Listings: Beijing

China Daily | Updated: 2008-01-11 07:17

STAGE

Rock singer Wang Feng's solo vocal concert will cover his work as a musical poet. From his early songs, such as Good Night Beijing and Birdies to his recent In Full Bloom of Life, Wang reprises his themes of romance, dedication and idealism.

7:30pm, January 19

Worker's Gymnasium, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District

6501-6655

The National Theater of China stages the drama Red Rose and White Rose. Adapted from Eileen Chang's novel of the same title, the latest version is directed by Tian Qinxin and performed by a cast of young achievers.

7:30, until January 13

Listings: Beijing

Drama Hall of National Center for the Performing Arts, west of Tian'anmen Square

5883-6800

Soprano and folk singer Peng Liyuan has been popular for her songs including My Hometown Yimeng Mountain, Flying Kite and Qomolangma. Her golden voice is representative of a contemporary folk vocalist and she has traveled to more than 50 countries promoting Chinese music around the world.

7:30, until January 12-13

Concert Hall of National Center for the Performing Arts, west of Tian'anmen Square

5883-6800

Adopted from the movie Assembly, this modern drama has more of a comedy flavor. Against the background of war, the show is more upbeat than the original.

7:30pm, until January 18

China Puppet Theater, A1 Anhuali, Chaoyang District

6425-4798, 6424-7085

A French cabaret show entitled Paris Plumes will play at Beijing's Poly Theater from January 17 to 20. Produced by Carlo Clerico, grandson of Joseph Clerico, the founder of the Lido and Moulin Rouge, the show features four fabulous dance numbers and 250 gorgeous feather dresses.

The show is not all about the Lido, but the music and dance tradition of different periods of 20th century in Paris. You can experience numbers featuring different styles from the Lido, the Moulin Rouge, the Paradis Latin, The Alcazar, the Crazy Horse and the Folies Bergeres.

The show is directed by Pierre Rambert, the current artistic director of the Lido and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood to the music composed by Khalil Chahine.

7:30 pm, January 17 to 20

No 14 Dongzhimen Nandajie Street

6506 5343, 6506 5345, 6551 8670, 400 818 3333

The Chinese Acrobatics Group, established in 1950, has toured more than 80 countries, won numerous international awards and made great contributions to friendship between China and other nations. Its performance includes traditional acrobatics, a circus show, magic show, old Beijing folk plays and more. The show blends music, dance, local opera and martial arts into a festival of acrobatic displays.

7:30 pm, daily

Tiandi Theater, Dongsi Shitiao, 100 meters north of Poly Theater, Chaoyang District

6416-9893

Russian singer Vitas brings his magic to the stage in Beijing. Establishing his fame as early as 2000 in Russia for his popular song Opera 2, Vitas has shown a talent for mystery and creative ideas.

7:30pm, January 24

Capital Gymnasium, Baishiqiao Lu, Haidian District

6833-5552

CONCERTS

Founded in the mid 1980s, Dream Theater is said to be one of the most influential avant-garde heavy metal bands in the United States and around the world. From its first album When Dream and Day Unite to favorites such as Images and Words, Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory, the band has made a big impression on the scene.

7:30pm, January 22

Haidian Exhibition Hall, 2 Xinjian Gongmen Lu, Haidian District

6285-0559

Czech musician Bedrich Smetana's symphonic poem My Motherland will be performed by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. The work is an ode to Czech mythology. Chinese violinist Lu Siqing will appear on January 14 with an additional program of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major.

7:30pm, January 14-15

Concert Hall of National Center for the Performing Arts, west of Tian'anmen Square

5883-6800

Cellist Zhu Mu's solo concert includes Beethoven's Variation Vo 46, Britten's Suite Op 72 and Strauss's Sonata for cello and piano in F major Op 6. Accompanied by pianist Huang Yameng, Zhu, who teaches cello at the Central Conservatory Institute, the duo present a melodious combination.

7 pm, January 12

Peking University Concert Hall, Peking University, Haidian District

6275-2279, 6275-9637

Exhibitions

Nine exhibition halls on the first floor of the National Art Museum of China are showing art from the Dunhuang grottoes. The halls have reproduced scenes and art dating from the Wei, Jin and Yuan dynasties. Exhibits include nine color, clay sculptures, unearthed documents from the sutra cave, 13 facsimiles of clay sculptures and 120 replica frescoes.

9am-5pm, January 19 - February 21

National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District

6401-7076.

Paintings by four monk artists of the Qing Dynasty - Hong Ren, Kun Can, Zhu Da and Shi Tao - unveil their approaches to man and nature. Having converted to Buddhism for different reasons they expressed themselves and gained spiritual comfort from painting and calligraphy.

8:30am-5pm, until April 10

East gallery in the Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi Gong), Palace Museum, 4 Jingshan Qianjie, Dongcheng District

8511-7575

Artist born in the late 1970s have their own outlook, different from the cynical realism of the previous generation and at variance with the political pop art and cartoon trends of the 1990s. Li Jikai, for instance, does not concern himself with society and politics, instead, he turns to spiritual experiences. His is an autobiographical approach, based on academic technique, over which he applies graffiti and pure color. He poses questions such as: "Who am I? Where did I come from? and Where will I go?"

9am-4pm, until January 20

Today Art Museum, 32 Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang District

5876-9690

Veteran artist Ouyang Ducai's solo exhibition and academic seminar are scheduled for this weekend. On display are more than 50 of his Chinese landscape paintings, portraits and still-life works, with the largest measuring four meters and the smallest 10 cms.

9 am-5 pm, until January 11

Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy, 1 Liulitun Beili, Chaoyang District

6502-5171

Landscape paintings are done in a realistic style or with an imaginative perspective. Titled Love for Landscape, the show gathers works from a group of artists, displaying a spontaneous, realistic or expressive vision of nature.

10am-5pm, until January 15

The First Sound Gallery, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District

6477-5195

Entitled Free and Weightless, Wu Jun's series of oil paintings represent the environment. Under his brush, nude beauties fly in the air with ease. With just one color scheme dominating each piece, the works have a pure aesthetic value. In his cityscapes his vision of upside-down worlds transmits a dream-like experience.

10:30am-6:30pm, until January 13

Expol-Sources Art Space, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District

6431-4793

Zhu Wei, Zhou Jun and four others present paintings, sculptures and photographs concentrating on the changing environment and its impact on the lives of urban people.

10am-5pm, until February 28

Red Gate Gallery, Dongbianmen Watchtower, Chongwen District

6525-1005

A two-person show by Wang Meng and Feng Yu showcases their recent oil paintings. Wang's works concentrate on the stillness of lakes, boulders on the shores of Taihu Lake, brick walls, cicadas and bamboo brushed by the breeze. Feng's paintings adopt children and cartoon-like images to realize a kind of nave and simplicity.

9:30am-6pm, February 1-29

Qin Gallery, 1-1E Huawei Li, north of Beijing Curio City, Chaoyang District

8779-0461

Over 60 ink paintings, oil works and calligraphy scrolls by some of China's most famous contemporary artists are exhibited at the Art Museum of the Beijing Painting Academy. This is a charity show, where all the revenues will be donated to the Beijing Legal Aid Foundation, according to Wu Hongliang, director of the museum.

9 am -5 pm, until January 11

Art Museum of the Beijing Painting Academy, No. 1, Liulitun Beili, Chaoyang District, Beijing

6502-5171