What's on

The sail of old ceramics

The National Museum of China is offering a brief review of China's maritime trade in ceramics. Titled A Sail Over Miles, the ongoing exhibition navigates the large scale manufacturing, export and trade routes for such ceramic products, from the days of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). A display of nearly 300 antique objects from the museum's collection shows ceramics of different types from a variety of kilns that were mostly ordered by foreign countries. Some of the objects on show were excavated from the wrecks of sunken cargo ships, such as Nanhai No 1, a Chinese merchant carrier dating back more than 800 years.

9 am-5 pm, through Dec 4. Closed on Mondays. 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng district, Beijing.010-6511-6400.

A revolutionary dance

An original dance drama, Jinggang, Jinggang, will be staged at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Inspired by the Jinggang Mountains in Jiangxi province, where Mao Zedong established a rural revolutionary base in 1927, the dance drama is produced and performed by students and teachers of Beijing Dance Academy. Premiered in 2017, it has been staged over 30 times across the country.

7:30 pm, Oct 19. No 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing.010-6655-0000.

A picture of harmony

Portraits, as one of the oldest forms of art in the world, continue to entice audiences today, as they provide clues to the depth of cultural and social transformations over centuries. Harmony of Figures and Spirits, an ongoing exhibition at the National Museum of China, showcases dozens of colored ink portraits from its collection of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasty art. It focuses on the spiritual approach of ancient Chinese artists. They were scholarly. They carried forward a tradition of art, consisting of refined techniques, a temperament of simplicity and elegance alongside a sense of humanity. The exhibition also reflects the distinctive aspect of classical Chinese portraits, which is to reinforce the philosophy of tian ren he yi－achieving harmony between people and nature through various activities－through which the literati class attempted to elevate themselves to a higher level of self-improvement.

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

An act of reform

The play, Beijing Fayuan Temple, will be staged at the National Center for the Performing Arts with a star-studded cast of actors and actresses, including Xi Meijuan, Zhou Jie and Jia Yiping in the lead roles. Directed by Tian Qinxin, the play is adapted from writer Li Ao's first novel. It tells a story set against the backdrop of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and centers on reformist scholars, such as Kang Youwei and Tan Sitong, who played a significant role in the Hundred Days' Reform in 1898.

7:30 pm, Oct 22 to 25. No 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6655-0000