Xuanwu
Celebrates Culture
by Zhao Dechun
The Xuanwu Culture Festival features Peking
Opera, acrobatics, "shadow play", folk dances and live demonstrations of crafts
making, August 12-22.
Xuanwu is probably the least modernized district in
Beijing, but it still has one thing to be proud of: it is the birthplace of ancient
Beijing culture and a last reserve of traditional culture.
The center of activities will be in the Xuanwu Culture Palace (Xuan Wu Qu Wen Hua Guan), Dongliulichang Jie. The hall will be transformed into a marketplace, with artists displaying their finest folk arts and crafts and giving demonstrations. Visitors are also welcome to try.
The festival activities take place all over the district at places including antique store Laixun Ge, Hufangqiao Culture Place, Beijing Workers Club, the Laoshe Teahouse.
Xuanwu Culture Palace
Arts and crafts include paper cuts, kites, dough
figurines, clay figurines, shadow play, inner-painted snuff bottles, color-painted eggs,
cloth dyeing.
There will be sculptures of jade, stone, wood, roots, metals, porcelain, laquer, and seal cutting. Traditional artworks include porcelain, cloisonne, embroidery, carpets and pottery, There's demonstartions of brush-making, Huqin (a Peking Opera music instrument), Chinese knotmaking, painting and calligraphy mounting.
Address: 29 Liulichang Dongjie
Tel: 6303-0803
Time: 9am-5pm, August 12-22
Other Events in Liulichang Area:
Chinese Fans Show,
Hongbao Tang, Liulichang Xijie
9am-7pm
Tel: 6303-5698
Classical Furniture Show,
Wenfangsibao Tang, Liulichang Dongjie
August 5-15
Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Demostration
Laixun Ge, Liulichang Xijie
Chinese Painting Show
Daqian Gallery, Nanxinhuajie
10am-5pm
Tel: 6304-1245
Writing Brush-making Demonstration
Tiangong Ge, Liulichang Dongjie
Traditional Printing Plate-making Demonstration
Rongbaozhai, Liulichang Xijie
main hall, 10-11am, 2:30-4pm
Tel: 6303-5279
Performances:
Beijing Workers Club
Hufangqiao, opposite Qianmen Hotel
Tel: 6353-5390
7-9pm, August 12
Opening ceremony and concert by China Film Symphony Orchestra
August 13, 14, 15
Peking Opera: Yanshan Fengyun by Beijing Fenglei Peking Opera Troupe
Hufangqiao Culture Place
Outdoor, west of Qianmen Hotel
7-9pm, August 14
Film: "Teahouse" by Lao She
7-9pm,August 16
Traditional Chinese music concert by Beijing Song and Dance Ensemble
7-9pm, August 17
Quyi and Crosstalk, by Beijing Quyi Troupe
7-9pm, August 18
Peking Opera, classical pieces collection, by Beijing Peking Opera Theater
7-9pm, August 19
Highlights from Bangzi (Provincial opera of Heibei), Hebeibangzi opera Troup