Art beat in December

Girl turns 70

An original Chinese opera, The White Haired Girl, will be presented. Composed in the 1940s, it was China's first new opera, a milestone on the Chinese music scene. The play has a new production in celebration of its 70th birthday, and the national tour is organized by the Ministry of Culture.

7:15 pm, Sunday. Shanghai Grand Theater, 300 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu district. 400-106-8686.

Czech orchestra

The Czech Philharmonic will present a New Year's concert under the baton of Czech conductor Peter Altrichter. The program consists of works by Bedrich Smetana, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Johannes Brahms.

7:30 pm, Dec 29. Shanghai Oriental Art Center－Concert Hall, 425 Dingxiang Road, Pudong new area. 021-6854-1234.

War Horse puppets

The Chinese production of War Horse is onstage at the Shanghai Culture Square until Jan 17. The play features life-size horse puppets created by the Handspring Puppet Company of Africa. It's choreographed by Toby Sedgwick. The original story about the connections between Joey the horse and a boy was created for an eponymous book by Michael Morpurgo and adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford.

7:15 pm, Tuesdays-Sundays; 2 pm, Saturdays, through Jan 17. Shanghai Culture Square, 597 Fuxing Road Middle, Xuhui district. 021-5461-9961.

Turkish delight

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Fire of Anatolia, a dance drama from Turkey, will return to Beijing. Choreographed by Mustafa Erdogan, the show is inspired by the history and culture of Western Asia's Anatolia region. Performed by more than 100 dancers, it has been seen by millions worldwide, including its debut at China's CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 2013.

7:30 pm, Dec 25-30. Mei Lanfang Grand Theater, 32 Pinganli Xijie (West Street), Xicheng district. 400-610-3721.