My dreamlike visit to fabled Guilin

By Behn Cervantes
Inquirer

I FIRST visited China in 1971, when Chairman Mao was very much in power. I went back in 1984, then in 1987.

I had long heard about magical Guilin and asked if we could visit it. Alas, it was not on the itinerary! So, it remained a dream.

Inspiration

This year, I finally visited fabled Guilin–the inspiration for countless Chinese paintings, poems and songs. Yes, the visit was a dream fulfilled:

After viewing the city’s sights, we took a four-hour river tour that allowed us to admire some of the place’s starkly dramatic and beautiful mountain peaks. –An unforgettable experience!

Ambassador Jes Yabes, my Shanghai host, urged Guandong’s Consul General Alex Chua to tell Tony Lin, our guide, to secure tickets to the much-publicized “Dreamlike Lijang–a Legend Portraying Guilin’s Scenery.”

That night, Tony brought us to a huge hall, where thousands of domestic and foreign tourists lined up to watch the show.

As expected, the lights were a show in themselves. Performers executed numbers that combined dance and acrobatics. However, it was obvious that the creative director-choreographer had raised acrobatics and gymnastics to a higher and more artistic level.

Body suppleness was combined with precision, daring, and ballet movements that were awe-inspiring. Some stunts also took our breath away, and were rewarded by the audience’s wild applause.

The ensemble displayed incredible skill and artistry. The agile and energetic performers took constant risks–any miscalculation would have resulted in frightful accidents!

However, because of the cast’s discipline, training and precision, everything went well. Still, no matter how much you enjoyed the show, you were relieved when it was over!

Observations

Naturally, Jes, Alex, Tony and I exchanged observations–we were all highly elated by a show that was visually and aurally exciting! I thanked Jes for insisting we see it. Since the house was filled to the rafters, it took time for us to reach the lobby. The cast was there to greet the audience!

“They’re so young!,” I exclaimed. Indeed, the wonderful, agile, daring and artistic cast of this Guilin spectacle was mostly made up of teenagers–and a kid who was no more than 8 years old! “Naturally,” explained a more pragmatic Jes, “who else would be so nimble, lithe and flexible?”

I will forever remember this talented set of young dancer-acrobats and gymnasts with awe and deep admiration. They made my Guilin visit even more memorable!

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