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Chun Yi premieres at first Chinese theater in US

The first United States theater purchased by a Chinese company, the White House Theater in Branson, Missouri, opened on July 1 with a show titled Chun Yi: The Legend of Kungfu.

The China Heaven Creation company bought the theater last year as a base to develop the US market. Together with a hotel the company bought to accommodate the cast, China Heaven Creation has invested more than $6 million in the move.

With 1,200 seats, the White House Theater is one of the biggest theaters in Branson, a popular destination for American vacationers.

Chun Yi: The Legend of Kungfu, which has had more than 3,300 performances around the world, is a show that blends Chinese kungfu, dance and original music. It involves about 60 performers.

Nanjing students cultivate ties abroad

A delegation of about 90 teachers and students from Nanjing University will visit the University of Goettingen, in Germany, the University of Southampton and the University of Cambridge, in the UK, for seven days until July 12.

By setting up scholarships and holding various seminars, Nanjing University aims to demonstrate its academic achievements and promote cooperation in physics, chemistry and law, among other fields, with the three prestigious universities.

A Chinese Music Ensemble made up of the university's students will bring traditional Chinese music to the three universities, and some of the versatile players will also showcase Chinese calligraphy, paper cutting and martial arts, at outdoor activities during the event.

Founded in 1902 in the city of Nanjing in East China's Jiangsu province, Nanjing University is one of the top universities in China because of its academic accomplishments and outstanding alumni.

Harvard and HKU work in perfect harmony

Hong Kong University (HKU)'s acappella group Mosaic performed with the Harvard Krokodiloes on July 3 at the Shanghai Grand Theater. Over the years, scholars from Hong Kong University and Harvard have cooperated frequently in cultural exchanges and academic visits. The two acappella groups had already cooperated on June 26 at Hong Kong University, performing a repertoire of different songs, ranging from Chinese to Western, traditional to pop.

The Harvard Krokodiloes, founded in 1946, is Harvard University's oldest and most prestigious acappella singing group. They tour the United States and the world, with 12 undergraduates performing jazz, swing, ballads, and rock from America's Golden Age.

Mosaic is an acappella group based in HKU. Established in July 2006, Mosaic is the first collegiate acappella group in HK to organize large-scale concerts and has been very active in the Hong Kong choral scene, staging numerous performances both on and off campus.

Workshop has charitable mission

A three-day workshop on art and education was held starting Friday and continuing over the weekend, at Today Art Museum in Beijing.

Attended by over 200 middle school art educators, researchers, and members from non-profit organizations involved in art education, the event featured an art exhibition, an academic lecture by artist and educator Lily Yeh from the United States, live performances and discussions, and on-site drawings by visitors and 50 students from Dandelion School, a junior middle school for children from low-income, migrant worker families in Daxing district, Beijing.

Meanwhile, a series of creative and art products made by Dandelion School students were also launched and will be sold at several top-class hotels.

All revenues from the sales of the art works will be returned to keep the school running, according to school headmaster Zheng Hong.

History of art lesson held in Nanjing

Twelve veteran Chinese and Belgian artists will hold a joint art exhibition at No 38 Anshan Avenue in downtown Tianjin - the former residence of Duan Qirui, a warlord of 1920s China, from Sept 4 to Oct 24.

The exhibition, showcasing over 50 paintings by these artists, who are in their 60s and 70s, is co-organized by Tianjin Historical Architecture Renovation and Design Agency (THARD), and Belgian city Sint-Niklass, according to curator Raf De Smedt with the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

Social work magazine highlights problems

The China Association of Social Workers (CASW) has launched a new magazine, Society and Public Welfare, under the supervision of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

"We will focus on poverty alleviation, disaster relief, and other areas that concern the welfare of people," says Xu Ruixin, editor-in-chief of the magazine and president of CASW.

According to Xu, the magazine will publicize the development of China's public welfare and set up a platform for exchanges between Chinese and international public welfare organizations.

The 32 years since China's reform and opening-up have witnessed substantial progress in the country's public welfare. However, its scale and efficiency is still limited. Resources raised each year account for only 0.2 percent of the country's GDP, compared with 8-9 percent in the United States.

Fashion brands showcase goods to world

Local fashion brands are keen to get a toehold in the global market, such as footwear brand Stella Luna, which is expanding to Thailand, the Philippines and Dubai.

Mark Fairwhale launched its female series 2010 spring/summer Fairwhale Creative Urbanwear (FCU), which continues its rock 'n' roll style. Though it has floral patterns as its basic design there are also torn elements to its one-piece dresses and jackets. There are also short skirts with paint stains on them, as part of its street style.

At its fashion show in The Place, Beijing, recently, Stella Luna featured leather and metal. One pair of shoes was decorated with Swarovski's crystal diamonds, delivering a luxurious image.