Veteran guqin player Li Fengyun is set for a show with her husband, xiao player Wang Jianxin, highlighting traditional Chinese works.

Guqin, also named qin, was named a world heritage by UNESCO last year, boasting as it does a history of over 3,000 years. One of the world's oldest plucked instruments, it was a favoured companion of ancient scholars and intellectuals.

A graduate at Tianjin Conservatory of Music and now a teacher there, Li is also director of the Tianjin Guqin Society. Her style is smooth, elegant and lyrical.

She has held concerts in Tianjin and Hong Kong, as well as holding lectures as a visiting scholar in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and a number of other countries.

Wang plays Chinese instruments including the xun, an ancient egg-shaped, wind instrument, and the xiao, a vertical bamboo flute. He will offer a commentary during the concert. He is professor of Tianjin Conservatory of Music and a member of the Chinese Traditional Music Society.

Li will solo on guqin, and the couple will also play together. The couple has staged several concerts in the Opening the Door of Music series and is well known by the capital audience.

Programme: Flowing Waters, Geese Landing on Flat Sand and other traditional music works.

Tickets: 10-100 yuan (US$1-12)

Time/date: 2 pm, August 14

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall (中山音乐堂)

Tel: 6559-8285

Cinderella, with bite!

Dogs Theatre from Uzbechstan is to tour Beijing to stage a version of Cinderella with canine characteristics.

The show combines circus, ballet and drama all together. In addition to her kindness and beauty, the orphaned heroine Cinderella turns into a spare time dog trainer in this version.

In the search by the prince for his beloved, who can wear the crystal shoe, the scenes and props keep changing to reflect the different flavours of various countries. In between, ethnic dancing adds a touch of glamour to the show.

And of course those clever dogs have a major role to play in ensuring that everyone lives happily ever after!

Tickets: 80-300 yuan (US$10-36)

Time/date: 2 pm, 7 pm, August 21, 7 pm, August 22

Location: Beizhan Theatre (北展剧场)

Tel: 6590-3737

Puppets perform

China Puppet Art Theatre is to feature The Swan Lake.

To cater to children's tastes, the story focuses on the themes of honesty, kindness and friendship as well as love.

Most of the casts are in the shape of puppets that can open their mouths to "talk", and props on stage all aim to captivate kids. A big mushroom, for example, is about a man's height, and each puppet figure is about 70 centimetres tall.

Odette, the princess, has turned out this time a guardian of the forest. The evil eagle becomes instead an ambitious creature who wants to govern the whole forest. Through his witchery, he turns the princess into a white swan. She can only show up as a human at sunset.

When the prince comes, he is told by an old tree that only true love can rescue the princess.

Tickets: 40-280 yuan (US$5-34)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, August 11-15

Location: Poly Theatre (保利剧院)

Tel: 6506-6345

Stage

Mulan returns

Mulan has become a well-known heroine to foreigners thanks to Disney's same-named animated film. Now the deeds of the brave woman from ancient China will be told again in a grand musical called Hua Mulan created by China National Opera and Dance Theatre.

It is a story telling how Mulan, whose surname is Hua, replaces her old father to become a soldier to fight against invaders to the Middle Kingdom.

The musical was written, composed and is performed by Chinese artists.

The playwright is Qiu Yupu. The director Wang Xiaoying is deputy chairman of the troupe. The composer, Hao Weiya is a professor with China Central Conservatory of Music.

The performers are all young, promising stars in the field, led by Wang Yan, a graduate of China Central Conservatory of Music. She stars as Hua Mulan.

Tickets: 80-680 yuan (US$10-82)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, August 27-29

Location: Poly Theatre, Dongsi Shitiao

Tel: 6506-5345, 6506-5343

保利剧院，东四十条路口

Double trouble

A drama called He Does Not Have Two Wives is to be staged again.

Since it was premiered in 1997, it has been performed over 100 times in Taipei, Shanghai and Beijing. With its dark humour, satire and open criticism of politics and social phenomena, it has made the audience laugh at its wit and clever twists, striking a chord with many.

The plot centres on a taxi driver with two wives. Neither knows about the existence of the other for four years. He happens to do a good deed one day, which leads to the secret being unveiled...

Tickets: 40-280 yuan (US$5-34)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, August 26

Location: Tianqiao Theatre, Beiwei Lu, Xuanwu District

Tel: 8315-6300

天桥剧场，宣武区北纬路30号

Chinese classics

A variety show will throw the spotlight on literature stories appearing in Chinese students?school books.

Participating are artists with Beijing Children's Art Theatre, Beijing Dancing Institute, Mulan Children's Chorus and Wang Jiaxun Percussion Group.

Stories include Happy Prince and The Ugly Duckling. Also featured will be children's choral singing including Jasmine Flower and Bravo Naxi Bonfire.

Tickets: 10-100 yuan (US$1-12)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, August 13, 14

Time/date: 2 pm, August 14

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall

Tel: 6559-8285

中山音乐堂，中山公园内

Out of the chamber

The 19-member Hwaum Chamber Orchestra, a top chamber troupe from South Korea founded in Seoul in 1996, is to make its debut in Beijing.

Programme: Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, Serenade No 13 in G Major by Mozart, Rossini's Cello and Bass Violins Fantasy by Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889), a South Korean string piece, and String Serenade in E Major, Op 22 by Dvorak.

Tickets: 80-380 yuan (US$10-46)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, August 14

Location: Century Theatre, 40 Liangmaqiaolu

Tel: 6465-6904, 6465-6914

世纪剧院，亮马桥路40号

Sail on

Under the baton of Niu Jie, Beijing Dongcheng District Silver Sails Symphony Orchestra will stage a concert highlighting piano concertos.

Programme: Piano Concerto by Haydn, Piano Concerto No 23 by Mozart, First Chapter, Piano Concerto No 3 by Kabalevsky.

Tickets: 10-100 yuan (US$1-12)

Time/date: 2 pm, August 15

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall

Tel: 6559-8285

中山音乐堂

Free concerts

Two free concerts will be held during the International Masterclass Summer Vocation Camp held by China Central Conservatory of Music.

Performers are all top students attending the camp. Among them there are both college students studying in the conservatory and amateurs.

The programme centres on classical music.

For more info, please refer to http://musiccamp.ccom.edu.cn.

Time/date: 7:30 pm, August 14, 15

Location: Tianqiao Theatre, Beiweilu, Xuanwu District (天桥剧场)

Tel: 8315-6300

Cartoon capers

Musicians of the Symphony Orchestra of China Opera and Dance Theatre will feature theme songs in cartoon films. Jiang Jinyi will conduct, and Chen Lixin is the concert master.

Programme: music works selected from cartoon films including The Lion King, Mulan, The Lotus Lantern, Princess Snow White, Pinocchio, Tom and Jerry, and Beauty and Beast.

Tickets: 10-100 yuan (US$1-12)

Time/date: 2 pm, August 15

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall

Tel: 6559-8285

中山音乐堂

For folk's sake

A four-women band of traditional Chinese musicians called Lin Yue Ran Ran will showcase Chinese works in a concert.

The name of the band is a combination of the names of the young members. They are Shi Yue on dulcimer, Luan Yue on pipa, Lin Gan on erhu and Fan Ran on guzheng.

Programme: Wings of Spring Fly, Butterfly Lovers, Ambush From Ten Directions, Drums and Gongs upon Harvesting, and more.

Tickets: 10-100 yuan (US$1-12)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, August 17

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall

中山音乐堂

Infernal Affairs II

(Wu Jian Dao) (2003)

Directors: Alan Mak, Andrew Lau

Starring: Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang

It portrays the last few years of British rule of Hong Kong in a prequel to Infernal Affairs. The story happens in three time slots ?1991, 1995 and 1997.

In 1991, the assassination of an underworld boss sparks a feud among four lieutenants. A bloodshed seems unavoidable, until things are swiftly brought under control by the victim's son, Hau. The fifth and most loyal lieutenant, Sam remains at the side of the new boss.

Meanwhile, in the police department, Wong finds out that a young trainee Yan, is actually Hau's half brother and sets him up as a mole in Hau's gang. At the same time, young Ming joins the police force as the gangster's undercover, as we have already seen in Infernal Affairs I.

Fast-forward four years to 1995: Hau gets ready to clean up his house by getting rid of the four lieutenants and taking Sam into his confidence.

Tickets: 50 yuan (US$6), 30 yuan (US$4) with Student Card.

Time/date: 8 pm, August 13,14

Location: Cherry Lane Movies, Gate 29, Anjialou Street, near the 21st Century Theatre

For info: www.cherrylanemovies.com.cn

樱花巷电影，安家楼路，世纪剧院东北

Profession of Arms

(Il mestiere delle armi) (2003)

Director: Ermanno Olmi

The history of the first victim of modern artillery and its agony, amidst conspiracies and betrayals of the powerful. The life and death of Giovanni De?Medici, a brave young captain in the war of Charles V against the Pope, in the first half of 1500.

In Italian with Chinese subtitles.

Tickets: Free of charge

Time/date: 7 pm, August 19

Location; Italian Embassy Cultural Office, 2 Dongerjie, Sanlitun

Tel: 6532-2187

意大利大使馆文化处，三里屯东二街2号

Weekend pick

China Guardian Auctions Co Ltd will stage its 82nd weekend auction from August 20 to 22 at Kunlun Hotel.

The auction will see a total of nearly 3,000 art works and antiques go under the hammer, providing a chance for art collectors and investors to choose the pick of the bunch at reasonable prices.

The painting and calligraphy section will offer up more than 2,000 pieces, including modern watercolours and calligraphy from the 1920s to the 1940s, as well as some items from ancient times. The auction showcases 100-odd paintings by famous Chinese masters like Qi Baishi, Wu Changshuo and Wang Zhen. These have been put up for sale by a Japanese collector. The auction will also present Chinese traditional couplets hung on the pillars of a hall by ancient calligraphy masters, as well as around 200 fan paintings dating from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to modern days.

There is also a china ware auction which includes a series of seals by Mei Lanfang, one of the most outstanding Peking Opera performers in China's history. A coin theme auction will also be held on August 21.

Time/date: 9 am-6 pm, August 18-22

Location: 2 Xinyuan Nanlu

Tel: 6590-3388

昆仑饭店

Happy birthday to Fu

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, over 130 original paintings by the late outstanding Chinese traditional painting master Fu Baoshi are on show at China National Art Museum.

The exhibited works are selected from around 3,000 paintings the artist created in his life, among which most are now in the collection of the Palace Museum and members of his family. The 130 pieces, collected from across the country, are varied in size and style and include large paintings, small sketches and long rolls. Some are shown to the public for the first time.

Time/date: 9 am-5 pm until August 18

Location: 1 Wusi Dajie

Tel: 6513-2255

中国美术馆

Zhuang's oil

Artist Zhuang Xiaolei's personal oil painting exhibition reflects his breakaway style from traditional Chinese painting. It is unveiled at the Creation Gallery on August 21.

In Zhuang's painting, the Chinese real-life style is downplayed and replaced by subjects which deviate from the usual pattern. His painting is a challenge to people's cognition and perception, encouraging them to question what they have already experienced and find out what they have do not. Most of his paintings impress on people a flavour of music, which, as an orchestra does, leads people to a process of pleasure and a sense of release, freedom and contentment.

Time/date: 10 am-7 pm, August 21-29

Location: north end of Ritan Lu

Tel: 8561-7570

日坛路北端

Graduation special

Young graduates from the print department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts will showcase their print works at the New Millennium Art Gallery on August 14.

The young and vigorous artists use a variety of methods including silk screens, copperplate and wood block to present the vanguard and diversified aesthetic direction of the new generation born in the 1980s. Their works are consistent with classical culture but add an exploration of modern thoughts, impressing people with a different impression of life in the city.

Time/date: 9 am-6 pm, August 14-September 8

Location: Diyang Building, 2 Dongsanhuan Beilu

Tel: 8453-6193

东三环北路2号迪阳大厦

Summer oil

Six artists -Luan Xiaojie, Guan Yong, Pang Yongjie, Luo Qi, Feng Feng and Li Qiang ?are jointly staging an art show at the Qin Gallery ithis month. The exhibits include the latest oil paintings in various styles made using different artistic languages to depict the artists?feelings about life and society.

Time/date: 9:30 am-7 pm until August 23

Location: 1-1E Huaweili, north of Beijing Curio City

Tel: 8779-0461

华威里1-1E，北京古玩城北

Deng Xiaoping retro

A photo exhibition named Retrospection of Moment to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping is underway at Beijing Fucheng Garden Club.

In addition to photos of Deng taken at various occasions in the past, the exhibition also features exquisitely handmade zisha teapots, a unique craft creation famous for its elegant form, elaborate craftsmanship, archaic colour and functional performance. There are 100 teapots jointly made by craftsman Jiang Yunxiang and Deng Lin, the eldest daughter of Deng. The teapots have been collected by museums in Henan, Yunnan and Beijing's own Yanhuang Art Museum.

Time/date: 9 am-7 pm until 31

Location: 89 Beisihuan Donglu

Tel: 8464-6699 北三环东路89号富城花园