Chengdu

The show we saw came in 3 parts. There was music in the beginning coupled with a kind of opera. Maybe I was getting used to it, or maybe the music had a different character here in Sichuan province, but it sounded less like strangling a cat than some other shows we saw. There were exotic instruments, colorful costumes and it was a genuinely enjoyable part of the show. My Nikon D70 has a burst mode where it will shoot 3 frames per second. Setting it to burst mode helped with the show. Camera movement and subject movement often conspire to blur the resulting image. Catching 9 frames in 3 seconds improves the probability that at least one will be in focus.

The show we saw came in 3 parts. There was music in the beginning coupled with a kind of opera. Maybe I was getting used to it, or maybe the music had a different character here in Sichuan province, but it sounded less like strangling a cat than some other shows we saw. There were exotic instruments, colorful costumes and it was a genuinely enjoyable part of the show. My Nikon D70 has a burst mode where it will shoot 3 frames per second. Setting it to burst mode helped with the show. Camera movement and subject movement often conspire to blur the resulting image. Catching 9 frames in 3 seconds improves the probability that at least one will be in focus.

The show we saw came in 3 parts. There was music in the beginning coupled with a kind of opera. Maybe I was getting used to it, or maybe the music had a different character here in Sichuan province, but it sounded less like strangling a cat than some other shows we saw. There were exotic instruments, colorful costumes and it was a genuinely enjoyable part of the show. My Nikon D70 has a burst mode where it will shoot 3 frames per second. Setting it to burst mode helped with the show. Camera movement and subject movement often conspire to blur the resulting image. Catching 9 frames in 3 seconds improves the probability that at least one will be in focus.

Part 2 of the show was "face changing." In this part, an actor comes out and performs to music wearing a mask. During his show, he switches masks possibly a dozen times. This is artfully done ... in the blink of an eye. When I say in the blink of an eye, it is not hyperbole. It was impossible for me to see the change occur. He would have on a blue mask, and without warning or apparent effort, the mask would be flesh-toned. Then green. An so on. We and our traveling companions watched very very carefully and to this day I do not know how it was done. It was ... magic. Part 3 was a puppet show (not pictured). And during the puppet show, one of the puppets did a face changing act with equal success. The whole show was a delight. I still smile to think about it.

Part 2 of the show was "face changing." In this part, an actor comes out and performs to music wearing a mask. During his show, he switches masks possibly a dozen times. This is artfully done ... in the blink of an eye. When I say in the blink of an eye, it is not hyperbole. It was impossible for me to see the change occur. He would have on a blue mask, and without warning or apparent effort, the mask would be flesh-toned. Then green. An so on. We and our traveling companions watched very very carefully and to this day I do not know how it was done. It was ... magic. Part 3 was a puppet show (not pictured). And during the puppet show, one of the puppets did a face changing act with equal success. The whole show was a delight. I still smile to think about it.

Part 2 of the show was "face changing." In this part, an actor comes out and performs to music wearing a mask. During his show, he switches masks possibly a dozen times. This is artfully done ... in the blink of an eye. When I say in the blink of an eye, it is not hyperbole. It was impossible for me to see the change occur. He would have on a blue mask, and without warning or apparent effort, the mask would be flesh-toned. Then green. An so on. We and our traveling companions watched very very carefully and to this day I do not know how it was done. It was ... magic. Part 3 was a puppet show (not pictured). And during the puppet show, one of the puppets did a face changing act with equal success. The whole show was a delight. I still smile to think about it.

Part 2 of the show was "face changing." In this part, an actor comes out and performs to music wearing a mask. During his show, he switches masks possibly a dozen times. This is artfully done ... in the blink of an eye. When I say in the blink of an eye, it is not hyperbole. It was impossible for me to see the change occur. He would have on a blue mask, and without warning or apparent effort, the mask would be flesh-toned. Then green. An so on. We and our traveling companions watched very very carefully and to this day I do not know how it was done. It was ... magic. Part 3 was a puppet show (not pictured). And during the puppet show, one of the puppets did a face changing act with equal success. The whole show was a delight. I still smile to think about it.

Part 2 of the show was "face changing." In this part, an actor comes out and performs to music wearing a mask. During his show, he switches masks possibly a dozen times. This is artfully done ... in the blink of an eye. When I say in the blink of an eye, it is not hyperbole. It was impossible for me to see the change occur. He would have on a blue mask, and without warning or apparent effort, the mask would be flesh-toned. Then green. An so on. We and our traveling companions watched very very carefully and to this day I do not know how it was done. It was ... magic. Part 3 was a puppet show (not pictured). And during the puppet show, one of the puppets did a face changing act with equal success. The whole show was a delight. I still smile to think about it.

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in the Panda Sanctuary. I was thinking something more like a national park, where we would see pandas in their natural setting and habitat. What we saw was a panda zoo complete with a panda memorial gift shop. Yes, there were pandas. And they were pretty cool. But the setting was a disappointment.