Beijing

A party in pink

For 16 years, celebrating the opening of thousands of lotuses at the Old Summer Palace has been a summer treat for people in Beijing. Throughout July and August, the park features a green and pink backdrop for a series of programs, including dancing and singing as lotus carnival launches its first music festival. Pop singers and local bands perform along the bank of the lakes in the garden while visitors enjoy boating in a sea of lotus.

Old Summer Palace, 28 Qinghua Xilu, Haidian district. 010-6262-8501

Classical times two

Michael Kruecker and Rene Berman, the German piano and cello duo, were once praised by The New York Times as "absolute oneness". The two have performed at major music festivals around the globe and have teamed with numerous top-tier orchestras in Europe to critical acclaim.

7:30 pm, July 13. Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhua Jie, Xicheng district. 010-5285-3661

K-pop diplomacy

The fans of K-pop will hold a party as the Korean Pop Star Concert commemorates the 20th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relationship between China and South Korea. Several popular South Korean bands will join some well-known Chinese singers onstage.

7:30 pm, July 14. Beijing Workers' Stadium, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang district. 400-610-3721

Rainbow room

Spanish artist Juan Ripolles presents a solo exhibition themed "The Rainbow". The 80-year-old Ripolles has been celebrated as "the contemporary Pablo Picasso" by critics for his combination of different painting styles as well as his unique color and lines. His 86 masterpieces in this exhibition include oil painting, engraving and sculpture. The show gives visitors a panorama of a career that spans over five decades.

9 am-5 pm, until July 15. World Art Museum, 9 Fuxing Lu, Xicheng district. 010-5980-2222

Shanghai

Night of electropop

Uffie, who has been dubbed an "electropop sensation", will hit the stage of Shanghai, collaborating with Feadz, whom she met while club-hopping on the Parisian alternative music scene in 2005. The 24-year-old has been noticed for her sizzling "Warholian" performances recently. She released her debut album Sex Dreams & Denim Jeans in 2010, when the record made Drowned in Sound's Top 50 Albums of the Year.

8 pm, July 14. Mao Livehouse, 3F, 308 Chongqing Lu, Luwan district. 021-6445-0086

Sounds of Germany

The 100-plus musicians of the National Youth Orchestra of Germany come to Shanghai with repertoires covering Mahler's Totenfeier for orchestra and Schumann's Cellokonzert. The Swiss-born conductor Mario Venzago is in his 18th season as music director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in the US.

Nicolas Alstaedt, the cellist, was awarded the Credit Suisse Young Artists Award in 2010.

7:30 pm, July 20. Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Lu. 4006-466-406

Melody of a blue planet

The BBC documentary concert Blue Planet will be presented in 2012 Music in the Summer Air, Shanghai. The concert provides the background music extracted from the documentary series under the same name, which reveals the complete natural history of our ocean planet from familiar shores to deepest seas.

7:45 pm, July 30, Shanghai Lujiazui Central Greenbelt, 15 Lujiazui Donglu. 021-5887-5487

Rock artists on lens

The exhibition Rockarchive - 50 years of British Rock features a collection of 50 iconic images from leading photographers showcasing the finest rock artists in UK. Over the last five decades, Britain has witnessed many of the most successful group and performers in international rock music, such as The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elton John and David Bowie. Rockarchive was founded in 1998 by photographer Jill Furmanovsky.

10 am-10 pm, until July 12. Shanghai Xintiandi Store, 245 Madang Lu. 010-6590-6903, 021-5382-0666

Macao

Splash out

The hottest party in town returns to Macao with a Mediterranean flavor this year. Splash Volume 5 has adopted the theme Summer & Ibiza to capitalize on the tiny Spanish island's legendary reputation as party central for international jetsetters.

Three world-class DJs headline the event: former model Miss Nine (pictured), electronic spin doctor Timo Garcia and Sonny Wharton of Whartone Records. Bring your bikini and be prepared for some wet and wild action while you boogie the night away.

2 pm-1 am, July 14. Poolside, Level 3, Hard Rock Hotel, City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, 853-8868-6688

Hong Kong

Sail away

Cruise like in days of yore aboard an authentic junk while taking in today's skyline. Modeled after hop-on, hop-off city tours, Aqualuna Harbor Discovery Tour lets passengers see sights in four hot destinations around town.

The tour combines a relaxing afternoon with visits to landmarks such as Avenue of the Stars, Central's glittering skyscrapers or the Golden Bauhinia against the sweeping curves of the convention centre.

12 pm, every Tue & Fri. Pick up/drop off at Pier 1 in Tsim Sha Tsui, Pier 9 in Central, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center in Wanchai and public pier in Hung Hom. 852-2116-8821

Shop till you drop

To kick off a sizzling summer, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has unveiled a new campaign aimed at both locals and visitors. At the heart of its program is Visa Go Shopping Indulgence, organized by Visa Hong Kong. Accredited malls and merchants under the Quality Tourism Services Scheme are offering hot deals and gifts for shoppers who use Visa cards, with grand in-store prizes for lucky draw winners. Look out for related campaigns such as Milk magazine's photo contest and destination specials such as Wetland Park and Madame Tussauds.

Until Aug 31. Check each participant for promotional details. discoverhongkong.com

Stone Roses redux

The legendary British guitar group The Stone Roses have reunited, and will perform in Hong Kong this month. The classic band is composed of Ian Brown, John Squire Mani (aka Gary Mounfield) and Reni (aka Alan Wren). The band has embarked on a global tour this summer. Its first two shows in the UK sold 150,000 tickets only 14 minutes after going on sale.

8 pm, July 24. Asia World-Arena, Hall 1 of AsiaWorld-Expo, 1 Sky Plaza Road, Lantau. 852-3128-8288

China Daily

(China Daily 07/08/2012 page15)