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Egg not the only theater worth a crack
While the public focuses on the new "Egg Shell" - the National Center for the Performing Arts at the west of the Tian'anmen Square - another splendid theater in downtown Beijing will open its doors.
The Mei Lanfang Theater, named after the late Opera identity, will be the home of the China National Peking Opera Theater. Master Mei (1894-1961) was the first president of the theater when it was established in January 1955.
Located at the west end of Ping'an Street, the Mei Lanfang Theater covers 20,000 square meters and features three levels with 1,035 seats and five VIP chambers.
To celebrate the opening, the National Peking Opera Theater will give a series of shows featuring stars such as Li Shiji, Geng Qichang, Yu Kuizhi, Zhang Huoding, Lu Huimin and Jiang Qihu.
Buy a pen, put the sword to illiteracy
Millions around the world are unable to read
a book, write their names or do simple mathematical tasks. To support UNICEF's efforts to educate children and reduce illiteracy, Montblanc has launched the campaign The Power to Write.
Montblanc has invited 149 international celebrities, including Chinese big names such as director Feng Xiaogang, dancer Yang Liping, actress Li Bingbing, actor Chen Kun, TV host Yang Lan among others to join the campaign.
Until the end of the year, Montblanc will donate $149 from each sale of its Meisterstck "Power to Write" special edition pen (retail price $615) to UNICEF education programs around the world. The fountain pen is available in select Montblanc stores nationwide.
On the hunt for cheaper
As the demand for books published in foreign languages soars, the country's first discount foreign language bookstore opened last week in Haidian District, Beijing.
Offering over 15,000 books, mostly in English, imported from North America and Europe, the bookstore is run by BooksChina Dotcom in junction with the China International Book Import and Export Corporation.
"Books about management, arts, language learning, literature and education for children are available here at one quarter or even one tenth of the original price," says Huang Ping, manager of the bookstore.
However, most of the discounted books are a few years old, while latest titles such as Harry Potter series are sold at the same price as in other stores across the country.
Hammer time for some big name artworks
A dozen works from Western masters such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Salvador Dali, and Auguste Rodin will go under the hammer at the 2007 Huachen autumn auctions from November 30-Decembre 4 at the Jingguang Center in Beijing.
More than 300 artworks, ranging from oils, watercolors, sculptures, prints, ink paintings, to porcelain and jewelry will also be on offer.
Highlights also include Chinese oil artist Wu Zuoren's signature work Liberation of Nanjing, majestic landscapes by Qing Dynasty ink artist Wang Yuanqi and modern landscape guru Huang Binhong, and vivid portraits of Buddhist figures by modern ink master Qi Baishi, organizers say.
China Daily
(China Daily 11/29/2007 page18)
