What's on

A flow of art

Duration, a permanent exhibition now on at Beijing Minsheng Art Museum, charts the evolution of Chinese contemporary art spanning more than four decades. On show are paintings, sculptures, installations, videos and animations by 91 artists. They not only form a panoramic picture tracing the rise of Chinese artists' avant-garde endeavors, but also showing the status quo of the contemporary art scene and providing clues to the future. It celebrates the vigor of Chinese art in the second half of the 20th century, which curators compare to a running river, and the creativity of artists, critics and cultural institutes contribute to its renewal over time.

10 am-5 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Universal Creative Park, 9 Jiuxianqiao Bei Lu, Beijing.

On their toes

The National Ballet of China will stage a gala with a program including excerpts from Eugene Onegin with music composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Don Quixote, composed by Ludwig Minkus; and romantic ballet La Sylphide. Chinese ballet works will also be presented, such as The Nine-Colored Deer and an excerpt from the Chinese version of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Feng Ying and Wang Yuanyuan.

7:30 pm, Nov 4. National Center for the Performing Arts. No 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6655-0000.

New-wave opera

The one-man Peking Opera show, The Old Man and the Sea, which is based on Ernest Hemingway's novel of the same name, will be staged in Beijing as part of the ongoing Xiqu Opera Black Box Festival. Directed and adapted by Ma Xiao, the Peking Opera show features actor Liu Dake from the China National Peking Opera Company. It follows an aging fisherman who engages in an epic battle to catch a giant fish. While keeping the traditional essence of the ancient art form, the show also combines contemporary elements such as music and stage design.

7:30 pm, Nov 6 and 7. Star Theater. No 64, Chaoshou Hutong, Xuanwumennei Dajie, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6603-5486.

Artistic expedition

Last year, the Central Academy of Fine Arts arranged for seven young teachers, all up-and-coming artists in their own right, to embark on a trip to several cities in Japan, with the hope of broadening their vision of the global art scene and examining cultural differences in the face of globalization. Hello, Future! Where Are We? is an exhibition showing the artists' work that was inspired by the trip, drawing on their individual observations of the two countries when addressing similar issues, such as urbanization, sustainable development and pop culture. The exhibition, planned by Qin Jianping and curated by Cai Meng, is being held at Beijing's Field Art Center. It includes paintings, sculptures, installations and videos which discuss the changes in the two countries brought about by mutual economic and cultural exchanges, animation culture popular among young people and modernization.

10 am-6 pm, Tuesday to Sunday, through Nov 9. Third floor, 1 Sanlitun Bei Xiaojie, Chaoyang district, Beijing.