What's on

Coastal beauty

Handicrafts present a region's history, folk customs and cultural identity, evoking a collective nostalgia among audiences. Over 200 craft items from Fujian province are on display at the National Museum of China throughout October. The works on show include puppets, ceramics, paper cuttings and embroidery that reflect many aspects of Fujian people's traditional lifestyles as shaped by their coastal home. The exhibition especially focuses on the sophistication of wood and bamboo sculptures, lacquer art, Shoushan stone carving and Dehua porcelain－known to Western collectors by its French name, "blanc de chine"－which continue to play an important role in beautifying people's homes and minds.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. Reservation needed. 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6511-6400.

Pieces on strings

One of the world's finest classical guitarists, Yang Xuefei, will give a recital featuring music from her latest album, Sketches of China, which was released on Aug 7. Completely inspired by Chinese music, the new album includes solo pieces, chamber music with other Chinese instrumentalists, and pieces for guitar and orchestra. During the recital, Yang will play Silver Clouds Chasing the Moon and A Moonlit Night on the Spring River from the new album, as well as flamenco guitarist Paco Pena's piece, Colombian, and Spanish musician Francisco Tarrega's Gran Jota de concierto.

7:30 pm, Sept 13. Concert Hall of the National Center for the Performing Arts. No 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing.010-6655-0000.

Bohemian rhapsody

A concert version of Italian composer Giacomo Puccini's four-act opera, La Boheme, will be staged on Sept 11 and 12 by the NCPA Orchestra under the baton of conductor Lyu Jia, who is the chief conductor and artistic director of opera at the National Center for the Performing Arts. Featuring soprano Zhou Xiaolin and tenor Wang Chong in the major roles, the concert version of the opera will also be accompanied by the NCPA Chorus. The opera, which debuted in Turin, Italy, in 1896, is based on a collection of related stories by Henri Murger published in 1851, which depicts the lives of bohemian youths living in Paris and focuses on their relationships and lovers.

7:30 pm, Sept 11 and 12. Concert Hall of the National Center for the Performing Arts. No 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6655-0000.

A lyrical view

Late writer, essayist and dramatist Wang Zengqi once said: "My paintings, they are like a cloud over a hill."Wang is often hailed as a "lyrical humanist" who inherited the spirit of Chinese scholar-artists, being well-cultivated in literature, calligraphy and ink paintings. His works are exuberant with delight, wit and serenity. Clouds over the Hill, an exhibition now on at Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou, commemorates the centennial of Wang's birth through the display of nearly 100 paintings and calligraphic works from Wang's oeuvre. Visitors to the exhibition are offered an insight into Wang's world of culture, his understanding of the intimate relationship between Chinese literature and fine arts and his philosophical outlook on life.

9 am-5 pm, through Sept 25. Closed on Mondays. Online reservation needed. 138 Nanshan Lu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. 0571-8707-8700.