Beijing

Peking Opera

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Beijing Peking Opera Theater is staging a series of concerts at the Forbidden City Concert Hall. The performers comprise senior, middle-aged and young artists, including Zhao Baoxiu, Zhu Qiang and Jiang Yishan.

The programs are classic selections from such operas as The Red Detachment of Women, The Red Lantern and Taking the Tiger Mountain by Strategy.

7:30 pm, until July 2. Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square. 010-6559-8285

French artist

The exhibition Allumettes & Neiges Eternelles features the works of French artist Lionel Sabatte done during his three-month residence in Beijing.

Sabatte is the first artist to win the artist residence sponsored by Yishu 8, an art gallery which aims to promote cultural exchanges between China and Europe. He uses brushes, scissors, glue, dirt, eggshell, videos and pictures to express things that are fragile and fleeting.

10 am-6 pm, until July 23. Yishu 8, The Cable 8 Factory, Zhenzhi Lu, Chaoyang district. 010-6581-9058

Expressionist works

Cai Jin from Tianjin is holding her solo exhibition of works on paper at the Hadrien de Montferrand Gallery in Beijing.

On show will be more than 20 of her sketches of nudes and flowers. Trained at Central Academy of Fine Arts in the early 1990s, Cai is noted for her Expressionist depictions of large canna flowers.

10 am-5 pm, until Sept 10. Hadrien de Montferrand Gallery, 798 Art Zone, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district.139-1165-1353

Shanghai

Experimental classic

Contemporary Chinese theater director Meng Jinghui will bring his interpretation of the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet. Combining pop culture elements such as collage, zombie dance and Gothic art, Meng will present a black comedy of the play.

7:30 pm, July 12-17. Shanghai Grand Theater, 300 Renmin Avenue.021-6372-8702

Modern drama

The play Proof won the 2001 Pulitzer Award and Tony Award and was made into a movie in 2005. Written by David Auburn, it tells of a young woman torn between responsibilities for her sick father and her unrecognized genius for mathematics. The Chinese production will feature actors Xu Chengxian, Song Yining, Wu Jingwei and Wang Yong.

7:30 pm, July 7-24. Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, 288 Anfu Lu.021-7473-0123

'Red' portraits

Portraits of 120 Communists in Chinese history are on exhibition. Created by acclaimed artists all over the country, these paintings showcase outstanding individuals who have made great contributions to the founding and development of China, as well as contemporary Chinese art.

9 am-5 pm, until July 10. Shanghai Art Museum, 325 Nanjing Xilu. 021-6327-2829

Pencil sketches

Veteran artist Li Chen of the Luxun Art Academy in Northeast China's Liaoning province is having a solo exhibition in Shanghai. His pencil sketches vividly capture the scenes of Fenghuang, Hunan province, showcasing its unique landscapes and culture. Also on exhibition are his serial illustrations for classic novels and drawings for stamp designs.

9 am-5 pm, until July 10, Shanghai Art Museum, 325 Nanjing Xilu. 021-6327-2829