Liu Laogen Theatre

_We***40

5.0/5

Outstanding

With its renowned reputation, it's a must-see when visiting Shenyang. Here are a few details to share. Without spoiling anything, the Liu Laogen Grand Stage is now labeled a "Green Errenzhuan" (two-person opera) production, which doesn't affect the quality of the performances. However, locals also recommend the Nanfeng Grand Theater, claiming it's more grounded in Errenzhuan (though I didn't go). Liu Laogen is more expensive, as you'll usually see some of the people you see on TV. When it comes to ticket purchases, Liu Laogen's process is somewhat of a hybrid of online and offline, unlike the usual practice. You can buy tickets in advance through the official ticket app, but the offline ticket booth doesn't open until 10 a.m. on the morning of the show to select and collect your seats. This means if you don't select your seat early and wait until showtime to redeem your ticket, you'll only be assigned the last seat in that section. You can also buy tickets offline early, and you can choose your ideal seat, but there's a chance that a large number of people who buy tickets online in advance will sell out early (this situation shouldn't be very likely). Buying tickets through mainstream platforms like Ctrip doesn't require or require offline seat selection; the system automatically assigns tickets, but you still have to go to the ticket window to redeem them. I feel like the seats you're assigned are generally in the middle row, not the closest seats (because I bought my ticket as soon as it became available at 12 a.m., and still ended up in the middle row). As for other details, the theater has a snack and souvenir shop with reasonable prices. You can also scan the QR code at your seat to buy, and a staff member will bring it to your scanned location. If you arrive early, there's a warm-up performance at the theater entrance.