Chinese Acrobatic Shows: Shanghai ERA, Beijing Theatres and Chimelong Circus

For one evening of Chinese acrobatics, the three safest picks are ERA 2 – Spirit of Shanghai at Shanghai Circus World, the daily resident acrobatics shows at Beijing's Chaoyang Theatre and Red Theatre, and the Chimelong International Circus in Guangzhou. ERA is the most polished theatre show, Beijing's two theatres are the easiest to fit into a sightseeing day because they play in the afternoon and early evening, and Chimelong is a big international circus in a purpose-built arena. None of them needs Chinese. You can book all three with a passport: ERA needs no ID, Chimelong checks your passport at the gate, and for Beijing you follow what the booking form asks. Below you will find show times, official prices, the ticket rules that catch visitors out, what to know before bringing children, and which metro station to use.

Which show to see: the quick answer

Pick by city first. Most visitors see whichever show is in the city they are already in, and that is the right call: all three are good, and none is worth a special trip on its own. If you are in Shanghai and Beijing on the same trip and can only fit one show, ERA in Shanghai is the one we would choose. It is a full theatre production with a long track record. The Beijing shows are shorter and simpler, but they fit neatly between an afternoon of sightseeing and dinner.

A quick word on the three kinds of show. Acrobatics (杂技, zájì) is human skill on a stage: balancing, juggling, contortion, leaps and stacks of performers. A kung fu show is a staged martial-arts performance with a story, closer to dance theatre. A circus (马戏, mǎxì) in China usually adds animal acts and very large set pieces, and Chimelong is the best-known example. The shows in this guide are acrobatics, apart from Chimelong.

Shanghai: ERA 2 at Shanghai Circus World

ERA is Shanghai's long-running acrobatics show and the one most international visitors see. The first version premiered at Shanghai Circus World in 2005, and the series has passed 6,400 performances, with more than seven in ten of its audience coming from overseas. The current production, ERA 2 – Spirit of Shanghai (时空之旅2, Shíkōng zhī Lǚ 2), has run since July 2021 and was created with France's Cirque Phénix. The performers come from the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe, whose head also runs the company behind the show.

Times, length and price

ERA 2 runs in two versions: a 60-minute show with no interval and a 100-minute show that includes a 10-minute interval. Performances are usually in the evening, and the booking page shows the start time and which version is playing for each date, so check it before you choose a day. If you have the choice, the longer version gives you more acts for a similar evening out; the shorter one suits jet-lagged travellers and young children.

Tickets for the November–December 2026 run are listed at 339–880 yuan on the official booking mini-program. The price depends on the seat area. Acrobatics uses the whole height of the stage, so a mid-priced seat a little further back often gives a better view than the front rows.

Ticket rules that matter

• No refunds or changes. Once you buy, the ticket is yours for that date. Book after your plans are fixed.
• No ID needed. ERA tickets are not real-name, so you do not need to enter or show a passport.
• QR e-ticket. You scan the QR code on your phone at the door. Take a screenshot in case the signal is weak.
• Receipts. If you need an invoice for expenses, you request an electronic invoice (发票, fāpiào) in the ticketing mini-program after the show, and it arrives by email within 3 working days.
• Wheelchairs. The wheelchair route cannot be used once the show has started, so wheelchair users should arrive early.

Shanghai Circus World is at 2266 Gonghexin Road in Jing'an District, north of the city centre. Metro Line 1 has a station named Shanghai Circus World; check the exit printed on your ticket or in the metro app before you set off. The venue table and metro tips are further down this page.

Other acrobatics in Shanghai

Shanghai Circus World has also run a cheaper family show by the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe alongside ERA, which in early 2024 was priced at no more than 200 yuan; check the venue's current listing to see what is playing. For the rest of your time in the city, see our Shanghai travel guide.

Beijing: Chaoyang Theatre and the Red Theatre

Beijing has two theatres that run a resident acrobatics show every day: Chaoyang Theatre (朝阳剧场, Cháoyáng Jùchǎng) and the Red Theatre (红剧场, Hóng Jùchǎng). Acrobatics is one of the show types the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism promotes to hotels and travel agencies as part of the city's resident-show programme. The show and the troupe at each theatre change from time to time, so the name on your ticket may differ from what an older guide or review says. The bureau publishes every week's programme in its weekly Beijing performance listing (in Chinese; a browser translation is enough to read the theatre names and times). Check it for the week you are in town.

If you are looking for The Legend of Kung Fu, the martial-arts show many guides link to the Red Theatre: it is no longer the Red Theatre's show: the bureau's weekly listings for November 2026 show acrobatics there every day. For kung fu, the better options are the demonstrations at Shaolin Temple and the classes and shows in our guide to kung fu experiences in China.

Chaoyang Theatre

Chaoyang Theatre runs acrobatics every day, with two afternoon shows, at 16:00 and 17:30 in the bureau's listings for November 2026; the bureau notes that times can change, so confirm in the current week's listing. The two slots are 90 minutes apart, so a show here takes less than an evening. The 17:30 show leaves time for dinner afterwards.

The address and start time are on your ticket, and the week's programme is on the Beijing Culture and Tourism Bureau listing. Buy from a ticket platform you trust: many websites that look like the theatre's own site are resellers, and their prices and phone numbers do not match each other. In a taxi or map app, searching the Chinese name 朝阳剧场 finds the theatre.

The Red Theatre

The Red Theatre runs acrobatics every afternoon. In November 2026 there were three shows on weekdays, at 14:30, 16:10 and 17:40; weekends followed a different schedule, with two or three shows and the first at 15:50, so check the listing for your date. The theatre is at 44 Xingfu Street (幸福大街, Xìngfú Dàjiē) in Dongcheng District, on the east side of the Tiantan Hotel.

The Red Theatre is close to the Temple of Heaven, which makes an easy half-day plan. In winter (1 November to 31 March) the temple's halls are open 8:00–17:00 with last entry at 16:30, while the park itself stays open until 22:00; the halls close on Mondays except public holidays, though the park stays open. Visit the temple after lunch, leave by the East Gate, and walk over for one of the later afternoon shows. Our Temple of Heaven guide covers tickets and the route through the park, and the Beijing travel guide helps you place the show in a longer stay.

Guangzhou: Chimelong International Circus

Chimelong International Circus (长隆国际大马戏, Chánglóng Guójì Dà Mǎxì) is a different kind of night out. It is a full circus in a large arena inside the Chimelong resort in southern Guangzhou, not a theatre show. The long-running production, Amazing Circus III, has more than 300 performers from over 20 countries. Expect large set pieces and animal acts as well as acrobatics.

Show times

The regular start is 19:30, with gates opening at 17:00. On some dates there are two shows, at 16:30 and 19:30; Chimelong publishes the two-show dates month by month on its official site, so check the date you want. On holidays and busy dates Chimelong asks visitors to arrive at least 45 minutes early.

Prices and seats

Chimelong has used two price levels since May 2024, regular dates and peak dates; peak means most weekends, school holidays and public holidays. The published list prices are:

• Regular dates: standard seat 350 yuan, first-class seat 430 yuan, first-class interactive seat 530 yuan, VIP seat 550 yuan.
• Peak dates: standard seat 450 yuan, first-class seat 610 yuan, first-class interactive seat 710 yuan, VIP seat 730 yuan.
• Premium seats cost more and are sold only at the box office.

The official site often shows online prices below these list prices, and it also lists youth tickets and child or concession tickets, though the child price is not shown online. Standard seats are not numbered: you sit wherever is free, first come, first served. First-class and VIP seats are numbered, and you get your seat number through a link before you enter. If you buy standard seats, arrive early to get a good spot.

ID, refunds and the rules at the door

At Chimelong your passport matters. Entry is real-name: you show the original ID you booked with, and passports are accepted. Children are booked under an accompanying adult's ID and enter with that adult. Tickets cannot be refunded or transferred and are valid only for the show you booked.

Buy through Chimelong's own channels: the official website, the Chimelong Tourism app, its WeChat account or mini-program. For questions, the hotline is 400-883-0083, with staff answering 9:00–18:00. The Chimelong International Circus page lists the month's show times and current prices.

The resort is a long way from central Guangzhou, so many visitors pair the circus with a day at the Chimelong parks and stay nearby. If that is your plan, compare hotels around Hanxi Changlong station on Trip.com. For the rest of the city, see our Guangzhou and Shenzhen travel guide.

Other cities: Chongqing, Wuqiao and Shaolin

Chongqing International Circus City has hosted a resident acrobatics show by the Chongqing Acrobatic Art Troupe since 2019, sold through the venue's WeChat account and the usual ticket apps; check the current programme and times there before you go. See the Chongqing travel guide for the rest of the city. Wuqiao County in Hebei is the traditional home of Chinese acrobatics, and its Wuqiao Acrobatics World theme park has been open since 1993, with folk acrobatics and magic shows. It is a specialist trip rather than an easy evening. At Shaolin Temple, the kung fu demonstration is included in the scenic area's ticket and runs several times a day, from morning to mid-afternoon; check the notice on site; our Shaolin Temple guide has the times and how to get there.

Buying tickets with a passport: real-name rules, platforms and refunds

Buying a show ticket in China is easier than many visitors expect. The rules differ by venue, and that causes most of the confusion.

When you need ID

China's real-name ticket rule applies to large commercial shows with 5,000 or more spectators: one ID buys one ticket, and the buyer's name must match the person entering. That covers stadium concerts. An acrobatics theatre is far smaller, so its tickets are usually not tied to a name. ERA states that no ID is needed. Chimelong is the exception: it uses real-name entry by its own rules and accepts passports. When a booking form asks for ID, enter your passport number exactly as printed and carry that passport to the show.

Where to buy

• The venue's own channel first. ERA sells through Shanghai Circus World's official ticketing page in WeChat. Chimelong sells through its website, app and WeChat. These show the real price and the real rules.
• Damai (大麦, Dàmài) is one of China's biggest ticket apps and often lists the Beijing theatres. Unless the event page says "real-name", a Damai ticket is a bearer ticket: whoever holds it gets in, and a lost ticket is not replaced. Maoyan (猫眼, Māoyǎn) is the other big Chinese app; check its refund terms on the event page in the same way.
• English-language platforms are the simplest if you do not want to set up a Chinese app. Platforms such as Klook sell tickets for well-known shows in English and take foreign cards directly. Before you pay, compare the date, seat area and refund terms with the venue's own page.

Be careful with search results for the Beijing theatres. Many sites that look official, with the theatre's name in the web address, are discount resellers. They are not illegal, but their prices and show names are often out of date. The Beijing bureau's weekly listing is the reliable place to check what is on.

Refunds

Assume your ticket cannot be refunded. ERA does not allow refunds or changes, and neither does Chimelong. On Damai, each event page carries a label. "No refund" means exactly that. "Worry-free refund" lets you cancel the whole order before use. "Conditional refund" charges a fee and closes 3 days before the show. For large shows over the 5,000-spectator line, organisers must publish a refund scale and their authorised ticket agents, but that rule does not cover theatre acrobatics.

Paying with a foreign card

Chinese ticket apps take Alipay (支付宝, Zhīfùbǎo) or WeChat Pay (微信支付, Wēixìn Zhīfù), and both let you link a foreign card. WeChat Pay accepts a passport for sign-up and does not need a Chinese phone number. On WeChat Pay, foreign-card payments up to 200 yuan carry no fee and larger ones carry a 3% fee, and the payment screen confirms any fee before you pay. A pair of ERA or Chimelong tickets will usually be above that line. Spending limits for verified foreign users go up to 5,000 US dollars per payment, which is more than enough for show tickets. Set this up before your trip with our guides to using Alipay with a foreign card and using WeChat Pay with a foreign card; foreign visitors can also pay by bank card, cash or digital yuan in many places, and understanding Chinese payment systems explains how they fit together.

Scalpers and fake tickets

Skip anyone selling tickets outside the theatre. Under the revised Public Security Administration Punishments Law, in force since 1 January 2026, selling forged tickets or reselling show tickets for profit can mean 10 to 15 days' detention and a fine of up to 5,000 yuan. The bigger risk for you is simpler: a fake or already-used QR code will not scan, and you lose the evening. Chimelong warns about fake tickets and asks visitors to buy only from its listed outlets.

The legal basis for the real-name and refund rules is the 2023 notice from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Public Security, published on the Chinese government's policy library.

Taking children to a show

Acrobatics works well for most children from about school age. There is no language to follow, the acts are short, and something new happens every few minutes. The music is loud and some acts happen high above the stage, which can scare very young children. For toddlers, the rules below mostly point to "not yet".

• Every child needs a ticket. At ERA it is one ticket per person, children pay the full price, and infants are not recommended. Chimelong also has no free tickets for children: everyone needs a seat and a ticket.
• Toddlers at Chimelong. Children under 3 or under 1.0 m are not recommended; if you bring one anyway, you must buy a child ticket and keep the child with you. Anyone under 16 must be with someone aged 16 or older.
• Beijing theatres booked on Damai. Damai's general rule for theatre shows is that children under 1.2 m are not admitted unless it is a children's show, and taller children need their own ticket; the event page's own rule takes priority, so check it before you book.
• Strollers. Chimelong does not allow strollers or child safety leashes inside the arena; wheelchairs are allowed. There is a nursing room opposite Door 5.
• Photos and video. Chimelong bans flash and filming without permission. Damai's general rule bans photos, video and audio recording without permission. Follow staff instructions; flash can distract performers working at height.
• Arrive early. At Chimelong, standard seats go to whoever arrives first.

For a family, Chimelong's 19:30 show starts late for small children, so the 16:30 show, on the dates that have one, is the easier option. In Beijing, the afternoon slots work well before an early dinner. Our guide to traveling with kids in China covers child fares and the rest of the trip.

Getting there: venues and metro

All three cities' metros are the easiest way to reach the shows, and in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou you can tap a contactless foreign bank card at the gate without buying a ticket. The table below gives addresses and nearest stations. For Chaoyang Theatre, use the address printed on your ticket, or search 朝阳剧场 in your map app.

• Shanghai Circus World: take Line 1 to Shanghai Circus World station; check the exit in the metro app or on your ticket. Shanghai fares start at 3 yuan for the first 6 km. Route it in our Shanghai metro planner.
• Red Theatre, Beijing: Tiantandongmen station on Line 5, beside the Temple of Heaven East Gate, is the nearest metro stop; follow your map app to Xingfu Street. Buses 6, 8, 34, 35, 36, 41, 60 and 116 stop at Beijing Gymnasium nearby. Beijing fares start at 3 yuan, and children up to 1.3 m ride free with an adult. Plan it in the Beijing metro planner.
• Chimelong, Guangzhou: take Line 3 or Line 7 to Hanxi Changlong, leave by Exit E, and walk about 5 minutes to the free Chimelong shuttle bus stop, then take the shuttle to the circus. From Guangzhou South railway station it is about 10 minutes on Line 7. Guangzhou Metro accepts contactless foreign cards at gates marked with the card logos, and children up to 1.3 m ride free. See the Guangzhou metro planner.

The short version

In Shanghai, book ERA 2 at Shanghai Circus World: no ID is needed and there are no refunds. In Beijing, pick Chaoyang Theatre or the Red Theatre for an afternoon or early-evening show, and check the city's weekly listing for the current programme and times. In Guangzhou, Chimelong International Circus is the big one; bring the passport you booked with. Every child needs a ticket, and the metro takes you close to every venue. Book through the venue's official channel or a trusted platform, and set up a payment app before you arrive.

Last updated: November 2026