Beijing is a great city to visit – there are so many new and interesting things to see, do and eat here.  I highly recommend watching at least one show or performance in Beijing – you will more likely than not return with many cool stories, videos or pictures for your jealous friends and relatives back home : ) Listed below are what I believe are some of the best shows and performances in Beijing for tourists and visitors:

Afunti Dinner Show
Enjoy a Xinjiang-style dinner (lamb kebabs and beer!) and an excellent show with plenty of kungfu, belly dancing, acrobatics, lucky draws and audience-participation games.

Da Zhai Men Dinner Show
Walking into this restaurant is akin to taking a time machine back to the Qing dynasty. You will be presented with great Chinese food and a variety of performances such as: Wu-Shu, Acrobatics, Kung-Fu and Chinese Opera.

National Theatre for the Performing Arts (The Egg)
Come watch a Chinese opera, ballet, play or international orchestra in the most impressive opera house in the world: a beautiful egg shaped titanium and steel structure nestled on a shimmering sheet of water.

Massage
While not strictly a “show” or “performance”, a massage also allows you to sit back, relax and enjoy! I consider getting a massage one of the must-dos for Beijing visitors – it’s certainly one of the most relaxing and pampering experiences a person can have.

Pyongyang Hai Tang Hua North Korean Restaurant
If you have a large group (6 or more people), reserve a private dining room at the Pyongyang Hai Tang Hua North Korean restaurant to try some great North Korean style barbequed meat, seafood, wine and dog soup(!). Halfway through dinner you will be presented with a very well done performance of traditional Korean dance, girls in frilly retro costumes playing various musical instruments, karaoke, etc. The friendly restaurant staff are all from North Korea.