I haven't seen the exhibits at Splendid China, but I went to the Mysterious Kingdom of the Orient show there a few years ago. Here is a write-up...
People have been reporting that Splendid China is becoming run-down and messy in the exhibit area. I have not visited the exhibits in a while, but I did not see any examples of this at the Mysterious Kingdom of the Orient show. Held nightly at 6:00 (except for Mondays), this is an excellent show to watch if you dealt with the long lines at the theme parks all day.
The show takes place in the Golden Peacock Theater, which was hot and stuffy when I visited. The theater was also half-full. However, these things did not take away from the quality of the performance. The show is a mix of various Chinese performers, which change from time to time. The dragon dance and martial arts demonstrations can be seen. An archer with a heavy bow and arrow shoots at targets from around the stage. A pair playing Chinese instruments ended their set of traditional Chinese music with a rendition of O Suzanna.
Some of the performances show how many people can be piled on top of each other and still do their trick. For example, one group set one man as the base, placed a young girl on top of him, and another young girl was on top upside-down and shooting arrows with a bow held by her feet. Another performer tossed around large Frisbee-looking objects made from sticks. The performers are quite entertaining and many people oohed and aahhed.
A one-day ticket to Splendid China includes admission to the performance. You can also buy a separate ticket to the Mysterious Kingdom of the Orient show. The ticket price includes a free dinner after the show at the Seven Flavors Restaurant. There is a senior discount, but you do not get the free dinner with any discounted admission. The dinner may be an incentive for people to see the show, but I found the food pretty vile!
For more information on Splendid China or the Mysterious Kingdom of the Orient show, please visit
www.floridasplendidchina.com.
