Xi'an was the Tang capital Chang'an, at its height the largest city in the world, with a population of about a million and a market district that traded with Persia, Central Asia and beyond. The Tang dinner shows are an attempt to reconstruct the entertainment of that court, using the frescoes of Tang tombs and the surviving Tang poems as source material.
The performance
Expect a seated dinner with a stage in front. The program runs about ninety minutes and moves through pieces drawn from court music and dance: silk-sleeve dances, drum sequences, a peacock dance, and a warrior piece with spears and shields. Costumes are reconstructed from tomb paintings and the colors are deliberately bright. A printed English program usually explains each number.
The food
Dinner is a set menu of Shaanxi and Chinese dishes served course by course. Several venues offer a dumpling banquet option, with a long series of steamed dumplings in different shapes, which is the more distinctive choice and the one Xi'an is known for. The food is decent rather than exceptional; the evening is really about the performance.
Practical notes
Shows usually start between 18:30 and 19:30 and should be booked ahead, especially in spring and autumn. Tables are assigned by booking order, so earlier bookings sit closer to the stage. Photography without flash is generally permitted. The venues are all in central Xi'an, within a short drive of the Bell Tower and the main hotel district.
Is it worth it
If you want an evening of Chinese performance with no language barrier and a comfortable seat, yes. If you would rather eat seriously, spend the same money on a proper Shaanxi restaurant and go to the Muslim Quarter instead. Many visitors do one show and one food street night and are happy with both.
