Beijing

Adam's temptation

The annual Changping Apple Festival is on until Nov 22. Visitors can expect to have lots of fun at the one-month festival. Highlights will be the street apple fairs near the Shisan Ling (Ming Tomb) scenic spot. A Halloween costume contest and a long-distance walking race are also part of the festival. The race is expected to attract more than 10,000 people.

To get there, take the Beijing-Tibet Highway and exit from Changping Xiguan, then drive straight to Shisan Ling. Or take bus Travel 9 at Qian Men in Chongwen district and get off at Shisan Ling. 010-8974-1642

Russian romance

Russian pianist Veronika Ilinskaya will bring the romance of music to Grace Beijing's monthly cultural event. The concert will be followed by an exclusive seafood dinner prepared especially for the event, at 888 yuan each person. The five-course meal will be paired with wines for a complete dining experience.

Concert at 6:40 pm, Nov 12. 38 Baofang Hutong, Dongcheng district. 010-6528-9983 Ext 207

Language of Chanel

With over 400 works from public and private collections, the Dialogue of French Design Pioneers and Artists will display the historical and creative dimensions and the modernity of Chanel. The exhibit centers on five themes including origin, abstraction, invisibility, liberty and imagination, revealing the codes and elements of the language of Chanel. The show is curated by Jean-Louis Froment.

9 am-5 pm, Nov 5-Dec 13, National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district. 010-6400-6326

Shanghai

A nightingale sings

Huang Ying is a world-famous Chinese-American opera soprano. Praised by music critics as a "nightingale from China", she is famed for her soft and sweet tone, flexible singing skills, rich and pure music styles well as her passionate stage performances. In the concert Huang will perform the well-known aria Un bel di Vedremo from Puccini's Madame Butterfly, the recitative Ach, Ich Fuehl's from Mozart's Magic Flute, and the Awakening Aria of Zhou Long's Madame White Snake.

7:15 pm, Nov 5. Shanghai Grand Theater, 300 Renmin Avenue. 021-6386-8686

Austrian conflicts

A contemporary artist from Austria, Xenia Hausner, is having a solo exhibition at the Shanghai Art Museum. The woman artist paints portraits of people in dramatic scenes of conflict or crisis, reflecting deep emotional anxiety and disturbance. The artist worked as a stage designer before turning to painting on canvas. About 30 paintings are on exhibition, and the curator is Peter Assmann.

9 am-5 pm, until Nov 5. Shanghai Art Museum, 325 Nanjing Lu. 021-6327-2829

Hong Kong

Fright night

If you find mice terrifying, this is your last chance to lose your head at Hong Kong Disneyland's Haunted Halloween. Every corner of the park features delightfully ghoulish surprises, from the galloping Headless Horseman to black magic in the Cursed Jungle of Adventureland. Returning this year are attractions such as the popular Glow in the Park Parade and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. Families can trick or treat with Mickey, Duffy and other favorite characters. More than 130 souvenirs, some new this year, are available.

6-11 pm, Oct 30, 31. Hong Kong Disneyland, Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. 852-1830-830

Circle of Life

Hong Kong jewelry designer Dickson Yewn remembers what it was like to be a struggling young artist. After a successful past decade with his brand Life of Circle, he has decided to give back to the local community. Life of Circle Art Space was launched earlier this month to provide free studio spaces for emerging talent to host classes and workshops while giving them the freedom to create. It also provides a platform to foster cultural exchange between Asian countries and will include an artist-in-residence program. The opening exhibition The Circle of Life: House of the Hunted features the work of Yeowoon Kim.

10 am-6:30 pm, Mon-Fri; by appointment Sat, Sun & public holidays. Until Nov 20. Life of Circle Art Space, Suite 7, 18/F, Solo, 83 Bedford Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon. 852-2537-5789

Macao

Blasts from the past

The only constant thing is change - and that is an understatement for anyone who has visited Macao over the past decade. Macao Firsts: Photographs of Local Specialties recalls the city's East-meets-West heritage with photographs from the Macao Museum of Art's archival collection. Take a look at some of Asia's oldest churches and temples, along with its first bullfight and the glamor of racing during the early days of the Macao Grand Prix.

2 pm-7 pm, Tue to Fri; 11 am-7 pm, Sat & Sun; closed Mon and public holidays, until Dec 31. Macao Museum of Art, Xian Xing Hai Avenue, S/N Nape. 853-8791-9814

(China Daily 10/30/2011 page15)