A casting call for heroes
2011-04-28 14:50:37
'Special-type actors' picked for patriotic movies because of their likeness to leaders used to carry a heavy responsibility. Today's 'Red films give them more leeway
Intimate encounters
2011-04-29 10:00:15
Chamber music is the focus of this year's The May Festival, with musicians from 12 countries, Chen Jie reports. For many people, the term "chamber music" is somewhat off-putting. They associate it with high-brow music designed for a select audience of experts and feel it probably offers little to ordinary listeners.
A journey from a Macao ferry to kangaroos and back
2011-04-29 09:57:43
Brian Castro was born during a typhoon in 1950, on a ferry between Hong Kong and Macao, to a Portuguese father and a Chinese mother.
My subway suitor a throwaway card in the game of life
2011-04-28 15:06:07
I was accosted in the swirling throng of people at Huixinxijienankou subway station in Beijing the other day by a middle-aged Chinese lady.
Rockers arrive to make a noise
2011-04-28 14:30:26
Music fans enjoy a feast of local and international talent as three major festivals set up camp in the capital. In a whirlwind of raucous rock, the capital celebrates the arrival of the warm weather with three of Beijing's biggest music festivals, drawing international and local talent.
What's on: Events and exhibits
2011-04-28 14:25:53
A six-hour concert to commemorate 30 years of Rolling Stone Records will feature more than 40 of the most influential Chinese pop stars of the past three decades.
Call of home
2011-04-28 14:25:06
Tibetan Xiagorkenzhulyexebaldan spent 35 years abroad before returning home in 1994. Sitting in his two-bedroom apartment in Lhasa, the 72-year-old appears healthy and is voluble. His earlobes are bigger than average - a sign of good fortune for Tibetans. He agrees. "My life now is pleasant and relaxed." But it was not always like this. At the age of 7, he became a Living Buddha in Drepung Monastery of western Lhasa. With access to a good education, the future looked promising.
shadow with a life of its own
2011-04-28 13:43:13
Looking like a super star might sound like a good thing but for some aspiring actors known as "A-listers' stand-ins" it can be a typecasting burden.
Dedicated craftsman makes toys of joy
2011-04-27 13:05:50
When talking to a Chinese about windmills, the first comment you will most likely hear will not be about the giant machines used to capture wind power.
What's on: Events and Exhibits
2011-04-27 13:05:08
Chinese Australia opera: For the opening gala concert of Meet in Beijing, Opera Australia will present a one-hour concert in partnership with stars from the Peking Opera.
Thin is not in
2011-04-27 12:06:08
Underweight people have just as much trouble putting on the pounds as obese people have losing them, and they have also related health risks.
Shining some light on oil lamps
2011-04-26 11:34:10
Pollution control and energy conservation may be the buzzwords of the 21st century, but hundreds of years ago, the Chinese seemed to know a thing or two about them.