Dengfeng is a bit of a funny place. Sadly it is yet another of those Chinese towns that really doesn’t have much going for it. It is not particularly attractive, the people aren’t particularly hospitable and the food isn’t particularly delicious. However, it has the Shaolin Temple. In addition to being the birthplace of zen it is that place where tens of thousands of kung fu students come to study each year. People figured out that watching 50 10 year old boys attack each other with swords is pretty great entertainment, so the tourist buses started flocking in. Unfortunately the tourists didn’t have much to do. That is until the creation of the Shaolin Zen Music Ritual. An evening performance extrodanaire!
The set is unbeatable…A striking mountain valley. An elaborate pagoda is nestled in the far recess of the mountains; a stream flows under a bridge into a shallow pool. On the right a waterfall tumbles down. Monks are dispersed throughout; bright bursts of orange amid the greenery.
Adding to the impact of the outstanding scenery is the lighting and effects.You’ll never find better lighting than in China. Somehow they just get illumination in a way that the rest of us don’t. Everything was lit up in the most magical way possible (including the artificial moon that rose over the mountains as the show progressed).
Each movement of the performance is based on a different element: water, wood, light, wind, then stone. And the music, oh the music! It is absolutely phenomenal! The composer is Tan Dun. (Yes, the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon guy.) All of the instruments in the ‘pit’ are made from natural materials: bamboo, stone and water. Scene 1 starts out with a group of girls playing bowls of water; slowly scooping, splashing and pouring the water. Add to this the meditative chant of the monks and you find yourself whisked into another world. The music is accompanied with dancing, acting and of course, kung fu. In total more than 600 performers are involved in the daily shows!
For me, the most unique component of this performance was how the performers occupy the entire mountain valley. There is kung fu happening on the balconies of the pagoda in the far distance. Aerialists spinning on wires above your head. Singers calling to each other from platforms dispersed through the valley. Kids splashing through the stream and pond just in front of you. Amazing.
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