City guide: Beijing

Some 600 precious sculptures from Africa will be on display at the National Museum of China for two months. Xie Yanchen, a wood sculpture collector from Beijing, donated these sculptures. The exhibits include painted veils and cresting, and tools that African people use in their daily lives. African sculpture goes beyond being a form of art. They are closely related to traditional religion and living customs of Africa.

9 am-5 pm, through the end of July. National Museum of China, 16 Chang'an Street, Dongcheng District. 010-6512-8901

Beijing Jungle Big Band, one of the more popular jazz bands in town, will team up with a choir and three sopranos to give a concert featuring Chinese folk songs and Western religious songs.

They will perform such heavenly melodies as The Pledge, Panis Angelicus, The Holy City and Chinese pieces including Flower in Water, My Life and Woman's Song. Comprising five saxophonists, four trombone players, four trumpet players and drummers, pianists, bassists, and guitarists, the 7-year-old group claimed to be China's biggest jazz band.

Soprano Wang Feifei (pictured) is one of the leading singers specializing in crossover music. She learned Chinese folk music at a young age and later explored Western singing style. Flower in Water is her trademark song.

7:30 pm, June 11. Poly Theater, 14 Dongzhimen Neidajie. 010-6518-6551/2/3/4

Wine tales

When a bottle of red wine is even more expensive than the tuition fee of a college student, will you buy it? Patrick Carteyron is a collector of precious wines, and he is ready to share the secrets behind the expensive wines in his lecture.

2:30 pm, June 3. F1, Building C, D Park, 751 Art District, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district. 010-8459-9608