What's on

Paper-cuts

Since its establishment, the National Art Museum of China has regarded the collection, and research into, folk arts and crafts as one of its core commitments. It has accumulated a diverse assembly of paper-cuts created in various areas by different ethnic groups. At A Magic Touch on Paper, an exhibition running through to Jan 23, the museum is showing a vivid selection of such works.

Paper-cuts are one of the best folk arts to reflect agriculture, as well as social and cultural diversity. The craft is practiced by people of many ages and inspires their imaginations and creativity. The works depict fairy tales, mythological characters and stories from history to entertain, educate and pass on traditions. Works on show include those by famed folk artists, who spent their whole lives in the countryside.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476.

Shanbei music

The folk songs that have long been sung on the Loess Plateau, in the extensive Shanbei region in the northern part of the Shaanxi province, are an encyclopedic collection of melodies to reveal the history, social life, culture, customs and beliefs of the communities in the area. The tunes are free-spirited, and the emotions are rich.

An ongoing exhibition at the Chinese Traditional Culture Museum zooms in on how this unique tradition had been preserved in Yulin, Shaanxi. It re-creates the social and cultural atmospheres of Shanbei to bring people into the history of how those songs were created amid farmwork, festival celebrations and marriages. Their happiness, sadness, pain and anger have been given full expression in the melodies. The exhibition will end on June 27.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 16 Hujing Donglu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-8799-1766/1866.

Master's circles

Qi Baishi was one of the most accomplished and productive artists of the 20th century. His career spanned decades and was marked by several turning points associated with his mentors and close friends. For example, he was invited by his friend, Xia Wuyi, to travel in Shaanxi province in 1902. This became the first of a series of extensive journeys in the country. These trips helped expand his vision and inspired him to carry out important explorations in art.

Splendid and Rich, an exhibition at the Liaoning Provincial Museum, focuses on Qi and his circle of mentors, friends and disciples, and how these relationships influenced his creation and career. It shows paintings, calligraphic pieces and engraved seals, some of which were co-created by Qi and people who had special places in his life, such as Hu Qinyuan, his teacher and sponsor in his younger years.

The exhibition marks the 160th anniversary of Qi's birth. It runs until March 23.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 157 Zhihui Sanjie, Hunnan district, Shenyang, Liaoning province. 024-2320-5102.

China Daily