City guide-Beijing

Feast for book lovers

Book lovers are sure to be delighted at the annual 2012 Spring Book Fair in Ditan Park. More than 300 publishing companies have gathered nearly 200,000 books and audiovisual products in various fields, at discounted rates.

The 10-day fair offers books from many bookstores such as Xinhua Bookstore and Beijing Foreign Languages Bookstore.

It is advisable to use public transport as finding parking lots may be a challenge.

9 am-5 pm, until May 27. Ditan Park, Andingmenwai Dajie, Dongcheng district. Admission: 5 yuan ($0.79). 010-6421-4657

Hugo play hits Beijing

Chinese theater director Wang Xiaoying and French director Yamina Hachemi will jointly bring the Chinese version of The Laughing Man to Beijing.

The performance is adapted from French writer Victor Hugo's novel of the same name. It's a story about Gwynplaine, who appears to be laughing, because his face is mutilated into a clown's mask, and his mouth is carved into a grin.

Stage design and costumes reflect the styles in 17th-century London. The background projections include various paintings such as Hugo's work about the sea.

7:30 pm, May 23-June 3. The National Theater of China, 277 Guanganmen Waidajie, Xicheng district. 400-610-3721

ARCO photo tour

An exhibition about Spain-based International Contemporary Art Fair is displaying ARCO's excellent photography works in the past 30 years in Beijing.

Founded in 1982 by art gallery owner Juana de Aizpuru in Spain, ARCO is one of the largest annual contemporary art exhibitions in Europe.

More than 60 photos of Spanish artists are on exhibition in Beijing, such as Cristina Garcia Rodero and Alberto Garcia Alix. Representing China are Fa Man's photos. The exhibition will also visit Shanghai and Guangzhou.

10 am- 5 pm, until June 30. Cervantes Institute, A1 Gongti Nandajie, Chaoyang district. 010-5879-9666 Ext 3010