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A bit of fun for quake kids
During the next month and a half, children from earthquake-hit regions will have the chance to play, sing and generally interact with other children living in 50 cities.
The first batch of children to visit these cities have been selected from among students of Tsinghua Children's English, an English training center run by renowned Tsinghua University, one of the campaign's initiators.
Noted composer Yang Jiasong has composed the song Red Scarf, Purple Ribbon (Honglingjin, Zisidai) for children that survived the May 12 earthquake, which claimed nearly 70,000 lives. Yang wants to encourage a sense of honor in children who survived the disaster that will help them to work towards a better future. He believes that relief is not only about materials but also emotional support and encouragement. At the same time children lucky enough not to have been affected by the calamity can learn to care about others.
The campaign started on June 1, Children's Day, in Tangshan, Hebei province, where more than 240,000 people lost their lives in the earthquake of 1976.
A Chinese songfest
The Third International Chinese Choral Festival (Dongzhou Cup) organized by the China Chorus Association and sponsored by The International Foundation for Arts and Culture, is on at the Beijing Concert Hall from Monday to Thursday.
Among the participants are 25 choirs from various parts of China and six from abroad, including The Alps Choir from Japan, the Choral Society of Pensacola from the United States, and Nan Yang Music & Art Society from Singapore.
All sing in Chinese. Overseas choirs perform Chinese works, as well as songs from their native countries in Chinese.
The First International Chinese Choral Festival was held in Bangkok in 2004, and the second in 2006 in Beijing.
Liu Xiang's makeover
Cadillac has unveiled its brand-new advertisement for the latest Cadillac CTS line, produced by William Chang Suk-ping and featuring Olympic champion Liu Xiang.
Chang's lens has transformed Liu's image from that of a tousled, sweaty athlete to a stylishly successful young man enjoying the high life. The four outfits Chang designed for Liu to sport in the advertisement series feature a formal suit, smart casual wear, leisure sportswear and a leather jacket.
Chang often works with acclaimed Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai as his art director, costume designer and editor. It was Chang who came up with the idea of the 200 or more cheongsams that Maggie Cheung wore in In the Mood for Love.
Stamp galore
The China 2009 World Stamp Exhibition will open next April in Luoyang, Henan province.
The exhibition, first held in China 10 years ago in Beijing, is expected to attract more than 3,000 companies and at least 600,000 individuals from 100 countries and regions, said Luoyang mayor Guo Hongchang.
Co-sponsored by the China Post Corporation, Chinese Philatelists Association and the local government, the event includes a stamp design competition, auctions of rare and vintage stamps in collaboration with China Guardian Auctions Co Ltd, and the release of a series of special stamps by China Post Corp, organizers say.
The stamp exhibition coincides with the 26th Luoyang Peony Flowers Festival, an annual event in the 4,000-year-old city where visitors can see more than 2,000 hectares of blossoming peonies in at least 1,000 strains, Guo said.
Delicious foretaste
Established director John Woo has joined hands with video website www.6.cn to provide cinephiles a platform to appreciate his latest offering Red Cliff (Chi Bi) before its premiere in July.
In addition to a bunch of exclusive interviews, sidelights and trailers of the film, the website offers four sections based on the film's storyline. Users can play four online games linked to The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the classic Chinese novel that the film is adapted from.
China Daily
(China Daily 06/04/2008 page18)
