dotted with incense burners, camouflaged as street lamps, which add to its magical atmosphere.

In the four-storied Purple Cloud Tower, located in the middle of the largest square, you can view a scale model of Xi'an as it was during the Tang dynasty. The building is a reproduction of an 8th-century palace where the emperor used to give banquets and amuse himself. On the ground floor is an exhibition of Tang era art and other artifacts. Upstairs, life-size wax dolls of emperor Xuanzong and his entourage greet the visitor.

Performances sans pareil

The dance on stilts is one of the most breathtaking shows at the park. (Image: Radio86)Although Tang Paradise really is an eyeful just in terms of its magnificent buildings, gardens, statues and pavilions, even more fantastic are the performances staged in different parts of the park throughout the day. In addition to traditional lion dances performed to the rhythm of drums, the spectacles include an elating magic show performed by a group of people dressed up as monkeys, and an incredible dance on stilts which has people holding their breaths as the lead dancer does cartwheels teetering about half a meter off the ground.

When you feel like taking a break, you can splurge in the park's many shops, enjoy some tea or a full meal, or just sit on the lake and admire the schools of gold fish swimming in the shallow waters. In a nutshell, Tang Paradise is a modern tourist destination which proudly exhibits the splendor and brilliance of the Tang dynasty. In a way, it is also a contradictory place, as everything there is almost too impeccable and glitzy -- maybe not what one would expect from a place dedicated to a historical era.

Location: Qujiang Resort, southeast Xi'an
Tickets: Admission 68 yuan
Shows: "Dream back to the Great Tang Dynasty" spectacle in the Phoenix Theater, 80 yuan
Opening Hours: 09:00-22:00

More information: www.tangparadise.cn