What's on
Stage
Peking Opera double bill
The Peking Opera House will present two classical plays during the festive holidays. On the brightly-lit stage, The Crossroads presents a fight between two men in the darkness. It highlights the acrobatic fighting and suppositional scenes of Peking Opera. The Emperor Teases a Beauty narrates a story of a Ming Dynasty emperor who travels incognito, meets a beautiful girl and teases her. After a series of interesting misunderstandings, the girl becomes a concubine of the emperor.
7:30 pm, Feb 15, 16, 19. 120-300 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
Music from the movies
The symphony orchestra of China Broadcasting Performance Arts Troupe will stage a concert, featuring the theme music of such Hollywood movies as Titanic, Phantom of the Opera, Sound of Music, Gone with the Wind and Dances with Wolves. Fan Tao, the conductor of the orchestra, is renowned for his cooperation with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Stage Broadcasting Orchestra and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. His conducting is both delicate and passionate.
7:30 pm, Feb 11. 120-4,000 yuan. Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square. 6559-8285
中山音乐堂，中山公园内
Exhibitions
Temple fair
The 2010 Spring Festival Cultural Temple Fair in China Millennium Monument combines such activities as art show, performance, amusement, dining and shopping.
9 am-5 pm, Feb 13-19. Beijing World Art Museum, China Millennium Monument, A9 Fuxinglu, Haidian district. 5980-2222
中华世纪坛世界艺术馆, 海淀区复兴路甲9号
Oil paintings
Three oil painters show their distinctive styles in an exhibition titled Color, Impression. Jin Yu's young women stand against the wind, with their skirts flapping and hair blowing. Jin tries to convey the pureness and beauty of life. Yu Hui draws landscapes of southern China - the wild weed, the dense wood and the transparent pond - like a dreamland with vivid colors. Guo Kaijun portrays the lifestyles of ordinary people in a realistic manner.
10 am-5 pm, until Feb 16. Yang Gallery, Eastern District of Songzhuang Art Zone, Tongzhou district.
杨艺术中心, 通州区宋庄艺术东区
Events
A brush with Chinese painting
For those who are keen on Chinese painting, this art course offers the chance to pick up the basics of an East Asian style of brush painting, also known as wash painting.
This course is for beginners and runs each Mondays. Remember to bring your own painting materials.
7 pm-9 pm, Feb 8. 160 yuan. China Culture Center, Room101, Kent Center, 29 Anjialou, Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang district. 6432-9341 ext. 15
朝阳区亮马桥路29号安家楼肯特中心
Hand-pulled noodles
Learn how to roll out dough into noodles and master the ancient art of hand-pulled cooking.
The class is open to students of all levels.
7:15 pm-9:15 pm, Feb 8. 200 yuan. The Hutong, 1 Zhongxiang Hutong, Jiudaowan, Dongcheng district. 159-0104-6127
东城区九道弯中巷胡同1号
Wine lovers' night
Every Monday, customers can enjoy two-for-one wine at the Meat & Wine Co. The promotion applies to glasses, wine flights and bottles on the entire wine list.
11 am-10 pm, Feb 8. Meat & Wine Co, 23 Qianmen Dongdajie, Dongcheng district. 6512-1761
东城区前门东大街23号
Learn about Chinese medicine
Have you ever tried Chinese medicine during your stay in China? This lecture series led by acupuncturist Dr Sylvie Hu, offers attendees a chance to learn about the basics of Chinese medicine.
9:30 am-11:30 am, Feb 8. The Yin Yang Community Center, Hegezhuang Village, Cuigezhuang, Chaoyang district. 6431-2108
朝阳区崔各庄乡何各庄村
Pick your brains
Flex your neurological muscles every Monday at "the best pub quiz in town" at The Bookworm. Come with a six-member team and test your knowledge of music, history, sports, geography, world events, science and nature, besides the obvious art and literature. Seats are limited.
7:30 pm, Feb 8. Free. 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
Tap-dancing workshop
Get yourself a pair of tap-dancing shoes and get started on the road to becoming a modern-day Ginger Rogers or Fred Astaire. Jessica Cross teaches beginners the basics every Monday evening.
4:30-5:30 pm, Feb 8. 800 yuan for eight weeks. British School of Beijing, 9 Anhualu (across from ISB and Yosemite Villas), Shunyi district. 8047-3588
北京英国学校，顺义区安华路9号
Out & About
Spring hike past the Great Wall
When spring is on its way, it's the time for getting into the great outdoors. Hikers can see rocks, frozen rivers, bridges, the Great Wall and small villages on this hike in the valleys of the Longquanyu area of Yanqing county.
The route is quite a long way from Beijing and fairly difficult to get to. The trip will pass through the back of the village before heading up to a part of the Great Wall and also take in part of the Two Valleys hike. Hikers can get great views of the surrounding mountains and stretches of the wall.
Meet at Lido Starbucks (north-east gate of Lido Holiday Inn, 6 Jiangtailu, Chaoyang district) for bus transportation. Visit www. Beijinghikers.com for reservations and more information.
8:30 am, Feb 13. 250 yuan. Beijing Hikers, Room 1907, Buliding 107, Jiangfu Jiayuan, Xiaochengezhuang, Jiangtai Donglu, Chaoyang district. 5137-4906
朝阳区将台东路小陈各庄将花园107号楼1907号
TV
CCTV-9
09:30 Nature & Science
09:55 Chinese Civilization
10:15 Sports Scene
10:30 New Frontiers
11:30: Around China
13:00 Dialogue
13:30 Rediscovering China
14:30 Culture Express
15:15 Learn to speak Chinese
15:30 Nature and Science
15:55 Chinese Civilization
16:15 Sports Scene
16:30 New Frontiers
17:30 Documentary
18:30 Around China
19:30 Dialogue
20:00 Asia Today
20:30 Culture Express
21:30 Rediscovering China
22:00 China Today
22:30 New Frontiers
23:15 Sports Scene
23:30 Documentary
HBO
07:00 Hush
08:35 The Making Of Bee Movie
09:00 The Story Of Us
10:35 Hollywood One On One 72
11:00 Indecent Proposal
13:00 Nights In Rodanthe
14:45 Forget Paris
16:30 Hollywood One On One 72
17:00 Things We Lost In The Fire
19:00 When Trumpets Fade
20:30 The Making Of Band Of Brothers
21:00 Entourage S611: Scared Straight
21:30 Entourage S612: Give A Little Bit
22:00 Band Of Brothers S101: Currahee
23:15 Head Case S205: Back In The Game
23:40 Head Case S206: Short On Love
ESPN STAR sports
09:00 ACC Sunday Night Hoops
Match: North Carolina vs. Maryland
10:59 First Air Sportscenter Right Now
11:00 Repeat Colorado Classic
11:59 Repeat Sportscenter Right Now
12:00 Repeat UEFA Europa League 2009/10
Match: Bremen vs. Athletic Club
14:00 Repeat Sportscenter Right Now
14:01 Repeat Winter X Games 14
16:59 Repeat Sportscenter Right Now
17:00 Repeat Football Asia 2009/10
17:30 Repeat ACC Sunday Night Hoops
Match: North Carolina vs. Maryland
19:30 Live Sportscenter Asia
20:00 First Air PBA Tour : Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational
21:30 Repeat Football Asia 2009/10
22:00 Repeat Sportscenter Asia
22:30 Repeat UEFA Champions League 2009/10
Match: Arsenal vs. AZ Alkmaar
Radio
CRI highlight
The Beijing Hour is a first for China Radio International. CRI's English speaking service is launching a brand new breakfast show with a difference. The Beijing Hour will features lively news and current affairs program with domestic as well as international news from around the world, as well as give an insight into the world of business with financial analysis and an up-to-the-minute glance at world markets. There will be sport reviews and previews, weather forecasts and discussions with people in the news and high-profile personalities who will take a look at what the world media is saying about different issues.
The Beijing Hour will be broadcast live each day from the Chinese capital 7 - 8 in the mornings and 7 - 8 in the evenings Beijing time, five days a week.
05:00-07:00 Day break
07:00-08:00 Beijing Hour with Susan Osman
08:00-11:00 EZ Morning
11:00-13:00 Third Wheel
13:00-13:30 People In the Know
13:30-14:00 Frontline
14:00-17:00 EZ Cafe
17:00-19:00 China Drive
19:00-20:00 Beijing Hour with Paul James
20:00-22:00 The Pulse
22:00-23:00 All That Jazz
23:00-24:00 The Zhazha Club Show
Films
14 Blades
The action movie 14 Blades, directed by famous Hong Kong director Daniel Lee, stars Donnie Yen, internationally known action star, and Zhao Wei, one of China's brightest talents.
The story is set in the imperial court of the Ming Dynasty and tells of how it fell into the clutches of an evil eunuch. Jia Qinglong (Donnie Yen), head of the Jinyiwei elite squad of secret agents, becomes the most wanted man in the country and seeks the help of an escort agency to escape from the capital before striking up a tentative romance with Qiao Hua (Zhao Wei), daughter of the agency's chief.
(China Daily 02/08/2010 page27)
