What's on

Beijing

Chicago Symphony Orchestra makes its first trip to the Chinese mainland in its 118-year history. The orchestra will play at the Shanghai Grand Theater on Feb 10 and 11 and at Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts on Feb 13 and 14. The Orchestra's programs will include Mahler's Symphony No 6, Mozart's Symphony No 41, Strauss' Ein Heldenleben, Haydn's Symphony No 101 (The Clock) and Bruckner's Symphony No 7.

7:30 pm, Feb 13 and 14

West of Tian'anmen Square

6655-0000

Sottovoce is Italian for "lower the voice". Using this word as the title, the joint show transmits a mood of calmness and elegance from the five participating artists from China, South Korea and Italy. The photography works take bamboo as their theme, emphasizing its strength, against a black background. The abstract paintings focus on a microcosmos of spreading cells under the microscope. The video works transport viewers into a virtual space.

10 am-6 pm, until Feb 28

Officina, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district

5978-9462

Two shows have been arranged at the museum in the Beijing White Pagoda Temple. The Tibetan Buddhism statues exhibition includes about 10,000 gold-plated copper Buddha statues of different religious branches of the Yuan (1206-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The other exhibition is about the history of the temple.

9 am-5 pm

Beijing White Pagoda Temple, 171 Fuchengmennei Dajie, Xicheng district

6613-9073

This exhibition of the 4,000-year history of Chinese currency in the Beijing Ancient Coins Museum narrates the evolution from shell coins in Shang (BC 1600-1100) and Western Zhou (BC 1100-771) dynasties, to the unified coin with a square hole, since the Qin Dynasty (BC 221-206), to the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The technology of coin minting is also on show.

9 am-4 pm

Beijing Ancient Coins Museum, 9 Deshengmen Dongdajie, Dongcheng district

6201-8073

Shanghai

Symphony X is an American heavy metal band founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo. The band plays with complex timings and odd meters while incorporating elements of symphonic metal and more traditional heavy metal.

7 pm, Feb 15

Wanping Theater, 857-859 S. Second Zhongshan Road

021-6439-2277

A beautiful but determined hostess and a humorous but honest office man live under the same roof and love between them blossoms. The modern drama, Days Living with the Airline Hostess, returns to Shanghai after a box office success in 2007.

7:30 pm, Feb 3

Yifu Theater, 701 Fuzhou Lu

021-6322-5294

Brilliant videos, installations and paintings by nearly 60 domestic and foreign artists will be displayed at Zendai Museum of Modern Art in keeping with its 2008 theme Intrude Art & Life. On this occasion, some works will be displayed outside at Thumb Square next to the museum, further reflecting the core mission of the project: to make contemporary art transcend the boundary of art museums and become more accessible to the general public.

10 am-6 pm, until April 18

Zendai Museum of Modern Art, 28 Lane 199 Fangdian Lu,

020-5033-9801

Guangzhou

A New Year Concert by the China National Orchestra Guangdong will feature both Chinese and Western folk music played with Chinese traditional instruments, including guzheng, erhu and pipa. Among the performers are well-known sopranos Zhou Xuan and Li Siyin.

8 pm, Feb 8

Symphony Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island

020-8737-2222

The Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra is performing a Valentine's Day concert on Feb 14 as part of its 08-09 season.

Conducted by the young Chinese Xia Xiaotang, the concert also features well-known French trumpeter, Andre Henry.

In line with the theme of the night, the concert will present theme music from famous romantic movies, including Breakfast At Tiffanys, Somewhere in Time, Blue Tango, Roses from the South Walt, and Carmen.

8 pm, Feb 14

Symphony Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island

020-8737-2222

Huang Ruicai is famous for painting portraits with fine brushwork and great attention to detail. Some 40 of his paintings are being displayed throughout the New Year.

9 am-5 pm, until Feb 9

The Workers' Culture Place of Guangzhou, 65 Wenming Lu

020-8333-5690

(China Daily 02/03/2009 page8)