Art beat ... finger on the pulse

Beijing

Old and new cross-talk

The Cultural Palace of Nationalities, which was built in 1959 along Chang'an Avenue, will celebrate its reopening after a year's renovation with two cross-talk shows. Famous baldheaded cross-talk performer Fang Qingping, performing with his trademark Beijing dialect, will talk about the lives of ordinary people in the city. Comedian Gao Xiaopan, one of the most promising cross-talk performers, will lead his 5-year-old Hip-Hop Cross-Talk Club to bring laughter to the audience.