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Happy days for Wu

Beijing-based alternative band Happy Avenue (Xingfu Dajie) has released its second album Rouge (Yanzhi) on Starsing Records. A 10-track album, the booklet with the CD features a short biography written by lead singer Wu Hongfei.

Wu, a member of the Dong ethnic minority, is a Tsinghua University graduate, and also works as a journalist and writer. She founded Happy Avenue in 1999. Joined by singer Yanzi, Rouge presents a more folksy side of the band compared to their first album three years ago.

On March 29, Happy Avenue will perform at the CD launch to be held at Beijing's Star Live.

Cultural masters recognized

The Ministry of Culture and the China Academy of Arts has announced the second list of the masters of oral and intangible heritages on Thursday in Beijing. The list includes 551 masters of folk music, dance, traditional opera and story-telling who all received certificates at the Great Hall of the People.

Among them are 66-year-old Kunqu opera artist Cai Zhengren, Peking opera actresses Li Shiji, 74, and Du Jinfang, 75, Perking opera actor Tan Yuanshou, 78, and Mei Baojiu, 73, who is the son of the master Mei Lanfang (1894-1961).

"Oral and intangible heritages pass from generation to generation through person-to-person oral teaching, therefore it is important to recognize the leading people in those fields so as to encourage and support people who promote these heritages," says Sun Jiazheng, minister of culture at the ceremony.

Last June, 226 masters including folk artists, acrobats and craftsmen were listed in the first group by the Ministry of Culture and Academy of Arts.

Last weekend, the masters in the second list gave three shows at Mei Lanfang Grand Theater, Chang'an Grand Theater and the Cultural Palace of Nationalities.

Sky's the limit for this festival

The 25th Weifang International Kite Festival will be held from April 16 to May 3 in Weifang, Shandong province.

Weifang has a rich kite culture and is the home of the International Kite Federation. Since 1984, Weifang has held 24 international kite festivals, contributing to the exchange of kite culture between China and other countries.

This year's kite festival will include a kite-flying competition in celebration of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a kite products expo, a gala performance and a carnival parade.

War film theme song set to hit the shelves

Young mainland actress Li Bingbing is to release her first album in May, featuring the theme song to Children of Huangshi (Huangshi de Haizi), a $40 million Chinese, German and Australian production starring British actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Asian superstar Chow Yun-fat and Michelle Yeoh.

Based on real events, the film revolves around a 23-year-old British journalist's adventure in 1930s war-torn China. George Hogg, played by Jonathan, saved 60 Chinese orphans from the chaos and escorted them to a safe town. Chow plays an officer who helped Hogg along the trek. This is also Chow and Yeoh's second cooperation after Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wohu Canglong) in 2000. Roger Spottiswoode, a former James Bond film director, directs the film.

The film will premiere in China and some Southeast Asian countries on April 3, while viewers in North America will wait until May 23. The film will open in Europe at the end of April.

China Daily

(China Daily 03/05/2008 page18)