Macau, a mini-nation in the Pearl River Delta, a former Portuguese colony returned to China in 1999, is renowned as one of the largest and most exciting gambling and entertainment centers in East Asia. In fact, currently, the number of hotels that double as casinos is said to have a larger capacity than the world’s gambling capital, Las Vegas.
However, to attract more tourists, Macau offers more than just gambling. Various forms of world-class performances are also regularly staged at the numerous hotel and casino complexes that have sprung up throughout the region like mushrooms in the rainy season. In short, there’s no night in Macau without an exciting show.
One recently opened hotel-casino complex is the “City of Dreams,” located on Taipa Island, not far from the already famous complex modeled after the Italian city of Venetian Macau. The City of Dreams boasts three hotels with thousands of rooms.
The main purpose of this visit to the City of Dreams is certainly not to try your luck in the casino, but rather to witness one of the most popular shows in Macau. The “Dancing Water Theatre” is the name of this circular, circus-like performance venue. At first glance, its shape is indeed a transformation of a circus stage, with a touch of technology and sophisticated sound and lighting.
The show begins with performers boarding boats to the center of the stage, which can function as a swimming pool, a lake, or even a dance stage. Furthermore, dozens of dancers appearing on stage can transform into various animals, presenting a captivating love story that transports the audience beyond the boundaries of time and space.
The lake-like stage itself reportedly contains over 3 million gallons of water, equivalent to five Olympic-sized swimming pools. And atop this shape-shifting pool, we witness a circus show complete with comedians, motorcycle stunts, acrobatics, dance, ballet, drama, and even freefalls accompanied by graceful water dances. Of course, minus the real animals!
The show, which lasts approximately 90 minutes, feels incredibly short. This series of performances, presented in sequence, is truly impressive and always breathtaking, making it no exaggeration to call this show “Macau’s must-see spectacular.”
If you hear that a friend of ours is visiting Macau, don’t assume they’re visiting the casinos. Who knows, they might want to experience dancing with the water circus at “The House of Dancing Water.”
