Peking Duck Dinner and Show in Beijing - Opera or Acrobatics

Roast duck is the dish that Beijing is best known for, carved at the table into thin slices with crisp skin and wrapped in pancakes with spring onion and sweet bean sauce. This evening experience puts a proper duck dinner together with a performance, either Peking opera or an acrobatic show, in a single organised outing. It is an easy way to cover two of the city's best-known cultural pleasures in one evening without having to book and coordinate them separately. The meal gives you the chance to try the dish done properly by experienced chefs, and the show gives a flavour of performance traditions that have been part of Beijing life for centuries. For first-time visitors with limited time, it is one of the simplest ways to fill an evening, and for families the acrobatic option is especially popular.

How to visit

Book the date you want and choose between the opera and acrobatics options when offered. Confirm the pickup point or meeting place and the timing, since the dinner usually comes first and the show follows. Dinner is typically at a restaurant specialising in roast duck, and special dietary requests should be raised when you book.

What to expect

The duck arrives whole and is carved in front of you, with the crisp skin served first, often dipped in sugar, and then the meat in pancakes. Other dishes are usually served alongside. The show afterwards is about an hour. Peking opera is a stylised art form with elaborate costumes, painted faces, singing and martial movement, and the venue usually provides English subtitles or a summary. The acrobatic show is easier for children, with contortion, balancing and daring stunts.

Making the most of it

Arrive hungry, and leave room for the duck itself. If you choose opera, read a short synopsis beforehand so the plot is easier to follow. The evening works well after a day of sightseeing, since there is little walking. Both options are suitable for couples, groups of friends and families, though very young children may find the opera too long.

Planning notes

Roast duck has a long history in Beijing, and the best restaurants still use ovens fired with fruitwood, which gives the skin its colour and aroma. The classic way to eat it is to take a thin pancake, add a small amount of sauce, a few strips of spring onion or cucumber and a slice of duck with skin, then roll and eat it.

The remaining meat is often served as a second course or turned into soup. Peking opera, which developed in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, uses symbolic movements and colours, so a red face signals loyalty and a white face cunning.

Watching for these cues makes the story easier to follow. If you prefer acrobatics, you will see feats that come from a tradition going back more than two thousand years. Dress comfortably, as the venues are casual. Wear something smart-casual and carry a light jacket, as theatres can be cool, and ask the restaurant to note any food allergies at the time of booking.

Tell the organiser if you are celebrating something, since many restaurants will add a small touch to the table, and keep some time free afterwards for a short walk to settle the meal.