The emperor arrives in qianmen

Qianmen is currently more a tourist destination than a hot spot for Beijing's on-trend set, but it may just change soon, especially with the opening of the Emperor Hotel.

Hotel roundup

Celebrity Guest

The tickle of Tango

The "queen of tango" lifts a leg and slowly rubs down the leg of her male partner, a signature move that's guaranteed to quicken heartbeats in the audience. Then the clicking couple will show off their rapport as they swirl and sway across the stage. The dazzling footwork makes the black-haired woman in a sparkling sequined dress shine like a diamond. Mora Godoy, a contemporary star of Argentine tango, is proof of the dance's growing popularity in China. Her company's just-ending tour to nine cities here aims to present the authentic, sexy partner dance and stimulate the sprouting tango culture in China.

Instead of making planes, he creates indie music

Cui Renyu studied aircraft manufacturing at Northwestern Polytechnic University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province-but instead of constructing planes, he started creating indie music after graduation.

Boundless calligraphy draws outside the lines

As an advocate of ink art innovation, Chen Heliang does not like attempts by some artists in the field.

Tianjin rocks its own style

For many years the people of Tianjin have taken pride in quyi, a term used to describe the various traditional local folk arts, such as storytelling, singing and cross-talk.

Editor's picks

Where are we going? To the movies

Art hubs unite

Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing all have vibrant artistic communities. A recent forum looked at the best ways to encourage artists to continue their practice and produce works. Lin Qi reports.

ABBA classics keep coming

Art beat

Beijing

Tilling a field of dreams

Xing Jianxin worked as a full-time photographer in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, and he often accompanied journalists when they covered agriculture-related issues.

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.