Doctors orchestrate a nationwide tour

The World Doctors Orchestra, a nonprofit orchestra of physicians from more than 30 countries, is touring China and will perform at Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts on Dec 4 and at Shanghai's Oriental Art Center on Dec 5.

The orchestra was founded in 2007 by Stefan Willich of Berlin's Charite University Medical Center. Under Willich's baton, the orchestra will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 5 Emperor, Brahms' Symphony No 4 and The Mission, a work Chinese composer Zhou Wenjun wrote for the orchestra's China tour.

Proceeds will be donated to the China International Medical Foundation.

Key player strikes a chord with style

Croatian musician Maksim Mrvica will perform at the Jincheng Art Palace in Sichuan's provincial capital Chengdu on Dec 2.

He will play the Exodus program of piano music he performed for the soundtrack of the namesake film.

Mrvica has gained international prestige as a pianist and is known for his crossover musical styles.

Sichuan Opera travels to Paris

Parisians will be able to appreciate Sichuan Opera stunts, such as mask-changing and fire-breathing, in a classic play about a love story set in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).

The Chengdu Sichuan Opera Troupe will soon leave for Paris to stage performances during the Chinese Local Opera Festival, a biennial event sponsored by Centre Culturel de Chine A Paris.

It will perform the Legend of Red Blossoms, written by playwright Zhou Zhaojun more than 400 years ago.

It tells the story of Li Huiniang, whom the Southern Song Dynasty's prime minister wants as a concubine. But Li falls in love at first sight with a young scholar. The prime minister is so angry he kills Li and persecutes the scholar. Li's ghost saves the scholar.

Shadow puppetry makes UNESCO list

Chinese shadow puppetry has been added to the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the UN cultural agency says in a statement on Sunday.

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage, which is meeting in Bali, Indonesia, until Nov 29, inscribed on Saturday two items from Belgium and China on the list.

Chinese shadow puppetry is a form of theater in which colorful silhouette figures perform traditional plays against a backlit cloth screen, accompanied by music and singing.

Puppeteers fashion the puppets from leather or paper, and manipulate their movements with rods.

The puppeteers' skills of simultaneously manipulating several puppets, improvising vocal songs and playing various musical instruments are handed down through families and troupes.

The committee officially recognizes that shadow puppetry spreads knowledge, promotes cultural values and entertains the community, especially youths.