Impression Sanjie Liu

Impression Sanjie Liu was the first of director Zhang Yimou's outdoor spectaculars, and many still consider it the best: a stage built into the Li River itself, karst mountains lit as the backdrop, and hundreds of performers moving in patterns that turn the water into silk.

The show retells the legend of Sanjie Liu, the Zhuang people's singing heroine, through music, light, and mass choreography - no translation needed. It has run nightly for two decades and still sells out; book in advance, dress for riverside evening air, and prepare for the finale, which regularly draws standing ovations.