Metro

Stage

Closing gala

The China Philharmonic Orchestra will give a concert to close the 12th Beijing Music Festival. David Stern will lead the orchestra, presenting Mahler's Adagietta for Strings, Vivaldi's Concerto in B Minor for Four Violins and Orchestra Op 3 No 10, and Beethoven's Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C Major Op 56.

7:30 pm, Oct 30. 80-180 yuan. Poly Theater, Dongsi Shitiao, Chaoyang district. 400-818-3333

保利剧院，朝阳区东四十条

Story of a beauty

The National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) will stage its original opera Xi Shi, based on an ancient Chinese legend. One of the four beauties in ancient China, Xi Shi lived in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). Like Helen of Troy, she played an important role in the war between the Kingdom of Wu and Yue.

7:30 pm, Oct 30-Nov 5. 80-680 yuan. National Center for the Performing Arts, west of Tian'anmen Square. 6655-0000

国家大剧院, 天安门广场西

Bars

Jazz it up

Every Wednesday enjoy smooth jazz music from the trio jazz band Jam Dodo and delectable cuisine made by Chef Thierry Loncle.

7-10 pm, Oct 28. No entry fee. Scarlette Wine Bar and Res

taurant, Hotel G, A7 Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang district. 6552-2880

朝阳区工体西路甲7号

Klubbrouge

The bar overlooks the 100,000 sq m Beijing Green Belt and offers a truly panoramic vista of the western part of the city.

Celebrated interior designer Gianlua Vecchi is the brain behind the bar's sleekly sensuous dcor and red jungle of custom-made 20-m-long crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Striking scarlet pillars dotting the floor were designed by fashion photographer Chen Man.

Daily. China View, Gongti Donglu, Chaoyang district. 6500-3333

朝阳区工体东路中国红阶3号楼14层

Q Bar

The concept and design of Q Bar comes from the fusion of cultures, with one owner hailing from Germany and the other from China.

Daily 6 pm-2 am. Top floor of the Eastern Inn, Sanlitun Nanlu, 500 meters south of Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang district. 6595-9239

朝阳区三里屯南路逸羽酒店6楼(近工体南路)

The Den

Popular with football, rugby and cricket fans. Daily 24 hours. 4 Gongti Donglu, (next to City Hotel main entrance), Chaoyang district. 6592-6290.

朝阳区工体东路甲4号

Frank's Place

Sports bar with clean, light, comfortable wood-paneled interior and no frills patio area. 10 am to 2 am, Jiangtailu, west of Rosedale Hotel, Lido area, Chaoyang district. 6437-8839, 1343-979-6359.

朝阳区将台西路8号

Live Music

University blues

A number of student bands will be making music together.

9 pm, Oct 28. D-22, 242 Chengfulu, Haidian district. 6265-3177

海淀区成府路242

Events

Wednesday Poker

Make new friends as you enjoy poker at the caf bar.

8 pm, Oct 28. Free for entrance. Chopsticks Cafe & Bar, 12 Yandai Xiejie, Di'anmen Wai, Houhai, Dongcheng district. 东城区后海地安门外烟袋斜街12号6402-8988

Breast cancer awareness

Beijing United Family Hospital hosts a free talk by oncologist Dr Philip Brooks. He will outline the latest treatment options available for people diagnosed with breast cancer as well as multidisciplinary approaches to diagnosis.

5 pm, Oct 28. Beijing United Family Hospital, 2 Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang district. 137-1764-9213

朝阳区将台路2号

Let's do the tango

These classes, taught by Argentinian instructors at the embassy of Argentina, not only introduce beginners to the tango community, but also help improve their understanding of Argentinian tango and culture. The first class is free. Get the next 10 for 600 yuan.

6:30-8 pm, Oct 28. Embassy of Argentina, 11 Dongwu Jie, Sanlitun, Chaoyang district. 139-1010-3475

朝阳区三里屯东5街11号

Segalen came to China

2009 marks the hundredth year of the French novelist, poet, archaeologist and art historian, Victor Segalen's visit to China.

Although largely unpublished during his lifetime, Segalen's legacy is being rediscovered in the English-speaking world. Three of his most famous books, Rene Leys,

Steles, a collection of poems and Essay on Exoticism: An Aesthetics of Diversity, were republished recently.

The Bookworm's writer-in-residence, the Australian poet John Mateer, who is in Beijing to investigate Segalen, presents a personal response to the writer's inspiring work.

7:30 pm, Oct 28. 20-30 yuan. The Bookworm, Building 4, The Village at Sanlitun, Courtyard 19, Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang district. 6586-9507

朝阳区三里屯路19号院三里屯Village 4号楼

Exhibitions

Fan art

An exhibition of paintings done on traditional Chinese fans by a group of 16 artists features both traditional styles and abstract compositions.

10 am-5 pm, until Oct 31 except Monday. Fusion Space, 83 Donghuamen Dajie, Dongcheng district, 1339-188-0427

融艺术空间，东城区东华门大街83号

Landscape paintings

The Art Museum of China's National Academy of Painting is displaying Chinese landscape works.

The Spiritual Home for Our Heart exhibition features 100 critically acclaimed paintings by 10 influential artists from Beijing, Heilongjiang, Guangxi, Tianjin, Jiangsu and Sichuan. Among them are Long Rui, Fan Yang, Chen

Yupu, Zhang Zhimin, Zhao Wei and Huang Gesheng.

10 am -5 pm, until Oct 31 except Mondays. 54 Xisanhua Beilu, Haidian district. 6841-1369

中国国家画院美术馆，海淀区西三环北路54号

Movies

MJ, up, close

As a tribute to the King of Pop's extraordinary life and career, the documentary This is It features rare behind-the-scenes footage of Michael Jackson's last rehearsals for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's 02 Arena. The documentary will premiere simultaneously in more than 15 cities globally, including Beijing and will be screened for just two weeks.

Premieres on Oct 28.

Cinemas around town.

Underground hijackers

Directed by Tony Scott and staring Denzel Washington, The Taking of Pelham 123 is a remake of the 1974 original that tells the story of two men whose lives are thrown into turmoil when a criminal hijacks a New York subway train to extort a hefty ransom from the government.

UME Cineplex Haidian, 44 Kexueyuan Nanlu, Shuangyushu, Haidian district. 8211-5566.

海淀区双榆树科学院南路44号

(China Daily 10/28/2009 page27)