Culture adjustment in China

Punishment before pleasure. That seems to be the general theme for art lovers in Beijing who actually pay good money to attend plays, concerts or other performances.

First, it is hard to find a venue in the Forbidden City that has a decent lobby with a driveway in front where concert-goers can be dropped off by train, taxi or private transport. Forget the glorified image you see in films and television that has guests arriving bedecked in jewels and minks and elegantly trotting up the red carpet to the best seats in the hall.

In reality, you are likely to be picking your way in the dark through cordoned car parks or courtyards before you are subjected to at least two gauntlets of rigorous security checks, including some rough electronic frisking sometimes.