What did Obama see at the National Gala Reception in Beijing?

On November 17th, the Chinese President Hu Jintao host a national gala reception to receive the visiting President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Of course, there is almost no mention of the reception in the news here.

Fine. Go ahead with your censorship, media nazi. I will give a rough description then.

Disclaimer: The list of stage performance and the pictures of the Great Hall of the People, as well as the general description of the event on November 17th evening came from various Chinese news websites.

Here is the event detail:

Location: Cocktail receiption at Macau Hall of the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China; Dinner banquet at “Golden Hall” (also known as the State Banquet Hall of the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China.

Time: 6:30 PM, November 17th

The newly renovated State Banquet Hall looks great.

The list of entertainments:

(1) America the Beautiful, played by PLA Marching Band.

America the Beautiful
Words by Katharine Lee Bates, Melody by Samuel Ward
 
O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties/Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee/And crown thy good with brotherhood/From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet/Whose stern impassioned stress/A thoroughfare of freedom beat/Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved/In liberating strife/Who more than self their country loved/And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine/Till all success be nobleness/And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream/That sees beyond the years/Thine alabaster cities gleam/Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee/And crown thy good with brotherhood/From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties/Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee/Till souls wax fair as earth and air/And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet, Whose stem impassioned stress/A thoroughfare for freedom beat/Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee/Till paths be wrought through/wilds of thought/By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale/Of liberating strife/When once and twice, for man’s avail/Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee/Till selfish gain no longer stain/The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream/That sees beyond the years/Thine alabaster cities gleam/Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee/Till nobler men keep once again/Thy whiter jubilee!

This is also the song played when President Nixon visited China the first time.

(2) We are the World (by Michael Jackson).

At 7:30 PM, the stage performance took place.

(3) Guzheng Solo: Moonlit River in Spring

A melody based on a famous poem from the Tang Dynasty. The YouTube video shows below features a Pipa and a Guzheng artists.

(4) Beijing Opera: Consort Yang Intoxicated

A famous act of Consort Yang of the Tang Dynastry, one of the four beauties in ancient China. The act describes (according to wikipedia) “the concubine in the one act play The Favorite Concubine Becomes Intoxicated begins in a state of joy, and then moves to anger and jealousy, drunken playfulness, and finally to a feeling of defeat and resignation”.

The piece of art is perfected by Mei Lanfang, which is shown in the youtube video below.

(5) Mongolian folk song: Swan Geese (鸿雁)

A traditional Mongolian folk song, originally popularized by the famous Chinese Mongolian singer 腾格尔.

(6) Tibaten folk dance: On the Grass Over There (在那草地上)

(7) Ugur Folk Dance: A Cup of Wine (一杯美酒)

(8) Dai Folk Dance: Spirit of Peacock (雀之灵)

This is my all-time favoriate! Performed by the famous Chinese dancer Yang Liping (杨丽萍). There are a couple of versions of her dance at YouTube. The link below has the best camera work.

(9) Dionne Warwick’s Song: That is What Friends are For

Performed by the Chinese pop duet Yu Quan (羽泉). Later President Obama told one of the duet: “I like your voice!”

(10) Song: You and Me (The 2008 Beijing Olympic Theme Song)

Now you probably understand the meaning behind this list of entertainments for the President.