Life Culture

A princess re-born

Giacomo Puccini was suffering from throat cancer as he tried to complete his last masterpiece, Turandot, in 1924. The composition of a final duet between Calaf and Turandot remained pending when he died after surgery in Brussels. Puccini's colleague, Franco Alfano, completed the duet as well as a finale, using Puccini's notes and sketches. This full-length version is the one that has been performed worldwide ever since the opera premiered in 1926, two years after Puccini's death.

Shanghai Opera set to shine at the Egg Shell

Mariinsky Theater raised the curtain of the opera house of China's National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) last December and the Theater of the Capital of Toulouse will wrap up the opening season of the "Egg Shell" in April. But which is the home company that now holds court at the splendid new theater? Could it be the Central Opera Theater of China? No. It is the Shanghai Opera House.

Life Culture

Work remains Wang's reward

Slumped over in an orange, velvety sofa at a teahouse in Beijing's Sanlitun area, Wang Xiaoshuai appears both relaxed and spirited. The man, who is in his early 40s, is one of China's most active directors.

Chinese classical heavyweights in perfect harmony

Avant-garde composer Tan Dun and the National Ballet's former chief conductor Bian Zushan once debated on television about the concepts of music. The heated debate showed Tan and Bian, representing two generations of Chinese musicians, to hold totally different opinions towards music.

Olympic welcoming tour waving baton in Europe

Guangdong Chinese Traditional Orchestra will give a concert at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne for the International Olympic Committee tomorrow to celebrate the Spring Festival as well as to welcome the Beijing Olympic Games in August.

Life Expat

Change of art

Liesbeth Coppens is in her second year in Shanghai sharing her expertise in contemporary Chinese art. Not only does the 1.8 m tall blonde Belgian literally stand out from the crowd, she is also the only foreigner among 39 locals working at Shanghai Zendai Museum of Modern Art.

Oh, where have all the rugged expats gone?

A new wave of expats are surfing in on your break, says Ernie Diaz, editor of www.chinaexpat.com. In his post, titled Flooded by the Third Wave, Diaz describes a richer, more motivated "third wave of expats", who pose a threat to their predecessors in Beijing. Identifying himself as part of "the second wave", Diaz says he, "can't throw a rock in this city anymore without hitting two or three earnest white collar Westerners with defined career paths, paying Tokyo rents."

Life is sweet in this playground of beer and chocolate

Despite accommodating both the headquarters of NATO and the European Union, Belgium does not get much attention on the world scene. Often, its larger and louder neighbors Germany and France tend to steal the spotlight.

Life Travel