Now in its fifth China appearance, the world-renowned Piano Aux Jacobins Festival 2009 hits Beijing with three performances throughout June. The oldest piano festival in France and the first French festival dedicated solely to the piano, the 30-year-old traveling concert has added jazz to its already impressive lineup of chamber ... Read more »

A fter a few weeks of ambiguous weather, summer is finally at the door. The economic crisis is still the word on the street, but that’s no reason why you can’t refresh your wardrobe. Ahead of the hot months, City Weekend’s style editor walks the town searching ... Read more »

The mission of Penghao Theater is spray painted right at the entrance: “THEATER IS FREE.” Producer Jennifer Liang and owner Wang Xiang are running the little-theater-that-could with hopes to establish one of the city’s first small-scale theaters and champion community expression.

“We’ve always had a dream that more ... Read more »

You know Juliette Binoche from such contemporary dance theater productions as … well, actually, she hasn’t done any dance theater before. Internationally famous as a film star, Binoche has dazzled audiences in such films as Blue and The English Patient. Now she’s bringing her animated and expressive personality to ... Read more »

In the highly choreographed world of musical theatre, the raw expression of comic improvisation could either be a welcome change or a messy approach to an otherwise clean-cut art form. Al Samuels sincerely hopes it’s the former. Samuels is a founding member of the Chicago-based improv troupe Baby Wants ... Read more »

It’s the time of year when the trains groan with the weight of a nation returning home to feast with family, and every nook and cranny in the country shakes with the explosion of fireworks. If you haven’t booked your ticket out of China yet, we at City ... Read more »

Clap your hands and say “olé!” The Ballet Teatro Español Rafael Aguilar, a 35-dancer ballet-flamenco crossover troupe, comes to Beijing with a flamenco interpretation of Carmen, another peek into what is increasingly a popular dance form for Beijingers.

“Flamenco is technically so difficult, and there’s also the rhythm and ... Read more »

How many times have you resolved to get fit in the New Year only to find yourself making the same resolution the following year? City Weekend has done the hard work for you, searching out Beijing’s best gyms in four different neighborhoods.

CBD You won’t find better facilities ... Read more »

When Christine Pernin set out to organize this year’s European Union Film Festival (EUFF), she had a great film from Russia in mind. Fortunately, her daughter just happened to be studying geography in primary school at the time. “Russia is not part of the EU, Mom,” her daughter corrected ... Read more »

Modern dance came of age in the United States because of the work and legacy of Martha Graham. In the post-war days of the ‘40s and ‘50s, the angular forms from this doyenne of contemporary dance took to the stage–the physical contortions and deeply personal sensuality–were revolutionary. Graham ... Read more »

Star of the Tony-winning Aida, Leah Allers takes us back stage

Leah Allers, star of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, have been touring with Aida since 2006 and began her China tour in September 2008. As fans of the Tony Award-winning musical, we hooked up with Allers via ... Read more »

Drama groups put on Death Prom, an interactive zombie fest

It was the night they were all waiting for. But when a fire destroyed the school gymnasium with everyone inside, the Glendale Class of 1958 was forced to postpone their senior prom … for fifty years. This Halloween, a handful of ... Read more »

Designer Elizabeth Koch talks about her hot hats for the cold winter

How are things picking up for your hat business? Very fast! I hit the ground running. I could never have imagined that things would have gone this well. I arrived here in August 2007 and all I knew ... Read more »

Nick Bonner brings North Korean art to Beijing and beyond

As Chinese art explodes on the international scene, collectors increasingly look at the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as an untapped resource. Nick Bonner, the Beijing-based director of Koryo Tours and 15-year collector of art from the DPRK ... Read more »

House DJ Martin Landsky tells his coming of age story

For many DJs, it’s love at first sound, with some gatekeeper showing the way to the wonderful world of four-on-the-floor beats and trippy tweaks. For

DJ-producer Martin Landsky, who plays Tango on Oct. 24, the flash of infatuation occurred ... Read more »

A taste of the stars at Beijing’s celebrity restaurants

During the Olympics it was impossible to miss the hordes of athletes and a-listers invading our favorite restaurants and watering holes (USA basketball team at The Beach, Norwegian royalty at LAN, Michael Phelps … everywhere). Seeing how much these celebrities enjoyed ... Read more »

Milwaukee Bucks' Charlie Villanueva goes global

On October 18, the Bucks show off new management and headline players in a preseason game at Beijing’s former Olympic basketball stadium. Twenty-four-year-old power forward Charlie Villanueva believes his team can turn around last season’s losing 26-56 record and up their 13th ... Read more »

Beijing Music Festival, from Wagner to Guo Wenjing

Conductor Long Yu founded the Beijing Music Festival (BMF) a decade ago, fueled by his passion for music and determination to see Beijing earn its place on the international scene. The 2008 festival brings scores of chamber concerts, symphonies and jazz sets ... Read more »

Interactive and digital art make headway in China

Though Chinese contemporary art has taken the world by storm, its new media arm is only now coming to fruition. Given the elements of interactivity, new media art gives new confidence to expressing cultural baggage through a mix media of the Internet ... Read more »

Beijing DJ Crew Acupuncture celebrates its first birthday

Little more than a year ago, a tight community of DJs began gathering in producer X.L.F.’s studio in a low-populated industrial area in outside the Fifth Ring Road. The group included the Peng DJ crew (X.L.F., Gao ... Read more »

Beijing shoppers can't resist the new Sanlitun

After the Bird’s nest, The Village at Sanlitun is the next prime photo opportunity in Beijing. Designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, The Village brightens up Sanlitun, bringing it up to speed with modern architecture and trendy shopping stakes.

Inspired ... Read more »

A weekend at the Banyan Tree offers peace of mind

Travelers looking to catch the rays and blue skies of Sanya while avoiding crowded beaches and throngs of tourists can find the solitude they seek at Banyan Tree Sanya. Every guest at Banyan Tree enjoys the peace and tranquility that ... Read more »

Why Korean galleries stand strong on the Beijing high art scene

Galleries PKM, PYO, Arario, doART and Artside represent some of the biggest names in contemporary Chinese art and are among the most prominent institutions in Beijing’s art scene. They are also all Korean-owned galleries. A fact that emphasizes ... Read more »