The Concubine Empress

Tonight we saw a most spectacular dinner and ballet. At the Shanxi Tourism Group’s magnificent dinner theater we enjoyed delicacies including prawns, spiced beef and rice wine from the first nation to have its own cuisine. The choreography, live orchestral music and opulent costumes dazzled our senses. The Xi An Tang Dynasty Company presented in music and dance a visually stunning performance of the story of Empress Wu Ze Tian, based on historical events. At the age of fourteen in the year 637 Mei Nyang moves to the imperial palace to become one of several hundred imperial concubines. She attracts the attention of Tang Emperor Tai Zong, and her life is changed forever. She commits an infraction resulting in her imprisonment, but later during a battle, she is injured while attempting to save the wounded emperor’s life. Through her wisdom and diplomacy she wins the king’s heart to become his favorite wife and chief counselor. Emperor Tai Zong dies in 690 AD, and at the age of 57 Mei Nyang becomes China’s first woman emperor and assumes the royal name Wu Ze Tian (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Zetian.) Throughout her wise reign China enjoyed a period of unprecedented prosperity. What a wonderful way to spend our last night in China’s ancient capital!Read more